Greendale Reserve follows the Muaupoko Stream through the Greendale subdivision off Otaihanga Road. The reserve includes river flats and dune-land covering an area of approximately 3.5 hectares and extending a distance of 550 metres to the north-west of King Arthur Drive. Directions to reserve
In the mid-1990s, the Kapiti Coast District Council received this area as the reserve contribution for the Greendale subdivision. The council offered Greendale to Kāpiti-Mana Forest & Bird as a planting project. Kāpiti-Mana F&B accepted the challenge, with Phil & Viola Palmer overseeing the project. Since 1998 over 15,000 new native trees, shrubs, flaxes and grasses have been planted in the reserve, about 5000 of these by Kena Kena School pupils.
The Greendale Drive entrance in 1998, a sandy area infested with exotic weeds, now lined with native shrubs, flaxes and grasses
F&B volunteers and many other people have devoted a great deal of time and enthusiasm to planting days and to maintenance. In the past year or so work has begun on clearing weeds from the less accessible areas and augmenting earlier plantings.
The reserve incorporates a picnic area and a number of pathways including a pleasant through-route, regularly used by walkers and cyclists between King Arthur Drive and Greendale Drive. The planted trees now provide nesting space for many species of birds and during the flowering/fruiting season birds can be seen feeding off flaxes, karamū and other plants.
A huge amount of hard work by adults and children went into making this a place of beauty for people to enjoy and regular on-going work is needed to keep it that way. At present, a group of volunteers is keeping abreast of the work, but this is a 50-year project - think about it. That is the challenge.
Volunteers, adults and children, have put a great deal of hard work and love into the Greendale Reserve. Let’s not waste it.
Would you like to help? Contact Chris on 021 773 040