Green Corridors: range to river
The Green Corridors programme develops and maintains a network of reserves throughout the gullies of Summerhill and Aokautere, along the Turitea Stream.
Its aim is to enhance areas of native bush along streams, provide a place for wildlife to thrive, improve water quality, and create open green spaces from the Tararua Range to the Manawatū River.
Green Corridors projects are long-term and carried out with community cooperation and support. It's important to have areas of natural biodiversity close to urban areas, for both conservation and amenity. Every year, Green Corridors helps to make this happen.
Green Corridors is making an impact
Since 2001, Green Corridors has planted more than 140,000 eco-sourced native plants and trees in the Turitea Valley and Summerhill and Aokautere gullies. This has created a fantastic habitat for native birds, improved water quality for native fish, and produced a beautiful bush network for walking, running, biking and relaxing.
Who's behind it
Green Corridors is a voluntary group made up of community members who work with Council to plan and maintain planting in reserve areas, to encourage native biodiversity. The group has given considerable time and expertise to establishing a series of revegetation projects and continues to seek new locations for further green corridor planting between the Tararua Range and the Manawatū River.
Council aspires to make the city a more welcoming place for plants, birds, pollinators and fish, and increased planting contributes to this goal. We’ve also developed walking tracks throughout the network so the community can actively enjoy these lovely spaces.
Plants
Green Corridors calculates the costs of revegetating land on a per hectare basis. The group aims to plant 20,000 eco-sourced native plants a year. The cost per plant covers pioneer and enrichment planting, plant release, maintenance for 3 to 4 years, and replacement plants where needed.
Planting season
The planting season usually runs from May to September. Outside the planting season, the group plans future planting, raises seedlings and works hard to maintain existing areas with monthly working bees.
Make a donation and offset your carbon emissions
Green Corridors is an excellent avenue for you and your company to give back to the environment and enrich your community. Donations go into advancing our efforts to connect the Tararua Range to Manawatū River – the cost of site preparation, plant supply, planting, and maintenance can range from $25,000 to $40,000 per hectare, so any contribution is a big help. There are also opportunities for you and your team to spend a day in nature helping to plant the native trees. We have found this to be a huge morale boost to people who don’t often get the chance to get outside and work with their hands.
Each hectare of native plants offsets around 323 tonnes of CO2-e over 50 years. Green Corridors offers individuals, businesses, and organisations an opportunity to offset their carbon emissions in a way that benefits the local community. Not only does Green Corridors planting offset carbon emissions, it also enhances the ecological and recreational features of our city and the Manawatū region.
Become part of the Green Corridors team
Our amazing Green Corridors team are always on the lookout for new members. The work done by this group of volunteers enriches our city in so many ways and is a legacy that will be enjoyed by our community for many generations to come. If you’d like to take part in some of the great work this team does please click on the button below. Members can adopt one local park to help look after, or take part in monthly working bees, whatever suits your schedule.
Check out Green Corridors on Facebook to see what's coming up
Work with us
If you or your business, organisation or group would like to volunteer for a planting day or simply find out more about Green Corridors, contact our Green Corridors project officer, Sabrina Hinchey. Email: sabrina.hinchey@pncc.govt.nz or phone: 06 356 8199