Ōpaoa Reserve/ Marshal Place Nature Reserve is a Council Reserve, which the local Forest & Bird branch are involved with, along with the Lions and the Leos.
The Holdaway family planted native trees alongside the Ōpaoa river in the 1930s, and continued to look after them and plant more trees. When the Council cleared plants along the river there was pressure to leave the the trees in this area, as they were by then a well established stand of native trees.
In the early 2000s the local F&B branch negotiated with Council to underplant the area, to form a more complete ecosystem of native plants. Once the planting was completed the responsibility for the reserve was handed back to council
As a result of the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake there was some damage in the reserve, and during covid little work was done on the reserve. In 2022 Council, F&B, the Lions and Leos got together to tidy up the reserve. It is now looking good, a green refuge where locals can walk, under the shade of native trees in downtown Blenheim.
What can you do
It is worth going for a walk through the reserve, access is from Marshall Place, off Dillons Point Road.
If you have concerns about litter or vandalism please contact Marlborough District Council: Phone 03 520 7400 or email mdc@marlborough.govt.nz
If you want to be involved in looking after the reserve or wish alert the F&B branch to issues such as weeds please email us on - mailto:marlborough.branch@forestandbird.org.nz
