Buy a native tree for mum this Mother's Day, and help save the Bay of Plenty environment

Envirohub volunteer Duncan Newington and consultant and nursery owner Geoff Canham are looking forward to donating and planting 6000 trees to Bay of Plenty soil. Photo/John Borren

A total of 6000 trees are on offer ahead of this year's Mother's Day as part of a quirky plan to combat climate change and save the Bay of Plenty coastline.

The one-year-old pohutukawa trees are also being sold to help retain the Bay's coastal areas and unite the local community in environmental awareness.

Envirohub Bay of Plenty volunteer Duncan Newington said the goal was to sell the trees through its website by Mother's Day. The following week, over a six-hour period a community planting event would be held throughout the Bay of Plenty.

"We hope to plant as far east as Whakatane and as far west as Waihi in various locations," Newington said.

People could buy a tree, for $11.50 each, and plant it somewhere themselves or buy a tree to gift to someone for Mother's Day. Another option is to donate it to the community, where it will be planted somewhere along the coast.

Newington said the incentive also helped to buoy the vulnerable pohutukawa population which is under threat of myrtle rust. Each of the 6000 1-year-old trees has been sprayed and certified as myrtle rust free.

"The more we can plant, the more chance we have to save the pohutukawa."

The initiative is the brainchild of the Envirohub team and Geoff Canham, who runs a consulting business as well his Omokoroa nursery Pohutukawas a Plenty where the trees have been growing.

"It's a really great idea," Newington said.

"It has that two-fold benefit of helping us battle Climate Change - planting trees is one of the best things you can do. The other thing is it secures our coastline."

The trees also made for a more meaningful gift this Mother's Day, Newington said.

"Mother's Day is not just about mum. It's about someone special... You're giving someone something that grows, not just something plastic from the shops."

Canham said he had always had the tree nursery "but the Geoff Canham Consulting business is the first port of call for my services".

"I no longer have time to sell 6000 trees and I'd prefer to donate them to the community instead. I believe every business needs to have some sort of contribution to the community."

Canham said while he had become busy with the business, he liked to describe the nursery as "a hobby that has gone incredibly right".

Canham said the planting of trees would bring more bees and birds to the region "and you can't go wrong with a pohutukawa".

People can visit the Envirohub website here.

What is Envirohub Bay of Plenty?

Envirohub Bay of Plenty was formerly known as Tauranga Environment Centre Charitable Trust and is an umbrella organisation for all the conservation, green hands, and sustainable living groups throughout the Bay of Plenty. Sustainable Backyards and Sustainable Art Challenge are among its programmes it offers to the community.

Source - Envirohub Bay of Plenty