Pohutukawa Coasters take a bow: 66,000 trees planted

The Pohutukawa Coast Project was set up in 1991 to help re-establish pohutukawa along the coastline. Photo/Michael Cunningham

A planting programme originally designed to herald summer on the Whangarei district coast with a blaze of crimson has celebrated its 27th year.

The Pohutukawa Coast Project was set up in 1991 to help re-establish pohutukawa trees along the coastline.

Since then it has planted more than 66,000 trees, in recent years supplied by Tawapou Nursery at Matapouri.

From left, Mayor Sheryl Mai with Northland branch Royal Forest and Bird volunteers Ina May, Lesley Jewell and president Tony Dunlop

In later years it branched out to include urban and rural areas and included other native plants such as hebe, flax, kowhai, puriri, and pseudopanax in the free tree giveaway.

On Friday, Whangarei District Council (WDC) put on an afternoon tea hosted by Mayor Sheryl Mai to thank the Northland branch of Royal Forest & Bird volunteers who have worked for nearly 30 years on the Pohutukawa Coast Project and other local planting campaigns.

The occasion was also a farewell for volunteer Nola McCullough who has been involved since the start.

The mayor and Nola McCullough who has been involved in the Pohutukawa Coast Project since its beginning in 1991. Photo/Kristi Henare

While Royal Forest & Bird's role has been to replant the trees whose crimson cloaks peak at Christmas time, no one at Friday's function was concerned that Ms McCullough's retirement gift was a bowl turned from pohutukawa timber.

"Not that we are advocating cutting down any pohutukawa trees for making bowls," Royal Forest & Bird northern branch president Tony Dunlop said as he presented the gift.

He outlined Ms McCullough's long contribution, including being the tree distributor for the south Whangarei area during the annual giveaway.

"She has always been a great advocate for the programme and has been actively involved in improving the programme as it has evolved over the years. Nola also volunteers at the Waipu Museum."