Pukawa Family Event

Yes, Sunday June 3rd at 10am down on the common we will all gather to learn more about the rare mistletoe and see how many plants we can find growing in the settlement. Ranger Anna will be there to speak to us and help with the search. Family groups can enjoy this event as it is open to all ages.  We will be walking some of the streets as we search for mistletoe.
The TDC men have been busy putting in the new tree name plaques, several down near the common as well as up on  the top bush track where some of the big trees have been named. We thank the TDC for these plaques which will be so useful in identifying some of our native trees.

Hope you can join us on Sunday.

New Arrival.

Many people have fond childhood memories of buddeleia bushes, picinic days at a river where buddeleia gave shelter from the wind, little did we know that it would spread and become one of our unwanted plants.
Very little will grow under buddeleia, it smothers other seedlings so it has been placed on the undesirable list.

In 2006 SCION introduced a weevil into NZ on behalf of Forest Companies to combat buddeliea that had become an aggresive weed. It is a native of China. Extensive testing was carried out before permission was granted to release the weevil to ensure it only attacked buddeleia.  The lava stage of the life cycle feeds on leaves, sucking all the green out of them. It is spreading throughout NZ and is hoped to considerably reduce the plant. 
Now it has been seen in Pukawa so we shall be watching it with interest.