Rotary Henderson with help from their satellite club, Rotalite West Auckland and Rotary New Lynn, have been busy with a major project redeveloping a large pond area behind the Waitakere Hospital in Henderson. In Rotary Henderson’s 60th year the club was determined, despite COVID-19 to deliver a large sized project which would allow all our members to participate in some hands-on work – whether it be chain sawing, hauling branches, mulching, planting or organising morning teas and lunches for the hungry volunteers.
The project, which has been in discussion for nearly two years was brought to the club by The Well Foundation, the charitable arm of the Waitemata District Health Board. An amazing design has been prepared by Tania Barke, from Through The Garden Gate Design. The pond area is used by patients and their families as well as staff from the hospital who find it a quiet place to temporarily escape the pressures of the hospital environment. Over the years the area has become quite overgrown – not helped by the dumping of two very large piles of debris excavated from the site of the new emergency department which was constructed around five years ago. In fact, a large amount of kikuyu, gorse and wattles had taken over part of the site, and tea tree had grown up blocking the view of the pond and making hospital staff hesitant about using the area.
Over a number of weekends, members from the three clubs involved have been cutting down a large number of trees which were then used for mulching and firewood. A digger was then onsite for nearly two weeks excavating and reshaping two mounds of dirt and adding over 300 cubic metres of additional soil to them to turn them into something representing two sets of arms wrapping themselves around the pond.
In the coming weeks a number of working bees will be held to plant a large number of new trees, shrubs and tussock grasses on the site. The project will be completed by the addition of some seating which has been funded by way of a Rotary Foundation District Grant with matching financial contributions from Rotary Henderson and Rotary New Lynn.
We were pleased to have District Governor Elaine Mead and Peter Garnett on site for one of the working bees. “It was certainly not just a photo opportunity – both worked super hard and we’re grateful for their support of this exciting project”, said Wendy Coyle, President of Henderson Rotary.
“It is also great to work collaboratively with our friends at Rotary New Lynn. We really value their input and hard work on this project”, said Wendy.
Sourced from District 9910 Newsletter – October. See also https://www.facebook.com/rotaryclubofhenderson