Waipawa School children will soon be enjoying their own garden space - with room to grow

Ann Strong, chairwoman of CHB Green Kiwi Trust, Community Max workers Keisha Predki and Kala Roche and supervisor Louise Philips at the very start of the Waipawa Community Gardens in 2009.

A community garden behind Waipawa Primary School that was set up by the CHB Green Kiwi Trust in 2009 has been wound up, with the land reverting back to the school to help grow young minds and very likely still a few veges.

The garden was started after the Board of Trustees of Waipawa School offered the use of the nearly 1ha plot alongside the school.

Bongi Neomanzi, Misty Paul and Zian Tipuna - holding a worm - at the Community Garden in 2010.

It was a bare paddock, which was then ploughed using Clydesdale horses.

CHB Green Kiwi Trust committee member and community garden supervisor Louise Phillips designed a "wagon-wheel" garden and Axis Design's Max Chatfield drew up the design, with limestone paths courtesy of Hatuma Lime and Stephenson Transport. The grassed area was planted with trees donated by Waipawa New World and Tree Guys, Otane.

With the bulk of the garden falling into disuse and the school population expanding, the area will now be an exciting new project for the school community, with plans that expand the school curriculum as well as bringing the community together, says Waipawa School principal Paul Jamieson.

Waipawa School children working on one of the Community Garden plots in 2010

"Having a resource like this complements our evolving school curriculum and gives an opportunity to make learning hands on. It helps us understand the area we live, teaches the value of working together and helps us respect what those have done before — while also enabling us to leave it in a better place than we found it."

The first step will be to allocate each class an area on the garden.

"Their brief will be to turn it into something that tells a story of our area. How this is represented we don't know yet, that's where the fun and learning comes in. The idea is that if you are in room 6 then you become kaitiaki of that area for the year so you look after it and actually make it better. If a child moves through the school they will be kaitiaki of most areas by the time they leave."

Paul says while the brainstorming sessions for the rest of the land are ongoing, ideas include food growing, an outdoor stage for school performances, loose parts play and more.

"Realistically, it's a longterm project but one that has endless and exciting possibilities for the children and the school community."

With the closure of the community garden, funds left in the garden accounts have been donated to the Rotary River Pathways Trust and the Pukeora Forest of memories.