Almost 2000 native plants are settling into their picturesque new spots around the Waikawa River in the Catlins as part of a partnership between the Department of Conservation, Thriving Southland and local farmers.

DOC Murihiku community ranger/kaitiaki Pat Hoffmann said they had sourced about 2000 plants grown from the Pukerau Nursery and needed to find a home for them.

Hoffmann contacted Thriving Southland catchment coordinator Sandra Campbell who put the wheels in motion to get Waikawa farmers on board.

About 1000 plants were divided up among about 13 farmers who put their hands up in mid October, and DOC was also supplying 850 plants to another local landowner in a seperate arrangement.

Hoffmann said she was blown away by the response from farmers in the Waikawa catchment.

“We had 13 or 14 people prepared to do that at short notice. It’s quite surprising, and delightful.”

The plants were grown for DOC as part of the Ngā Awa programme - which takes a whole catchment approach. Ngā Awa is working in partnership with others to restore the biodiversity of 14 rivers around New Zealand from mountains to sea, including the Waikawa River.

Hoffmann said there was so much energy among the group of farmers and that most of them already have planting projects on the go.

“It was the perfect opportunity,” she said.

The Ngā Awa project focuses on biodiversity, which goes hand in hand with efforts to improve water quality. The Waikawa River was chosen because it was in “good nick”, with wonderful vegetation and a natural, meandering course to the sea, Hoffmann said.

“There’s also some really good fish-life. It’s a good one to enhance.”

The new plantings were a little boost to the great work already happening in the catchment, she said.

“The great thing for us was the ease of working with Thriving Southland,” she said.

Campbell said the Waikawa group had been going since 2009, and had been quietly working away at several catchment projects. The group has previously held events around an introduction to MCI, Stream Habitat Assessments, pest control, and On Farm management discussion groups. 

“We wouldn’t have had these trees without DOC. It’s a great partnership all round.”

Thriving Southland is a community-led group with a vision to create a prosperous Southland, healthy people, healthy environment from the mountains to the sea.

Waikawa Valley farmer Katrina Templeton said the plants were a lovely bonus for the local landowners, and a lot of hard work had been done to get them in the ground around the river.

“We’re extremely grateful for the opportunity to get some trees,” she said.

The new additions complemented the many other native plantings that had been springing up on farms around the region during the past few years, she said.