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School children plant 1,000,000 trees!

Tuesday 18 May 2010, 7:45AM

By Trees for Survival

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For 20 years school children throughout New Zealand have been growing native trees in specially designed growing units and planting them out on "at risk" land prone to slips.
For 20 years school children throughout New Zealand have been growing native trees in specially designed growing units and planting them out on "at risk" land prone to slips. Credit: Trees for Survival
For 20 years school children throughout New Zealand have been growing native trees in specially designed growing units and planting them out on "at risk" land prone to slips.
For 20 years school children throughout New Zealand have been growing native trees in specially designed growing units and planting them out on "at risk" land prone to slips. Credit: Trees for Survival

AUCKLAND

Trees for Survival New Zealand’s best kept secret in conservation circles is about to achieve a milestone that many organisations could only dream of.

This non-government funded charitable trust which promotes school children growing and planting trees, will record the planting of the programme’s one millionth tree at Kawakawa Bay on Tuesday, 1st June.

For 20 years school children throughout New Zealand have been growing native trees in specially designed growing units and planting them out on “at risk” land prone to slips. This is a worthwhile strategy as 30% of New Zealand’s farmland has erosion problems which can cause substantial water pollution issues.

The new trees help control soil erosion, safeguard water quality, increase biodiversity as well as restoring and beautifying our landscape. In addition, the trees offset substantial carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere.

The programme enables children to care for and grow their own trees, while at the same time learning about the vital role trees play in our environment.

Pakuranga College was one of the first schools to incorporate the Trees for Survival programme. It is therefore appropriate that their 2010 planting day has been chosen to recognise this important milestone.

About 25 students will travel to a property at Kawakawa Bay with the aim of planting 1,000 native plants and the day will conclude with a BBQ hosted by landowners George and Ann Richardson.

The Pakuranga College students will be assisted in their task by teachers and parents as well as members of the Pakuranga Rotary Club. This club initiated the Trees for Survival programme which has now grown to include 155 schools nationwide and 65 in Auckland.

This is the second year a Trees for Survival planting day has been undertaken on the Richardson property and the owners are delighted as these trees will be a valuable addition to this steeply sloping, coastal hillside property. “These plantings,” George Richardson says, “will not only secure the erosion-prone hillside but will also provide protection for the adjacent bush remnant which is home for many birds on my property.

“I am surprised that the Kawakawa Bay Forest has improved water retention to such an extent on the hillside which is great for the local environment and community. The students and all those involved in the Trees for Survival programme are to be congratulated on working towards protecting our magnificent local environments.”

The programme also creates community partnerships by engaging not only schools and landowners but service clubs, regional and local councils, business sponsors and volunteers who all work together to protect the unique environmental heritage of New Zealand.

Trees for Survival intend to use this significant achievement to create momentum to grow the organisation in 2010. They are currently seeking new sponsors, trustees, volunteers, schools, landowners and media partners.