Local Forest & Bird volunteers were planting trees, shrubs and other native plants upriver from Dutton’s Bridge, just north of Owaka, as part of the Long Yellow Ribbon project.
"The project name echoes the yellow of the kowhai and ribbonwood trees which were once a continuous ribbon all up the valley," project co-ordinator Catriona Gower said.
"Now only a few pockets of mature trees remain and look amazing when in bloom each spring."
About a dozen volunteers, mostly University of Otago students, joined Mrs Gower last month to dig in more than 150 native plants in a strip 2m to 15m from the water.
"Our first planting was in October 2021. [Those] are well above the tall grass and are starting to be easily seen from the road.
"Since then we have collected seed from trees and shrubs along the Owaka River. These have been grown and potted up to form this next big tranche of plants.
"The saplings include the many other trees which were part of the riparian mix including totara, kahikatea, lacebark, weeping mapou, mikimiki and kaikomako."
The trees will help to bind the riverbank against floodwater, filter out silt and nutrients, and encourage native birds to return.
The long-term goal is to restore native bush along 20km of riverbank upstream of Dutton’s Bridge.
The Long Yellow Ribbon project welcomes volunteers to help dig in from 1pm on the fourth Saturday of every month until October.
