We’d love to see you here at Matuku Link for our volunteer sessions – every Tuesday and every Third Sunday of the month – except when it is a Statutory Holiday or a weather warning is in place – info for 2024:
The Tuesday Team – weekly around 15 people work hard from 9 am till noon, with a cake-filled morning tea break, in our plant nursery and out in the field. The nursery is the motor of our project – under the expert guidance of one of our Waitakere Rivercare members, who have been running a local native plant nursery for the past three decades, we grow all our eco-sourced plants here, from seed or from cuttings. The team looks after the plants until they are at least 30 cm high and can be planted out in the field: former bare paddocks are now covered with our native trees. Planting is done in winter by our Tuesday volunteers as well, and in summer they rescue those plants from smothering weeds. Other volunteers like building more than planting – they are in charge of all construction projects we come up with – our creative Window Wall, steps onto the boardwalk, a new aviary, seats… It is a family friendly, all ages welcome, environment where we provide all the tools (gloves, secateurs, spades) and instruction you might need, plus a lot of gratitude for you spending your time with us! Just register you’re coming for the first time so we can pull an extra chair up. Register here.
Monthly Sunday Working Bees – every Third Sunday of the month from 10 am till 1pm for the past seven years we’ve welcomed everyone to help us plant (in winter) and do “search and rescue” (weeding around our native plants) and together we’ve revegetated almost 3 hectares of bare paddocks, woohoo! Our native plants and trees need looking after for at least three years after they’re in the ground, to make sure they won’t get smothered. After floods we replace stakes, upright plants and clear debris. After very dry times we might need to replace plants or create light wells for infill planting. Some might spread mulch, regravel the pathways or cut back overhanging branches. Basically together we look after Matuku Link. In winter we recommend wearing gumboots, in summer closed shoes (cutty grass!) and a hat. We supply the gloves, spade and sharks (flax knives, super tools for weeding). If it’s your first time with us, or if you’re planning to come with a bigger group, please let me know so we’ve got enough hot drinks, soup or salad for our shared lunch – register here.
Always: we’ve grown Matuku Link entirely with volunteers and their knowledge, time and expertise has been invaluable. We’ve had experienced builders, biologists, planners, botanists, educators, fundraisers, lawyers, trustees, business people, artists, educators, trainers, photographers, graphic designers, IT people, web experts, trappers – we can ALWAYS use your experience and expertise – we’d love to hear from you. Or if you want to learn something and think we can off this through our network of volunteers, get in touch. Currently we’re specifically looking for people who’d like to give guided tours – for adults or children – and help out with our education program (we’ll train you, enthusiasm is the only requirement). Contact Leah Nielsen, our educator, to learn more – schools@matukulink.org.nz
If you’re new, we’ll take you on a guided tour around the project as well. If you’re a regular, you know how satisfying and fun this is, so bring your friends! All ages welcome, especially the tamariki.
- no need to bring your own gloves and spades, but if you do: everything needs to be squeaky clean because of kauri dieback
- for the shared lunch we’ll provide soup or salad & snacks (and homemade baking if you’re lucky!) & hot drinks to share, if you can bring something to add, that’s always appreciated.
But don’t forget if you haven’t been before to register HERE.
Hope to see you there! – Annalily & the trustees
0212207136 or hello@matukulink.org.nz
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