Forest and Bird North Canterbury branch have, for the last few years, joined with other volunteer groups in the “Mother of all clean-ups”, organised by the Avon Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust on Mother’s Day weekend. Hundreds of volunteers pick up rubbish the full length of Ōpāwaho/Heathcote River, Ōtākaro/Avon River, and Te Wahapū/estuary edges. Volunteer City Care workers then take away the tonnes of rubbish collected. Last year, this event resulted in just under 3 tonnes of rubbish being collected.
Forest and Bird’s specific area is the south side of the Ōpāwaho River from the Ferrymead Bridge to the Lyttelton Tunnel Road bridge. This includes the mudflat areas on and adjacent to our saltmarsh and project zone at Calder Green Reserve. Depending on the tides, we will be including as much of the mudflat areas on and adjacent to our saltmarsh and project zone at Calder Green Reserve as we can in the cleanup. There is also plenty of rubbish along the edges all the way to the tunnel bridge. Can you help?
Please bring gardening gloves and wear gumboots or boots if you have them. We supply rubbish bags and buckets and can supply some gloves for adults.
Meet at the carpark off Ferrymead Park Drive, Ferrymead. This is the Ferrymead end of the track through to Calder Green Reserve. This will be signposted from Bridle Path Road. Any questions contact Joy Talbot (contact details below).