Albemarle Stream Care Group

Albemarle Stream Care Group

We are a volunteer group of residents and school children, working to restore a degraded urban stream in our suburb of Northland in Wellington. We receive funding and technical support via Greater Wellington Regional Council's Take Care programme, and we are also working closely with Wellington City Council, who are doing some of the work on our behalf.

Project Aims

1.   Encourage the community to recognise a local resource and participate in its restoration:

2.   Remove the litter and other rubbish that is present along and in the 250m urban stream.

3.   Remove weed and invasive plant species.

4.   Plant native species to improve the variety vegetation along the stream and stabilise banks.

5.   Remove barriers to fish passage along the stream length where possible.

6.   Improve pedestrian access along the stream by installing a formed track and signs.

7.   Create picnic areas in the upper and lower ends of the stream.

8.   Provide project information (ecological value, history, project etc)

Project Stakeholders

1.   Otari Wiltons Bush Trust (partner organisation & possible seed source)

2.   Wellington Regional Council (funding & technical support)

3.   Wellington City Council (landowner, assistance with track construction and weed control)

4.   Local residents

5.   Cardinal McKeefry school (currently doing Take Action stream care programme)

6.   Northland School (2 classes keen to help)

7.   Northland Kindergarten

8.   Childspace Northland

9.   Project Kaiwharawhara team (other groups downstream doing similar work)

10.  New Zealands Million tree campaign

Activities

We have recently had confirmation of funding from Greater Wellington Regional Council, which will support our operations from 2007 to 2012, and are now planning our first work. This will start with surveys of the stream path and condition, local vegetation and weed infestation, and likely route for a walking track. Once we have completed these steps, we will be starting with our stream clean-up and planting work, with volunteers doing weekend working bees.

Membership

We are currently looking for new members for our group to assist with working bees. If you are keen to join us, or just want to come along to help for a couple of hours, please get in touch (see below).