Recently the Tree Trust got the chance to plant a new park with 25 young oaks, specially chosen for their adaptation to climate change. When mature, long after we have gone, we hope future generations will enjoy the beauty, the shade and many “ecosystem services” provided by these trees - capturing carbon, filtering pollutants, intercepting stormwater, mitigating the extremes of temperature, making our town more liveable. These are big trees and the bigger the tree the greater the “service” it renders! The Tree Trust doesn’t often get such an opportunity but we love it when we do.

However mostly we plant natives, restoring indigenous ecosystems in forgotten corners, in wetlands, along the edges of streams and drains, forming part of the ecological corridor where we can. With the exception of a few, like totara and kanuka, many of our native trees struggle to thrive in the urban environment, where reflected heat, restricted rooting space, compacted soils, motor vehicle damage and pollution all conspire against them, whereas in conditions more like those of our native forests they do well. And in thriving they also add their beauty, and their “ecosystem services” to our urban environment.

So this Spring let’s celebrate the diversity of both exotic and native plantings in our town. After all, the tui feeds from the cherry as well as the kowhai, the tauhou (silver-eye) from the persimmon as well as the karamū (coprosma), so if the birds don’t care …..