A walking track at McLaren Falls Park is being named in honour of a prominent member of the Bay of Plenty Tree Society, who died last year.

The magnolia area at McLaren Falls Park was officially named the David McNeil Magnolia Walkway at a ceremony in December 2013.

The magnolia area at McLaren Falls Park, officially named the David McNeil Magnolia Walkway, is a tribute to a long-term BOP Tree Society member, who 'loved his magnolias”, according to fellow member and long-time friend Geoff Brann.

Geoff, who lost his friend a little more than one year ago, says the walkway had been put through the magnolia area, so the club has dedicated and named it after David, a tree-loving Tauranga resident.

'It's terrific, I'm just so pleased because he did so much work up there and he just loved the park,” says Geoff.

'He [David] had a tremendous knowledge on trees – he was very, very involved in Matamata and he just loved trees.”

David owned a farm in Te Poi before becoming largely involved with tree planting at McLaren Falls through the BOP Tree Society.

Geoff says David inspired him to become involved too.

'Every Monday, the group meets there at 1pm and we're all planting, labelling or sorting out the trees.

'Basically, all of the trees at McLaren Falls have been planted by the tree society – and David was one of the major drivers of that.”

Geoff says the walkway leads walkers on a 200 metre track through an area planted with magnolias.

In honour of David, Geoff says signs, with David's name, will be put up at each end of the walkway. McLaren Falls Park, 10 minutes drive from Tauranga, is 190ha of pastoral and horticultural parkland set alongside Lake McLaren and is home to one of the best botanical collections of trees in the North Island.