Focus Queenstown volunteer at Wakatipu Reforestation Trust

We arrived at Jean Malpas Nursery in Kelvin Heights at 9am along with the team from RockGas Queenstown. We were given an overview of the history of the Wakatipu Reforestation Trust and the founders and how they engage with council and the community. The Wakatipu Reforestation Trust is a community operated nursery on council land with the purpose of regenerating the native planting across the Wakatipu, and bringing the birdlife back.

As a team activity our staff were involved in re-potting small natives from large trays of around 30 seedlings, and carefully re-potting them into larger individual plastic pots ready for their next stage of growth. The idea was to pot them ‘hard like a fruitcake’ not ‘soft like a sponge’ cake, otherwise they don’t survive, needless to say we all learned a thing or two about successful re-potting. Once our little gardening trailer was filled with the re-potted seedlings, we then headed out to our allocated nursery isle and wonderfully made planter box, to unload the re-potted native seedlings ready for the next lot.

Focus Queenstown learning how to pot the seedlings

The nursery has a huge variety of natives and with their wonderful contingent of local volunteers, they are doing a great job of sharing the load of the tremendous hours and care involved to make the Trust a success.

Focus Queenstown at Wakatipu Reforestation Trust
After a short break for morning tea we were given a tour of Jean Malpas Nursery and re-forestation work at Jardine Park with information on each of the different plants, the process from the very beginning to when the plant is planted in their final destination.

Focus Queenstown enjoying a morning tea break
Focus were thrilled to be involved, everyone walked away with a renewed appreciation for our local environment and how we can contribute with our own families, friends and communities.

Focus team repotting seedlings at Jean Malpas Nursery
Are you interested in getting involved? Check out the Wakatipu Reforestation Trust’s website to learn more about the opportunities to support the regeneration of biodiversity in our region. Visit their website here.