Crowds of enthusiastic planters, keen to help clean up the Karamū Stream, got digging at Bostock New Zealand’s public planting day.
Over 100 people turned out to Bostock New Zealand’s public planting day, which is run in collaboration with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.
Bostock New Zealand, the country’s largest organic apple producer has orchards along the Karamū stream and four years ago started the Bostock New Zealand Karamū Restoration Project in an effort to help clean up the waterway.
The organic grower has committed to fencing and voluntary planting along the stream and has now planted about 8,000 native plants along the waterway.
Bostock New Zealand owner, John Bostock, is very passionate about the planting project and says it was amazing to see so many volunteer planters.
“The Karamū Restoration Project is an opportunity for us to help clean up the Karamū Stream and already we are seeing fabulous growth from the native plants we planted four years ago, when we started it.”
“It was great to see so many families turning up with their spades and gumboots and helping us protect this waterway for future generations.”
Bostock New Zealand is working with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, paying for all the fencing and land preparation on the council-owned land and the Regional Council has supplied the native plants.
Bostock New Zealand has planted a variety of natives including Kahikatea, Tōtara, Mānuka, Cabbage Trees and Harakeke.
“We prepared the land using organic methods such as wood chip mulch and natural fertiliser.”
Bostock Brothers Organic Chicken also put on a complimentary BBQ for all the planters with their award-winning Chicken and Tarragon sausages.
For more photos from the 2022 Planting Day, visit our Facebook Page.