For the past three years, a small group of volunteers, led by local man Leo Koppens, have been hacking their way through a dense jungle of weeds and exotic trees to reveal majestic surviving native trees and other plants in the gully that makes up Tamahere Reserve. They have planted thousands of native plants in the areas and wetlands they've cleared of weeds and they've also created a series of paths to let us all enjoy the reserve.
The restoration of the 5ha Tauwhare Rd reserve is however a huge challenge for a small group & they greatly appreciate any help they can get. Unfortunately, a surprising amount of rubbish blows down into the gully from nearby roads & detracts from the beautiful reserve they are trying to create. Let's help them out with a CITO & earn a souvenir at the same time!
WARNING: please note the D/T rating - this is NOT a CITO for the faint-hearted. The gully is steep, particularly on the banks near the road where most of the rubbish is to be found; the terrain is uneven, muddy in places and will be slippery if wet. Please wear appropriate footwear & bring thick gloves.
Also, note there is limited parking around here & that it's by a busy road, please take care. The gully and its maze of newly-created tracks is a fantastic place for children to explore but I'd suggest leaving under-8s at home for this CITO ... or bring a spare grown-up to help them explore the rest of the gully's walkways and the wetlands, well away from the road.