With the purchase of Archie Somerville’s farm by Manukau City Council to become a reserve and the subsequent fencing of the bush (1999) the land was now available for public use. Unfortunately there was no easy entry. Jim Duckworth rectified this through overseeing the building of the kissing gate next to the barn. This marked the beginning of interested parties working together to restore the MangemangeroaValley.
Replanting begun in the reserve in 2000. Jim’s involvement was to source and propagate 350 plants including puriri, kahikatea, totara, mahoe, nikau (these died because they were in full sun in the swamp) and titree.