A Christmas thank you

Around 45 volunteers attended a morning tea earlier this month, hosted and supported by Nelson City Council’s Parks and Science and Environment teams to thank them for their hard work throughout the year.

Volunteers who carry out pest/animal trapping, weed control, tree planting and aftercare work in our parks and reserves were all in attendance.

Those involved in the Adopt a Spot programme were given a special mention, given how the scheme has grown significantly over the last four years, largely as a result of this community support.

More than 200 regular volunteers are involved in 41 Adopt a Spot projects across our parks and reserves network, with more waiting in the wings.

The knock-on effect in environmental gains stemming from the programme is testament to the energy and care these dedicated volunteers put into preserving and restoring our natural places in Nelson.

Volunteers have planted more than 5,700 native trees and grasses this year, including some provided by the volunteers themselves from their personal eco-sourced home nurseries.

Nelson City Council’s Environmental Programmes Adviser, Scott Butcher, says the hard work of volunteers has been essential.

“Volunteers play an important role in helping to address the combined climate and biodiversity crisis, the work that volunteers do means that we have much more resilient and robust ecosystems.

“The work the volunteers do also creates optimism in the face of these challenges." 

Parks Team Leader, Sarah Clarke says the volunteers show a real joy in being a part of making Nelson a great place to live. 

“The mahi they have done, with the support of NCC staff, is essential to our biodiversity gains and in creating amazing places for all Nelsonians to enjoy."

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith also spoke at the event and praised the dedication of volunteers.

“I love the work and community spirit of Adopt a Spot. This effort from volunteers is not just helping us better care for Nelson’s unique natural habitat but building a stronger sense of community and ownership of our environmental challenges. Councillors have been so impressed with the results that we are looking to expand it in the Long Term Plan.”

In total, it was calculated the total number of hours donated by volunteers this year has come to a massive 16,837 hours to date.