Trees for Canterbury: Charity granted more room to grow native nursery

A charitable trust which runs a native nursery that provides thousands of trees a year to community planting projects in Christchurch is expanding its operation.

The Green Effect Trust has been granted permission to lease more of Charlesworth Reserve in Bromley to increase the size of its Trees for Canterbury native tree nursery.

The trust grows more than 150,000 plants a year, of which about 40,000 are donated for community planting projects.

The remainder are sold on a commercial basis.

“The trust want to expand their nursery because there is increasing demand for native plants to assist in the regeneration of the former red zone and to meet the Government’s aspirations for the planting of one billion trees," says Waikura Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community Board chairwoman Alexandra Davids.

The board granted the trust permission to lease the extra space at Charlesworth Reserve.

"They came to us asking for permission to lease an additional 3000 square metres of Charlesworth Reserve and the board has agreed to that request.

"Trees for Canterbury not only helps with regeneration efforts across our region, it also provides work opportunities for disadvantaged people in our communities.

"It does very worthwhile work and we view the expansion of its nursery as a positive move as it means it will be able to provide more tree seedlings to schools and community groups that are working to enhance their local environment," Davids said.

Trees for Canterbury Manager Steve Bush says the expansion of the nursery means a lot to the trust.

"It increases employment with an extra staff member being brought on board, it enables us to support more volunteers and to offer more educational activities on site, while providing the extra space to grow more eco-sourced local plant species for projects and plantings in Christchurch," Bush said.

"There has been so much pressure to supply local species, our resources are at breaking point.

"Without this extension, it will hold back our support for the huge number of community and council plantings that hare happening and being planned for the future."