21 June 2000

Members of the public are being invited to help plant 1000 native trees to celebrate Conservation Week next month.

The planting will be held at the Bexley Wetlands, Wairoa Street, off Pages Road, on Saturday 29 July at 11am.

The Bexley Wetlands Trust is organising the massive planting, with assistance from Trees for Canterbury (the group is supplying the trees) and the Christchurch City Council’s Parks Unit.

The planting will be in conjunction with The Warehouse chain that issued a challenge to its credit card holders to donate their bonus points to the project.

The trees will go in an area at the northern end of the reserve on Wairoa Street.

This is a natural estuarine area with freshwater wetlands under development.

Birds are already increasing in numbers in the reserve. Walkways are still in development.

Members of the public are asked to take a spade and gumboots for the planting.

Further information:

• Robin Stove,
  Trees for Canterbury: 332 8586;
• Jason Roberts,
  City Council Coast Care: 382 1678;
• Hap Hill,
  Bexley Wetlands Trust: 388 8871.