Trees fit for a king, queen
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The Waimakariri District Council will plant trees this Saturday to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and the ascension of King Charles III.
Tree planting will take place in each of the main towns across the district: Oxford, Rangiora, Woodend and Kaiapoi.
Mayor Dan Gordon said the plantings would provide an opportunity for the whole district to come together and pay their respects.
‘‘We received many queries and requests from people as to how we were going to commemorate the passing of the Queen and the ascension of the King.
‘‘We have decided not to hold a formal memorial, but instead to undertake a tree planting for both.
‘‘The Queen was an avid lover of the outdoors and the King is a very passionate advocate of the environment, so we felt it fitting to plant a tree in their honour.
Gordon said English oak trees had been chosen, which would provide a place for future generations to pay their respects.
Victoria Park in Rangiora was chosen as one location.
The park was named after the Queen’s great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
In 2005 Queen Elizabeth II surpassed Queen Victoria as the longest reigning British Monarch in history.
Other locations included the Kaiapoi Domain, Woodend Recreation Reserve and Pearson Park in Oxford.
Gordon said the tree plantings were open to the public to attend.
‘‘We will be joined by the chairs of the four community boards in each location, where we will jointly plant the trees and unveil commemorative plaques.
"We welcome everyone to come along and join us on this special occasion.’’
■ Plantings for Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III on Saturday, October 1:
- 9.30am, Pearson Park, Oxford.
- 12pm, Victoria Park, Rangiora.
- 2pm, Woodend Recreation Ground.
- 3.30pm, Kaiapoi Domain.
* Public interest journalism funded through NZ on Air.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!