Raumati South School students Adam Freshwater (left), Dominic Clark, and Matilda McNichol. Photo / Grace Odlum
Raumati South School students Adam Freshwater (left), Dominic Clark, and Matilda McNichol. Photo / Grace Odlum
In celebration of Arbor Day, a local school has taken part in a planting day at Queen Elizabeth Park.
Students in Years 5 and 6 from Raumati South School gathered at the park last week to participate in Greater Wellington Regional Council’s planting day.
The council’s Western Parks (which covers Battle Hill, Queen Elizabeth Park, and Belmont Regional Park) team leader Jeremy Paterson said this was one of about two plantings the council does in each park per year.
Paterson said the students were planting a variety of different plants around a wetland in the park, including cabbage trees, ribbonwood and flax, which would eventually close over and develop a canopy.
He said plants that don’t grow as high could then be planted under that canopy.
These plants are all emergent species, he said, meaning they grow well in wetland environments - and they are staying away from plants like kānuka and mānuka, as there are already plenty in the park.
Paterson said the planting would allow the students to feel a connection to the park and give them a reason to come back so they could see their plants grow.
Raumati South School students Adam Freshwater (left) Dominic Clark, and Matilda McNichol with teacher Sam Walker. Photo / Grace Odlum
Raumati South School’s team leader of Years 5 and 6 Sam Walker, who has been with the school for five years, said the planting would also impact the students’ futures in a positive way.
She said it would also improve their overall wellbeing, especially that of students who don’t thrive in a classroom environment, and provide the students with an opportunity to be themselves.
Raumati South School has been planting at the park for several years (taking a break over the pandemic period), but this was Walker’s first time being involved - and she wants to kick-start the initiative again.
One of the students who got involved was Dominic Clark, who said he was very excited to be able to plant trees in the park.
Dominic said he loved nature and was excited to create memories by planting in the park.
Raumati South School is classed as an enviroschool, which means they are part of a nationwide programme in which early childhood centres and schools commit to a long-term sustainability journey.
Students connect with and explore the environment, then plan, design and take action in their local places in collaboration with their communities.
For Raumati South School, this involves things like the planting in Queen Elizabeth Park, but also other projects - such as creating rat traps as part of a predator-free movement.
