Free Workshop Helps Katikati Locals Tackle Pest Plants

Katikati residents are being invited to a free, hands-on workshop this weekend to learn how to identify and manage problematic pest plants in their own backyards and community spaces. Sharon Strong, coordinator of Renaturing Katikati — the urban arm of Project Parore — says the earlier these plants are removed, the more cost-effective and manageable the task becomes.

Attendees will be shown various control techniques, from hand-pulling smaller plants to using tools like the extractigator for stubborn species such as privet and Taiwan cherry. For larger trees, drill-and-fill chemical treatment or even an arborist may be required. Strong notes that 80 per cent of the mahi done by volunteers already focuses on pest plant removal, underlining just how significant the problem is in the area.

Strong, who came to the role four years ago expecting animal pests to dominate her work, says pest plants have turned out to be a major threat to local ecosystems. A recent walkthrough of Waterford Reserve found 20 non-native species for every 15 native plants present. She encourages people to start by tackling plants that are flowering or seeding to limit further spread, and to work methodically rather than feeling overwhelmed by the scale of the issue.

The workshop runs from 9.30am to 11.30am on Saturday 5 April at 1 Mulgan Street, Katikati, with morning tea provided. If the weather is poor, it will be postponed to Sunday 6 April. RSVPs can be sent to Sharon Strong at kea@projectparore.nz or 021 281 1774.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).