By Maci Rameka-iti, 12, from Waimea Intermediate School
On Friday, 9 August, 22 students from Waimea Intermediate’s Room 14, along with four parents and their teacher Mr Strachan, set out on a native tree planting trip along the banks of the Brightwater end of the Wai-iti River.
After the group assembled under the bridge on Waimea West Rd, Kathryn Brownlie from Battle for the Banded Rail led the group 20 minutes downstream to the planting site where Tim and Logan, who work for TDC Parks and Reserves, welcomed the group.
All the students listened intently as Kathryn explained to the group what the revegetation project was all about. Kathryn described the restoration process and why planting fast-growing natives can help create shelter for the slower-growing forest giants such as rimu, totara, kahikatea, matai, miro and titoki.
Students discovered how the native birds, insects and reptiles need more habitats like the one they were going to plant so they can survive and thrive.
The ongoing trapping that's currently taking place to stop the newly-introduced predators, like rats, mice, hedgehogs, possums, stoats, weasels and ferrets, is also necessary to enable the saplings to survive their newly-created habitat.
The newly-planted trees are for stabilising the riverside in case of a flood, as well making a shady environment for walkers and cyclists.
One of the students mentioned that trees capture the CO2 responsible for climate change and even provide us the life-giving oxygen we breathe!
After being shown how to properly plant the saplings, students and parents worked extremely hard in the heat to plant an amazing tally of 550 trees!
Maci Rameka-iti, Alice Cameron, Freya Ingram, Eliza Rynvos and Edie Anderson toiled tirelessly to plant in an extremely rocky area.
Larissa Blanford-Neal and Sophie Hansen were an amazing team, Larissa digging the holes and Sophie carefully planting the trees after.
Eddy Hellesoe was planting trees at an incredible rate, which amazed his teacher! In fact, Mr Strachan had told all his students that he was proud of their amazing efforts.
Two of the parents who offered to come along were kept busy with assembling the tree guards for the students to place over their saplings to protect them from hares, rabbits, pukekos and possums. They’re also used to protect the trees from herbicide used to kill off weeds.
Some very exhausted, but proud, students went down the track to rendezvous with their bus just before 2pm.
Mr Strachan was overheard saying to a parent that the effort to plan and make the trip happen was hard, but he was happy because it was worth it.
