Mauriceville pupils become conservation eco-workers

DIGGING IN: Mauriceville School pupil Sam Robertson takes a break in the long grass while planting native trees at Stoney Springs at Mikimiki on Monday. Photo / SUPPLIED

Mauriceville School pupils have been rambling uphill and down dale to help plant their neck of the woods in celebration of Conservation Week that runs until tomorrow.

The entire school of 25 students on Monday travelled to Stoney Springs in Mikimiki, planting trees as they completed a walk around the 93 hectare property, where the owners are developing an outdoor classroom that eventually will be opened to invited schools in the district, says principal Rebecca Stevens.

"There are no animals on it anymore and 100 acres of it has been put into QE2 National Trust, which means it has legal protection and will forever be a nature reserve.

"[Owners] Hella and Joep's aim is to protect all the land for the future and establish a trust which states that it is for education and recreation purposes only."

Students worked with the owners on Monday to plant native trees - mostly totara on a hill face - before taking some leisure time by a stream "looking for crawlies, picking watercress to try, and drinking the fresh stream water" and walking to the top of the property, 520m above sea level.

The Mauriceville School junior room travelled to Pukaha Mt Bruce on Tuesday to learn about conservation, native birds in their area and "what we can do to encourage them". Students were planting and weeding on Wednesday afternoon at the Mauriceville Reserve, she said.