Students have removed almost 19 million moth plant seeds from Ōrākei Ward’s environment during the 2024 Moth Plant Competition.  

A record 26,989 pods were collected, photographed, bagged and disposed of this year — more than two-and-a-half times last year’s total of 10,132.

Given an average of 700 seeds per pod, this result showed an amazing 18,892,300 seeds were removed from circulation before they could take root. Added to that were an estimated 2500 small vines pulled out by the roots even before they could produce pods. Had they been left to grow to seed-pod-bursting maturity, it is estimated they would have produced 175 million seeds.

Now in its fourth year, the Ōrākei Moth Plant Competition, funded by the Ōrākei Local Board, has gone from strength to strength.

Eighteen teams submitted entries this year, competing for a total of $2,300 in prizes. 

At the prize giving held on Sunday, May 26, at the Hyundai Marine Sports Centre, Okahu Bay, these young trail-blazing environmentalists were congratulated and presented with their certificates by Ōrākei Local Board chair Scott Milne, deputy chair Sarah Powrie, and enviro lead Margaret Voyce. 

Prizes ranging from $300 to $50 were awarded for pod totals and a bunch of spot prizes for categories as original and quirky as “thickest vine” — won by Team Staples Pro Max Selwyn College for a vine with an impressive 22cm circumference.

St Thomas’s School won the $300 overall Top School award with an impressive total of 8370 pods.

Ōrākei School’s Moth Busters 2024 took first place in the Open Category, with 4972 pods in total.

The Slay Pickles from St Thomas’s School (4016 pods) were second, with Selwyn College’s Team Staples Pro Max (3183) third, D.A.S from St Thomas’s School (2949) fourth,  and Eat The Moth Plants from St Kentigern Girls’ School (2099) fifth.

Newmarket Playcentre’s Moth Plant Warriors won first place in the Early Child Education category with a phenomenal 4111 pods collected. Glendowie Kindergarten was second with 1044.

The Moth Plant Warriors also won a spot prize for Most Small Vines By Root (2500+). Competition Organiser Nicky Elmore (Auckland Council Sustainable Schools Advisor said that removing small vines by the roots, although less spectacular than cutting off mature pods,  was potentially the most effective way of getting rid of moth plants because each baby seedling if left to grow, can produce 100 pods. Do the maths: 100 pods times 700 seeds per pod equals 70,000. Multiply by 2500 for the number of vines the children pulled out by the roots, and that’s a staggering 175,000,000 (175 million)  potential seeds eliminated before they can burst from mature pods and be carried by Auckland’s winds to take root in hard-to-reach places. The smaller ECE children were particularly good at spotting these moth plant seedlings that had taken root under mature vines.

Other spot prizes went to: Glendowie Kindergarten for Interesting Shot and Best Initiative/Tool Use; Moth Busters 2024 Ōrākei School for Coffee Sack Use; Team Staples Pro Max (Selwyn College) for Best Video, Thickest Vine (22cm circumference) and Best Initiative/Tool Use. Macbeth Moth Plant Murderers (St Thomas’s School) for Coffee Sack Use and Best Powerpoint Presentation; Alex Bull (St Thomas’s School) won Best Photo - “cool and sassy”. 

Two special spot prizes of family passes to visit the pest-free sanctuary island of Tiritiri Matangi —donated by Eastern Bays Songbird Project — were awarded to Moth Busters 2024 (Ōrākei School) and Team Staples Pro Max (Selwyn College). During their visit to Tiritiri Matangi, these families will experience a healthy, regenerated, biodiversity-rich ecosystem. This is the aim of our local Ōrākei environment. 

While the moth plant is a rampant scourge that climbs up trees and shrubs and smothers them, it is not the only noxious weed that thrives in Auckland’s warm, wet and windy climate. Nicky Elmore hinted that in future competitions, our young weed warriors might also target other weeds.