Locals band together to tackle pests and litter in Manukau bush
A Manukau woman is being awarded for her efforts in trapping pests and cleaning up rubbish in the Totara bush.
Katherine Clayton has organised a regular meet up of locals to tend to the 20 bush reserves in Totara Heights which suffer from litter and pests.
“There are big problems with rubbish that blows in, and rats and possums also live here,” she said.
“There are pest plants that smother the ground so that new seedlings can’t come up.”
Clayton said she was “blown away” by the news she had won in the local hero category in the Keep New Zealand Beautiful awards.
“I was speechless, I didn’t know I had been nominated,” she said.
“It’s just something I’ve got a passion for and it’s been really fulfilling.”
Clayton has always tended to the bush around her own property, which she has lived at for 22 years.
But she believes if the community binds together they can have a larger impact.
“Let’s come together and focus on a couple of areas of bush,” she said.
“We’ll get the rubbish out and the weeds up and talk about predator control.”
The next clean-up day will depend on lockdown restrictions but is booked for September 26.
Locals who are interested in helping out can contact Clayton through the Totara Heights Bush Guardians Facebook page.
LIVE Q&A: Financial well-being with Cat Rikihana
Today (Wednesday) we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with Cat Rikihana who is a financial mentor, educator and financial capability practitioner at Financial Freedom Trust in the Manawatū.
Cat Rikihana (Ngai Tahu) like many financial mentors around Aotearoa, works with individuals, groups and whānau to successfully navigate financial stress and hardship. Mentors work alongside whānau to increase confidence and skills in personal money management and advocate with and for clients. Cat enjoys delivering online and face-to-face workshops which provide opportunities to normalise money conversations and encourages people to make time to consider their financial well-being.
Cat is also an independent financial well-being coach, educator and indigenous life coach at Restore Wellness Network. She is a published writer and currently in the process of writing her first non-fiction book: 'A financial self-care guide for women in Aotearoa.'
She'd love to answer any questions you may have around your budgeting and spending habits, strategies for saving, retirement planning and debt. (Don't be shy, but be mindful about what you disclose!)
↓ Share your questions now and Cat will reply to your comment below ↓
Can you outsmart your neighbours with this riddle?
The more you take away from me, the larger I become. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.
Poll: Have you ever had a scary flight?
A plane flying from Christchurch to Wellington on Sunday had smoke billowing out of the engine and upon landing, passengers had to open the emergency exit and jump out. Have you had any scary flying experiences?
-
57.5% Yes!
-
42.5% No, it's always been smooth flying
Loading…
