This Saturday will see 11,000 trees planted in Auckland’s Hunua Domain as part of the final push towards Mayor Phil Goff’s target of planting one million trees in this term of Council.

It is the first public Million Trees planting event of the 2019 season and one of three events being put on by Auckland Council to celebrate Matariki.

The Mayor will be joined by Councillors, Franklin Local Board representatives, mana whenua and more than 200 volunteers from across the community including the NZ Defence Force Youth Development unit, Papakura Sea Scouts and students from De La Salle College.

Phil Goff says the Million Trees target will be exceeded by around 100,000 trees.

“It couldn’t have been done without the contribution of thousands of Aucklanders. Since I announced my plan to plant a million mainly native trees and shrubs across our region I have been overwhelmed by the level of support Aucklanders have thrown behind it.

“The enthusiasm and energy of Council, local boards, the private sector and the community has been amazing, with the past two planting seasons seeing thousands of Aucklanders contributing their time to make our environment greener and better.”

Phil Goff says there is still time for Aucklanders to get involved and encouraged them to register for the upcoming Matariki public planting events.

“These events are about giving Aucklanders the opportunity to celebrate the tradition of Matariki which is associated closely with the harvest and the planting of the New Year’s Crop.
“They are also a chance for Aucklanders to be involved in ensuring our native tree and plant species thrive for centuries to come, bringing with them habitats for the survival and recovery of our native bird life.”
The Matariki public planting sessions are taking place on:
• Saturday 18 May, 10am-noon and 1pm-3pm at the Hunua Domain Recreation Reserve, Hunua
• Friday 14 and Saturday 15 June, 9.30am-12.30pm and 12.30pm-3pm at Totara Park, Manukau
• Saturday 29 June, 9am-noon and 12.30pm-4pm at Metro Park East, Silverdale
For more information and to register, visit www.milliontrees.co.nz or email milliontrees@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

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