Photos: Portland and Otaika Valley kids plant trees for their environment

Students in front of a new sign outside Otaika Valley School. At the back are Kim Jones from Whitebait Connection, Eden Hakaraia, educator and Portland School principal Shane Nichols.

Whangārei's Portland School is and Enviro School, so the students know all about protecting and enhancing their environment.

And so it was again on Friday when the school, along with pupils from nearby Otaika Valley School, planted more than 200 trees to help protect and enhance their riverside environment.

Portland Principal Shane Nichols said as an Enviro School the kids understood the importance of protecting for the planet. Friday's event was also partnered with Whitebait Connection and Nichols said the event was all about teaching the students the importance of protecting the freshwater environment.

He said the students also unveiled a sign outside Otaika Valley School which gave whitebaiters information about the waterway.

Northern Advocate photographer John Stone went along too.

Kim Jones from Whitebait Connection, right, gets the planting session under way with the students from Portland School.

Kim Jones from Whitebait Connection helps Ezekiel Ashby, left, and Nikau Cameron-Tane to plant a puriri.

The planting alongside the stream near Portland and Otaika Valley Schools gets under way.

Kim Jones from Whitebait Connection explains the day's planting to the students from Otaika Valley School and Portland School who planted a riverbank as part of their ongoing whitebait support.