Pest Plants and Weeds
Recognise, Report, Remove, Restore
Invasive weeds (environmental pest plants) are trying to take over our precious reserves and gardens. If left, they smother native bush, take over backyards and damage our native ecology. They can also harbour rats and some can be a health issue for us too.
Pest Free Kaipātiki is here to help you remove these weeds more easily, so we can enjoy the birds and other native wildlife throughout our reserves and in our backyards. Residents can ask questions about pest plants or borrow tools and other resources from our PFK Tool Shed.
What is a Pest Weed?
‘Environmental’ or ‘ecological’ pest plants enter New Zealand in their thousands - often legally as garden plants. Unlike garden weeds such as dandelion, environmental weeds naturalise and become super-spreaders across gardens, bush and wetland areas. They out-compete native plant life to such an extent that our native ecosystems can’t survive.
Environmental weeds can prevent native seedlings from germinating - stopping the regeneration of the bush in its tracks. Some can also strangle saplings or even mature trees. Weed seeds are spread by wind, birds, water and people. Weed fragments get spread around on clothing, fur and machinery. We need help to stop weeds spreading!
What Can I Do to Help?
There is good news. You can be part of the solution to giving life back to our native plants in Kaipātiki. You can help by controlling the pest plants on your own property, or volunteering to restore public places like reserves, or the road berm. You can follow the four Rs:
RECOGNISE: Learn to recognise pest weeds using:
REPORT: Report pest weeds you see in the community and the weed control work you do so that fellow volunteers and restoration groups can achieve more – to find out more about reporting weeds, go to EcoNet CAMS Weed App.
REMOVE: Remove pest plants
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Read our informative pest plant & weed fact sheets here:
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Find out how to remove pest plants by using our easy-to-follow guide
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If you remove ginger roots, moth plant pods, as well as certain other weed parts, you can dispose of them in our community pest plant bin.
- Join a Pest Plant Hit Squad - a community of like-minded individuals who help to remove the worst pest plants across Kaipātiki.
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Check out our events page for any upcoming pest plant workshops to upskill yourself.
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Volunteer to help with weed control in a local reserve.
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Get together with your neighbours to work on pest plants together, or at least target the same species so you are more successful. PFK can provide you with guidance as to what weeds you should work on first for the most bang for your buck or time or offer a site visit. Contact us for more information.
RESTORE: Restore native biodiversity by planting natives in your backyard, your workplace or school, by yourself, with your whānau, or by joining a restoration group.