Northland Weedbusters Award and education day

An inter-agency group runs the Northland Weedbusters Award and education day every second year. The Department of Conservation in conjunction with NZ Landcare Trust led the last three awards.

The purpose of the Northland Weedbusters Award is to acknowledge and celebrate community weeds projects and to network and learn as a group from expert speakers.

Northland Weedbusters Awards 2012

Date:13 April 2012

Location: Kingston House, Kerikeri

Organisations managing the event: DOC, NZ Landcare Trust, and Northland Regional Council

This event is by invitation only. If you'd like to attend, please contact Gina Willimas gwilliams@doc.govt.nz +64 9 470 3300.

Nominations

Paparore school students weeding
wattles at Lake Ngatu with Bushlands
Trust

Weedbusters is calling for groups, organisations, schools, and individuals tackling weed issues in their communities to be nominated for the 2012 Regional Weedbusters Awards being run throughout New Zealand. The awards recognise the efforts of those who get stuck in and deal with weed issues in their communities in a voluntary capacity.

Weedbusting efforts around Northland and New Zealand over the last few years have ranged from individuals working on their own properties to remove weedy species, to groups adopting natural areas such as bush remnants or wetlands and removing all weed species in that area. Joint efforts are often the most successful, with community volunteers working with schools, businesses, community trusts, local and regional councils, and DOC to tackle weed issues.

Every time we have run these awards, we have been amazed at the number of 'worthy weedbusters' who are nominated.

It's wonderful seeing how many volunteers are tackling weed issues on roadsides or protecting natural areas that are special to them. Weeds grow well in Northland and have a massive impact on landscapes and natural areas.

Anyone can put forward nominations for these awards, even the weedbusters themselves! Nominations are open until 31 March 2012, and can be made online at www.weedbusters.org.nz.

Categories

There are five categories for the Weedbusters awards, all recognising weedbusting efforts:

• public land
• private land
• industry/organisation
• education
• overall excellence chosen from the previous four categories.

Award winners to date

Past awards events 2006, 2008 and 2010 have acknowledged

• Russell Landcare,
• Rod Brown,
• Paparoa Lions,
• George Wilson,
• Bream Bay Drive Reserve Care Group,
• Kerikeri Basin Weedbusters,
• Vaughn Dyer,
• Bream Bay Landcare Trust,
• Ina May and Leslie Jewell of Forest and Bird,
• Bream Bay Coastal Care Trust,
• Bushland Trust,
• Dr and Mrs Comely,
• Friends of Rangikapiti,
• Friends of Taumarumaru,
• Jean Hawkin,
• Little Munroe Bay Landcare,
• Murray Hall,
• South Hokianga Ginger Group,
• Alan King,
• Far North Environment Centre,
• Wayne Petera and Ngataki Native Nursery,
• Raewyn Honeybone,
• Kerikeri Stone Store Weedbusters,
• Lyndsay Charman
• Peter Harding

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