The Cromwell community rolled up its sleeves and got its hands dirty all in the name of creating a legacy.
Ten thousand native trees were planted on the shore of Lake Dunstan near McNulty Inlet at the weekend as part of the Lake Dunstan Charitable Trust’s (LDCT) Bridge to Bridge restoration project.
The project aims to restore native species and improve recreational access and use from Lowburn Bridge to Deadman’s Bridge.
Last year the trust received just over $1 million through Land Information New Zealand’s Jobs for Nature fund to undertake landscape restoration, community outreach and develop a community vision profile for Lake Dunstan over a period of four years.
LDCT is partnering with Te Tapu o Tane and Trees that Count for the project.
More than 100 volunteers from community groups, businesses and individuals turned up to for the planting on Saturday and Sunday — the largest event of its kind in the area.
It was his first time taking part in a restoration project.
"It’s pretty fun, just getting outside," he said.
Lake Dunstan Charitable Trust chairman Duncan Faulkner said the event was a true community effort.
"Many hands make light work is what my mother told me.
"To see people turn up, the community turn out and get their hands dirty, is incredible.
"It’s testament to all the people that have supported us on the way," he said.
The project was a blueprint for how to improve Lake Dunstan and to set an example for future generations.
"I’d love the community to see this as day one.
"This project, we’re not going to see the results of it for many many years, but this is an opportunity to create a legacy for the future generations.
"These plants are going in the ground today but they’re going to be forests in a few decades time.
"It’s an amazing opportunity to be the people who made Lake Dunstan better," Mr Faulkner said.
