Neligan House diocesan staff goes tree planting

The Anglican Diocese of Auckland, a denominational partner of Eco Church NZ, has an ongoing commitment to reduce their carbon footprint and care for creation. As part of this commitment, the diocesan staff organised a half-day planting working bee on 12 May at Matuku Link. Fifteen diocesan staff from Neligan House attended the event. They were joined by clergy from Henderson-Swanson Parish. Matuku Link is 37 hectares of wetland and native bush located at 111 Bethells Road, Te Henga, West Auckland. It is located at the head of the Te Henga Wetland, the largest wetland in the Auckland region.

The group was hosted by John Staniland, who attends St Mark’s Swanson. John is one of the trustees of Matuku Reserve Trust who owns Matuku Link. John is also an active member of the A Rocha local group in Auckland, and the A Rocha local group runs working bees at Matuku Link a few times a year.

Most people got involved with planting and weeding and few people worked on repotting seedlings in the nursery. There was incredibly positive feedback from everyone on the trip. For some, it was their first time being involved in a planting day.

Check out the highlights from the working bee in the video below, including a snippet featuring Bishop Ross and Cathy Bi-Riley, the Sustainability Fieldworker for the diocese talking to the host, John Staniland.

For more information about Matuku Link, check out this website: https://matukulink.org.nz/

The next A Rocha working bee is happening at Matuku Link on 12 June – so if you want to get involved in the beautiful Matuku Link, do come along: https://www.facebook.com/events/3657006454405923