The  Far North District Council, its local community and Transpower are stars in the latest development of the Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail.

A $40,000 CommunityCare Fund grant obtained from Transpower last year has been spent on plantings of more than 6000 native trees and shrubs along the Okaihau to Kaikohe section of the 85km trail.

The project began after FNDC won a $4 million government grant and the ultimate plan is tocreate a coast-to-coast biodiversity corridor by planting more trees and shrubs as new sections of the trail are developed.

Cycle trail coordinator Adrienne Tari says protecting and enhancing the trail’s biodiversity values has added another value dimension to the trail.

“When we started this project, we saw the trail mainly offering recreational and economic benefits.

“But then we realised we had an opportunity to enrich the cyclist’s experience by developing the trail as a biodiversity corridor that connected bush remnants on farmland along the trail.”

Adrienne says she is awed by the way the community has embraced the project.

Heritage Kaikohe members have played a pivotal role in developing the biodiversity corridor, raising native seedlings in a greenhouse at the Pioneer Village.

“They’ve demonstrated that heritage protection isn’t just about preserving old buildings and artefacts. It’s also about looking after the natural environment for future generations.”

Staff and volunteers spent countless hours collecting native seedlings from the trail before Community Max workers began clearing scrub.

“These will have a better chance of survival if we grow them on in a greenhouse and transplant them to the trail.”

Waimate North botanist Justin Blaikie has also been a key player, giving his time to undertake an ecological audit of the trail. “Thanks to Justin, we know which areas of the trial have high biodiversity values that need preserving.”

Photo: Far North District Council technical officer Andrew Young and Work and Income regional industry partnership advisor Treina Chaplin inspect a bush-clad section of the trail.