The call has gone out – help is needed at the first planting working bee since lockdown.

It’s not only businesses celebrating the nation’s move to Alert Level Two. Keep Alexandra and Clyde Beautiful (KACB) is a volunteer-led organisation that relies on helping hands from the community. Not only that – timing is crucial for their planting projects.

Co-ordinator for KACB’s Lookout Reserve group, Beverley Thomson, said they had breathed a collective sigh of relief when the move to Alert level Two was announced.

“May is the perfect time for planting, we couldn’t do it either earlier or later than this.”

“Any earlier and it’s too dry for new plants to survive; any later and the ground will be frozen.”

The ground was prepared in November last year, when local school children joined forces to weed and mulch the area.  

Now, 78 native plants are waiting at the Clyde Railhead Community Eco-nursery ready to be planted. Beverley said they were relieved to be able to organise a working bee for Saturday under the new rules.

Beverley Thomson has put the call out for ten people to help plant 78 native plants at Lookout Reserve on Saturday.

Beverley said to keep within Alert level Two guidelines, they needed ten helpers, and those helpers need to pre-register with her to ensure everyone understood and was prepared to follow the procedures put in place for keeping everyone safe and healthy.

“Some of our volunteers are over 70, but are itching to go.”

“We’re very much aware that even though it’s outside in the fresh air and open spaces, we’ve got to really look after each other.”

Beverley said the planting project had already made a visible difference to the area and they had received feedback from members of the public on how wonderful it was looking.

“The new tussocks, flax and kanuka have sprung up amazingly well, everything’s looking happy and the whole area is looking better all the time.”

She said they really needed ten people to help with this Saturday’s planting, and were hoping for a good response.

“We would normally have more than that, but it’s the maximum number we can have.”

“Any less than ten people and we probably won’t get all the plants in the ground.”

Beverley asked people to contact her by email before Saturday. 

She was also hoping people would register their support, even if they couldn’t help on Saturday. The group would need future help as they follow up this planting with a schist mulch, and then a bark mulch in Spring.

Beverley’s email address to offer support and help is [email protected]