In the newly formed Ohauiti Reserve, TTC, recently planted 23 Tilia Tomentosa trees, commonly know as Silver Lime. These deciduous trees originate from Europe, the flowers are toxic to the bumble bee, and they do not bear edible fruit. BOP Regional Council encouragers us to plant native trees in our garden to attract bird life to support our environment. NZ native trees offer a habitat for our native bird life, also providing a knowledge base and enjoyment for the generations that are to follow.
Sadly our Council, did not take into consideration any of these factors, therefore missed a grand opportunity to enhance our city by planting different species of our native trees in this reserve. The Council may as well have left the previous shelterbelt there, perhaps, thinned it out a bit, all they have done is replaced a non-indigenous group of trees with another lot of non-indigenous trees. Had the Council been more proactive towards our environment, and planted a selection of our native trees, we would have inherited a chorus of Tui's and other birds singing while living in their natural habitat, but now they leave us a legacy of dying and comatose bumble bees.
Brian Porter, Welcome Bay.