Willowridges "Vision Statement" for Opeke

The following document was provided by Willowridge in response to concerns over the current activities and burning on-site.

NATIVE RE VEGETATION PROJECT: OPEKE
Vision Statement

To re-establish a complete coastal margin of native bush by removing exotic and invasive species and retaining existing native vegetation together with a large scale native replanting programme.

To protect the eco system and increase bio-diversity through the reintroduction of native species arid extending the native woodland areas of the site including areas such as gullies that have been cleared for farm land by past generations.

To establish a network of walkways as part of the project including a coastal walking track.

To maintain the native woodland with an ongoing programme to prevent the reestablishment of unwanted and invading species to the point where the native woodland is self sustaining.

Aims:

1. To protect the existing native woodland by
- Removal of gorse, sycamore, hawthorn and other invading weeds
- Tree surgery to remove dangerous branches and the worst of the vines from trees
- Performing sympathetic tree surgery on aged, stunted or damaged trees
- Contact spraying and cultivation 01 weeds to deny them re-growth

2. To promote regeneration of those parts of the native woodland that have egenerated due to invasion of weed or exotic species by
- Moving seedlings to new locations on site to aid diversification and stop overcrowding
- Planting new native species to create bio-diversity and a richer environment
- Planting sympathetically with the environment

3. To create new native woodland that is accessible by
- Re-vegetating the coastal margin and gullies with selected native species
- Creating paths that are in keeping with the surrounding environment

4. To promote the woodland as habitat for the native bird population by
- Creating a diverse habitat
- Planting to create a sympathetic ecosystem

5. To identify and retain those trees which are not native but can be incorporated into the above aims.
- Some of the exotic trees on site are worthy of retention
- Have important heritage vales
- Important specimens both in terms of maturity and species.