Many of you will remember the 1980’s television commercial starring botanist, David Bellamy who implored us to rid the nation of the invasive plant pest, Old Man’s Beard, Clematis vitalba.

Well, a modern day repeat of this campaign is now overdue. Plus action.

Background … I’ve just spent Easter in the idyllic Marlborough Sounds. As I drove my guests around the windy Queen Charlotte Track, the flowering, fluffy seed heads of the rampant climber were everywhere to be seen. Almost every corner was turned to the sight of this weed enveloping native bush on both sides of the road. It was pretty frustrating but typical for this time of year in the Sounds, I recalled.

The bach has been getting a bit overgrown so I got stuck into some gardening. This included ripping out some Old man’s beard that had re-sprouted in the five years since I bought the place and spent days combing the hillside on the back of my property, chopping the leathery tenticles of the OMB as is the legal responsibility of every property owner. It was clear that I would have to do this every few years to knock it back and keep it under control. This got me to thinking.

First, I wondered whether the property owners of the Sounds, DOC and the Marlborough District Council (depending on location) could be prosecuted for not removing the weed as per the bylaw. I guessed they would be exempt from legal action. Then I moved on to wondering why the PD gangs, community service folks, etc couldn’t be press-ganged into action. This moved to a strema of consciousness discussion with those around me about utilising our newly unemployed. But the reality is that the answer lies with the residents and home owners who use and enjoy the Sounds. There’s no point blaming the council, government or wishing for free labour. It’s up to us.

So I’m thinking about launching an ‘Old Man’s Beard Must Go’ Day. One day each year when we will join forces to tackle this pest. We can use social media to promote and educate, garner support from those with access to tools, resources, people, passion and energy. We can clamber up the hills and slide down the gullies of the Marlborough Sounds and reclaim our native bush. For one day, every year, we can demonstrate not only that Old man’s beard must go, it will go. Shall I do it? Are you in?

My past enthusiasm for Elements is waning after an extraordinarily long wait for latte + bubble ‘n squeak this morning. It’s been discovered, monopolised and isn’t the better for the experience. My favourite restaurant rediscovery is local winebar, Vivo (closed on Mondays). Putting aside some forgettably poor table service, the kitchen team have won me over again.

Polarising commentary on the use of Twitter is starting to tire me. I’m reminded of a friend who bought a mountain bike, used it once and left it propped against a garden shed wall, vowing that biking isn’t fun. You’ve got to use Twitter to get the most out of it. Just following people is voyeurism. From the outside, looking in, I can see how people might think it’s a little weird but I guess I’m the same about new age churches. Different strokes. For those converts, try twittersheep for something different.

[I fear my version of WordPress is slowly decaying. I've lost my wysiwyg option which, I guess, is great for learning html. It might be time to download a new FTP client, dump it all into quarantine and treat it to an autumnal spruce up. A good time to move over to www.michaelgregg.co.nz perhaps. Oh, lamenting the loss of link love.]

I went to an auction at the Wellington Zoo last evening. John Campbell and Carol Hirschfeld from TV3 did a brilliantly awful job of auctioning five experiences that money can’t buy. It was so hilariously funny, The Improvisers were outstanding. The Zoo has refreshed itself. Denise Church, Trust Chair, was a delight to wander with. Her passion for the revitalisation of this community asset and the value of the massive capital programme was clearly evident. I joined the Big Bite Club, and am booking in for a close encounter. I strongly encourage you to do the same. It’s so easy to give-a-little.

Tamati Ellison should be given the permanent full-back role for the Hurricanes, despite a bungle on his defensive goal line which gifted a try to the Sharks in the overnight Super14 match in Durban. Jane’s simply not up to it.

If you’re bored and have nothing to fill in the extra hour Helen generously gave us today, try starting a chat at http://omegle.com/. Just say hi. But remember to sign off with ‘Peace’. Well, that’s my spare sixty minutes used up. Enjoy the first week of not saving daylight and remember to turn off the lights when you’re not using them. There was a point to Earth Hour!