Ground-breaking scheme for Carterton

HELPING HANDS: Carterton Lions Club members to get weeding at the Carter Scenic Reserve were Alan James (left), Ian Reid, Kim MacMillan, Roger Thorn, Alan Renall and Peter Little. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Carterton people have come together in a ground-breaking community partnership to maintain and revitalise the Carter Scenic Reserve at Gladstone.

The group, led by Garry Foster from the Department of Conservation, Ra Smith from Hurunui-o-Rangi Marae and Enviroschools facilitator Gill Stewart, has held several public meetings to discuss the future of the reserve.

DoC partnership ranger Garry Foster said the group was an example of a new way of working together. "Carter Reserve is a great example of how a community can come together in a partnership approach to conservation."

As a result of meetings held earlier in the year, DoC has commissioned a hydrology report to assess the reserve's water levels.

Mr Foster said some people believed water levels might be causing the kahikatea trees to die, while others thought it was a good habitat for native fish. "In order to fully and properly assess that situation, we formed the hydrology working group, and those people were consulting the best available literature and experts to find our way forward."

Recommendations from the report should be available next week.

The newly-established group aimed to preserve the diverse habitat of the reserve.

"Some of the broader things that we are trying to achieve is that Carter Reserve is developed as a diverse wetland habitat that supports a range of native fish and rare plants."

Since forming the group, Carterton Lions Club has planted 200 native plants in the driveway and has weeded around the native trees.

Ms Stewart said a lot of the people getting involved had a childhood connection to the reserve.

"A lot have really fond memories of the place as children ... they are just so passionate about this reserve because they hung out there as kids."

It was a good opportunity to make the reserve an enjoyable space, she said.

"It's about making it a place people feel good going to and where they can give back."

-Anyone interested contact Garry Foster on 06 377 0700.