A dash of green for old Blue

Willows cleared and native trees planted, a wonderful day for the Whale Trail!

Planting 1000 native trees, shrubs and grasses at the Blue Hole in Koromiko was a wonderful opportunity for all those connected with the Whale Trail to help restore a local taonga

4th generation farmers & Blue Hole Landowners, Ivan and Kerry Fearns, planting for the future with generation 5 & 6!

The Blue Hole is an important spring in the Speed Road section of the Para swamp and flows almost continuously, ultimately feeding into the Para Swamp and then the Tuamarino River.

Helping the Whale Trail team was a committed team of local volunteers including landowners, Kerry and Ivan Fearn whose family have been farming in the Koromiko Valley for 4 generations.  The Fearns were delighted to have the willows and weeds cleared from the Blue Hole and fencing in place.  Keen riders themselves, the Fearns are looking forward to seeing the plantings give pleasure to the many future trail users.

Also helping were volunteers from Te Ātiawa o te Waka-a-Maui and Te Rūnanga ā Rangitāne o Wairau.   Historically, the Para valley was an important area rich in resources for iwi, as well as being an important thoroughfare between Wairau and Waitohi.  Te Rūnanga ā Rangitāne o Wairau Trustee, Dr Peter Meihana said the Whale Trail planting event gave them a chance to physically connect as kaitiaki, collaborate with the community and share their mātauranga.

Rico Nicklin (Rangitāne, Ngati Kuia), Dr Peter Meihana, Trustee a Rūnanga ā Rangitāne o Wairau, Kristie Pakipaki, Pou Taiao, (Environemental Manager)Te Ātiawa o te Waka-a-Māui Renee Love. Kaitohutohu Taiao (Environmental Kaitiaki) Te Ātiawa o te Waka-a-Māui sharing the mahi and mātauranga at the Blue Hole planting day.

The planting day was supported by Fonterra, Marlborough District Council, Wild about Natives and Morgans Nursery.  We were very grateful to the students from Marlborough Boys College agriculture course, the Marlborough Sounds Adventure Company team and the amazing Picton cycle group who are stalwarts of the trail program.

There’s a lot happening on the Whale Trail currently and restoring areas such as this is a wonderful opportunity to progress the trail with a committed and enthusiastic team of volunteers.  If you’d like to help out with any of the many projects on the trail please email us at info@thewhaletrail.nz  we’d love to have you involved.