Rough Island Project
FuturEcology Ltd has been contracted to restore an area on Rough Island for Tasman District Council and Waimea Water. The aim is to convert former pine forest land to coastal lowland forest.
2021 saw FuturEcology Ltd planting of 22,000 trees and shrubs over 6 ha surrounding the Rough Island Wetland. This was a large project that required excellent organisational skills to ensure that all plants went into the ground in the right place and within the timeframe allowed. Logistics on large plantings can be difficult to manage at times making sure that the correct numbers and mix of plants are on site for each days planting and that these do not dry out.
FuturEcology Ltd had a great team on site led by Ben Pavitt with the plant delivery and logistics looked after by our contractor Pete Crowle.
The main challenge was the surprisingly stony soil which required most plants to be planted with the assistance of a steel bar. All plants were fertilised and protected with an EmGuard. Growth to date has been fantastic with the regular spring rain keeping plants in active growth.
FuturEcology Ltd has the maintenance contract to ensure that these plants establish well and grow out into a coastal forest as well as to ensure that the environmental weeds such as Smilax and Convolvulus that has been identified on the site are controlled.
2022 will see a further planting of approximately 5,000 plants to fill the balance of the area and strengthen plantings around the major access points.
The wetland on this site has been identified as having the only natural population of a large rush called Macherina articulata – formerly Baumea articulata. This was down to just 3 plants but is now strengthening in the wetland benefitting from targeted weed control over the last few years.
FuturEcology Ltd staff look forward to seeing the ongoing growth and establishment of this site over the next few years.
