A long time Auckland environmentalist won the battle to protect a bunch of berms he has planted in an urban style jungle over decades. But plants on another grass verge will be removed by Auckland council after complaints from some residents in a nearby apartments. Freeman's Bay resident Mark van Kaathoven has been working on the berm gardens outside his home and neighbouring properties for more than three decades. Auckland Council has now given most of the berms protected status under its restorative gardening initiative, meaning they can't be removed. Mark van Kaathoven spoke to Lisa Owen.