Community digs in for school and kindergarten garden

Many of the workforce who helped create a garden for Kapiti Primary School and Ngahina Kindergarten.

Kapiti Primary School and Ngahina Kindergarten have combined forces to create a garden.

The garden comprises six rectangular raised garden boxes, 20 fruit trees and a 7m by 7m sunshade which will arrive soon.

A multi-party workforce was in action on Wednesday putting compost into the boxes and planting the trees.

KidsCan supplied the trees, stakes and screening, the kindergarten and school provided the wood and compost, Community Connection, who support people with learning difficulties, provided a work gang, and Coastal Villas Retirement Village, who have an ongoing relationship with the school, built the boxes.

Kapiti Primary School principal Martin Hett said the garden, which was another supportive element for kindergarten children's transition to school, was "another cool learning space for the kids".

"We're also trying to get an Enviroschools status and this is part of it."

The school is already making a concerted effort to reduce its waste, doesn't have rubbish bins so pupils have to take home what they bring, is a water-only school, and tries to push the healthy nutrition side of the curriculum.

And the school has a new teacher, Amanda Searle, who is excited about getting children working in the garden.

"There has been a lot of positive feedback about the garden," Mr Hett said.

The garden is located on kindergarten land right next to the school.