The 50th anniversary Conservation Week finished with a new war on weeds in Napier at the weekend.
Tormented by the seasonal and nuisance invaders of the average Kiwi back yard, gardeners were able to off-load their botanical nuisances on the Hawke's Bay Regional Council and the Department of Conservation in a "Weed Swap" held at the Marine Parade Sound Shell.
The reward was a trade with native plants as council and DoC staff encouraged the Bay's green-fingered to help prevent new species from entering the ecosystem, including limiting the dangers for rare and threatened birds.
There were 200 plants to be given away and advice was also being given to help identify invasive, unusual or unwanted pests and weeds on properties in the urban environment, with 70 per cent of invasive weeds being originally garden plants.
The first ever Conservation Week was launched by SCOUTS New Zealand in 1969. It was taken over by the Nature Conservation Council then managed by DOC since 1987.
