Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor volunteer days

Want to help create a living legacy for our city? Our planting season takes place over autumn through winter from May to August.

We work with other partners to make this legacy a reality. Contact RRZRangers@ccc.govt.nz.

Waikākāriki | Horseshoe Lake

Waikākāriki/Horseshoe Lake was the site of a significant settlement called Te Oranga. A tributary to the Ōtākaro, Waikākāriki was rich in wildlife and natural resources and was a significant site for mahinga kai.

Conservation Volunteers New Zealand will be hosting several public planting days to restore the wetland areas along the New Brighton Road edge. 

When: All done for the season. Stay tuned for events next winter. 

Register via CVNZ website(external link).

Corser Stream – Burwood

The red zone ranger team are leading a new planting project on the west side of Corser Stream This falls within the area known as Ōruapaeroa. 

• Stay tuned for the 2025 season.

Ōruapaeroa/Travis was a traditional kāinga (settlement), which included the wetlands surrounding the Ōtākaro/Avon and Ōpāwaho/Heathcote rivers.

These wetlands supported abundant native fish and birdlife, and the site was an important mahinga kai nohoanga (seasonal food landing).

Contact: RRZRangers@ccc.govt.nz.

Avon-Ōtākaro Network community days

The public is welcome to join in these community-led events under the auspice of Avon-Ōtākaro Network:

Stay tuned for more dates.

Contact:  avonotakaro@gmail.com.

Eco-Action Nursery Trust planting days

The public is welcome to work alongside the students and organisers of these future forest planting events in Chimera Crescent/Atlantis Street, access off Travis Road.

Stay tuned for more events next season. 

Contact: ecoactionnt@gmail.com.

Autumn and spring maintenance

This is a critical step in any restoration project – releasing the plants by weeding the long grass around each one and adding mulch. This allows each plant to access the sunlight and water they need to thrive and grow.

We are working with Conservation Volunteers New Zealand to support this important work at Cedarwood, Amelia Rogers and Waikākāriki/Goodmans. We welcome group inquiries for De Ville Place/Waikākāriki and Belair Close, Burwood.

Contact:

• RRZRangers@ccc.govt.nz
• christchurch@cvnz.org.nz

Waikākāriki Horseshoe Lake – Goodmans Road

Conservation Volunteers New Zealand are helping restore this culturally significant site – Waikākāriki/Horseshoe Lake. 

When:

• Thursday 23 January 9.30am to 12.30pm
• Friday 14 February 6pm-8pm (Spade-dating special event) 

Access via Queensbury Street gate, off New Brighton Road. 

Contact: christchurch@cvnz.org.nz

Cedarwood Reserve

When: Thursday 30 January, 9.30am

Register: Register with CVNZ (conservationvolunteers.co.nz)(external link)

Contact: christchurch@cvnz.org.nz

Amelia Rogers Reserve

Amelia Rogers Reserve is in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor, on residential red zone land, Ōtautahi East. Amelia Rogers was a local identity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, running the post office from her home at 348 New Brighton Road.

We'll supply tools. Please bring your own gardening gloves, wear sturdy footwear, long sleeves and pants, and bring a water bottle. 

When: Thursday 23 January, 9.30am 

Register: Register with CVNZ (conservationvolunteers.co.nz)(external link)

Contact: christchurch@cvnz.org.nz

Dallington Landing

 Dallington Landing is the site of a Rotary Forest of Peace and Remembrance, planted by CVNZ volunteers in 2022 and 2023 as part of Rotary's centennial celebrations. 

When: stay tuned for 2025 dates.

Register: Register with CVNZ (conservationvolunteers.co.nz)(external link)

Contact: christchurch@cvnz.org.nz

5000 trees at Deville Place

This is the perfect site for any schools looking to fulfil their community service hours and October to December is a great time to come together and do some spring  or summer maintenance. 

Contact the red zone team if you are interested in bringing your team to this site to make a real contribution to the restoration of this culturally significant site – Waikākāriki/Horseshoe Lake. 

Contact:  RRZRangers@ccc.govt.nz

Di Madgin's heritage garden

Support Avon Ōtākaro Network with the maintenance of this peaceful oasis, which was once the home garden of legendary gardening journalist Di Madgin.

When: Stay tuned for 2025 dates

Register: Register with CVNZ (conservationvolunteers.co.nz)(external link)

Contact: christchurch@cvnz.org.nz

Port Hills red zone – 186 Bridle Path Road

Support some tree rescue at this lush site in Heathcote Valley. 1000 trees need releasing and mulching to ensure their survival - what a great way to finish up the working week. 

When:

• Wednesday 15 January 4pm - brush away those 'back to work' blues with a little tree rescue on a mid-week afternoon
• Tuesday 25 February 10am - this will be a bilingual event delivered in English and Mandarin alongside the Chinese community. 

Contact: Sarah.Mankelow@ccc.govt.nz 

Please wear long sleeves and pants and bring:

• Appropriate clothing for any weather: sunhat, warm jacket and raincoat.  
• Sturdy footwear or gumboots.
• Work gloves.
• Water bottle and sunscreen.

Tools are supplied.

For further information contact parks.volunteers@ccc.govt.nz.

At 602 hectares, the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor regeneration area is three-and-a-half times larger than Hagley Park. 

Although this will be a generational project that’s likely to take between 30 and 50 years to fully develop, we encourage people to visit and connect with the land that once held more than 5,000 homes.

The Green Spine will form the core of the regeneration area. At 11km long, it will follow the Ōtākaro Avon River and feature swathes of restored native habitat, trails, paths, footbridges, community spaces, and riverside landings that provide access to the water and local information about the area.

Over the past few years, Council staff, organisations and volunteers have planted tens of thousands of native trees throughout the Green Spine, as we begin bringing the vision of an ecologically-restored river corridor to life. 

Some of the larger ecological planting projects you can get involved in include:

• The Rotary Peace, Remembrance and Community Forests Trust is a centennial initiative – marking the founding of Rotary in Aotearoa New Zealand in 1921. This forest planting is located within the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor regeneration project, known as the Green Spine, beside one of the key riverside landing areas.  
• Environmental charity Trees That Count pledged 10,000 native trees in support of The Press-backed campaign for Christchurch to be recognised as a National Park City(external link) – a greener, healthier, and wilder place to live. Half of these were planted into a 1.4-hectare space bordering Waikākāriki-Horseshoe Lake(external link).
• Avon-Ōtākaro Forest Park(external link) has a vision to transform the Avon River Red Zone into a vibrant, city-to-sea native forest park along the Ōtākaro Avon River. They have a number of small pocket parks but Brooker Ave is their key site.