O'Neill Block Happenings

17th April 2002 - What terrific support for the official opening of the O'Neill Walkway, with over 75 people attending ! This track is now open to any general public who would like to venture through here.

Friday, 10th August 2001 - On what turned out to be a wet afternoon, the 'O'Neill Park' Ambassadors from Tokanui and Gorge Road Schools, and other community helpers and Environment Southland staff and Chairperson, John Matheson, fronted up to undertake the annual planting. With 100 plants, including manuka, Pittosporum, broadleaf, koromiko and wineberry, planted in just under an hour, the rain dampened the enthusiasm only slightly, and everyone went away feeling a good job had been done.

Friday,16th March 2001 - the O'Neill Park Ambassadors from Gorge Road, Waimahaka and Tokanui Schools, and their drivers/helpers, visited the area where the plantings were undertaken last August. The school pupils cleared the grass away from the trees, and gathered up the protectors. This was followed by a walk through the bush on the track recently cleared by the YMCA Conservation Corps.

Wednesday, 28th March 2001 - Visit by Year 1 - 3 pupils of Tokanui School, their teachers and numerous parent helpers. The children were adressed by Nick Rosewarne, Envirosouth, who explained the pest control he was doing with possums, rabbits and magpies. The pupils heard about their Tokanui School tree, the totara, along with the other podocarp canopy trees, rimu ( red pine ), kahikatea ( white pine ), miro and matai. They also were told about the beech trees that can be found here, and how their seed came from the upper Mataura River source of Garston and Athol.