Volunteer effort restores nature reserve

Invasive weeds have been cleared from the Ōpaoa / Marshall Place Nature Reserve by enthusiastic volunteers.

Members of Forest & Bird, the Marlborough Leos which is a service group of Marlborough Boys’ College students, came together for a volunteer working bee at the reserve to help control invasive weed species.

The reserve has been developed and enhanced over a number of years through the efforts of these dedicated volunteers and Council. Regular days are held to remove pest plants, undertake plantings and carry out conservation work aimed at improving the ecological values of the reserve.

Ōpaoa Reserve is a Council reserve which was originally planted by the Holdaway family in the 1930s. In recent years Forest & Bird have underplanted the area to form a denser ecosystem of natives, making for a green refuge where locals can walk under the shade of native trees..

The ongoing commitment from these groups continues to make a significant contribution to the health and restoration of the reserve, which is accessible from Marshall Place off Dillons Point Road in central Blenheim.