The Tauranga City Council has recognised the Bay of Plenty Tree Society with a tree planting ceremony at McLaren Falls in celebration of its 45 years in service.

At the ceremony Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby joined Bay of Plenty Tree Society president David Kershaw in planting a McLaren Falls Swamp Cyprus.

Mayor Stuart Crosby and Bay of Plenty Tree Society President David Kershaw plant a McLaren Falls Swamp Cyprus outside the new McLaren Falls visitor centre.

Stuart says the function was to formally recognise the tree society for its effort and commitment in establishing a world class collection of trees at McLaren Falls Park.

The Bay of Plenty Tree Society is a group of tree enthusiasts who aim to beautify Tauranga with a diverse range of trees.

At the ceremony, Stuart said the society approached the council with the suggestion that the land around McLaren Falls Lake could be developed into a substantial park.

'The Bay of Plenty Tree Society had the early vision to see this area as a potential public amenity,” says Stuart.

This was a colourful view given the practical plans for the falls.

'The focus of McLaren Falls was originally for a power scheme with the dam and power station built in 1924.

'Council owned most of the land alongside the lake for the power scheme.

'There was a small section of remaining land that needed to be purchased to create a seamless parkland link.

'The tree society agreed to provide trees and labour once the land had been purchased.”

The first plantings began in 1965 when it was agreed that the society would locate, purchase and plant the trees for them then to be maintained by the council.

'Planting became an annual commitment for the society, resulting in many thousands of native and exotic trees.”

Stuart says the favourable rainfall and temperate climate at McLaren Falls has benefitted the hard work and diligence undertaken by the tree society.

He says with much of the park nearing capacity, the next stage of this relationship will be mapping of the park's trees.

'It's thought that over 600 species of exotic trees were recorded in the late 1980s with an additional variety of native species.”