Henley Lake's 25th

HARD AT WORK: Shelley Gilman (left), Simon Ogilvie and Tony Gilman get digging.

About 400 people got their hands dirty last weekend to celebrate one of Masterton's most beloved hang-out spots turning a quarter of a century.

September 7 marked 25 years since Henley Lake was formed in 1988 and was also the 10th birthday of the Henley Trust 2003, which oversees tree-planting around the lake and its wetlands.

To commemorate the occasion, the trust invited Masterton locals to plant their own native tree at the lake.

By the end of the day, 100 new trees were planted, including kowhai, rimu, lancewood, cabbage trees and lemonwood.

"We invited people to come along and plant a tree - for their children, for their family or for themselves," said trust member and founding chairman Tenick Dennison.

"The day went very well. We had parents come with their children, and grandparents with their grandchildren.

"They all did a good job of the planting - those trees will grow well."

Since it was established, the trust has organised the planting of "thousands" of trees in the wetlands area of the lake, in partnership with Douglas Park, Lakeview and St Patrick's schools, IDEA Services and Farm Forestry.

Mr Dennison said the trust was currently in need of volunteers to help look after the newly planted trees for one afternoon a year.

"We managed to sign up a few new volunteers on Saturday," he said.

"But we could always do with more."