Students from Lake Taupō Christian School celebrated arbor day by planting trees at Crown Park, Miracle Faumuina (left) with Lily-Rose van Vuuren (right). Photo / Rachel Canning
Students from Lake Taupō Christian School celebrated arbor day by planting trees at Crown Park, Miracle Faumuina (left) with Lily-Rose van Vuuren (right). Photo / Rachel Canning
About 4500 trees have been planted at Crown Park, Taupō, for Arbor Day.
Organised by Greening Taupō, more than 2000 people from the Taupō District attended the community planting day last week. Many schools and businesses took part, either providing manpower or sponsoring refreshments and equipment.
Kids Greening Taupō student leader Victoria Barrett, 14, says many Zoom calls were required to coordinate the planting effort since the first planning meeting in February.
"We were freaking out there wouldn't be enough trees for people to plant."
Kids Greening Taupō student leader Victoria Barrett at the Arbour Day planting event where 4500 trees were planted at Crown Park, Taupō. Photo / Rachel Canning
The student executive started in 2015 with a team drawn from three schools and has now grown to more than 100 students working in four teams. Students are organised into groups based on themes: the younger ones may want to focus on insects while older student leaders may want to focus on leadership.
The Taupō-nui-a-Tia College Year 10 student says a 15-strong student leadership team organised the manpower and the supporting stalls and marquees for 2022 Arbor Day. Each person has a defined role, with Victoria in charge of communications.
Taupō District Council senior community development adviser Peter Boyd talked to the student leaders about how to develop a vision and operation methods.
Lake Taupō Christian School students Ezra Notoa (left) and Jeshnil Lal team up with Roger Coles (right) to plant trees at Greening Taupō's arbor day event at Crown Park. Photo / Rachel Canning
Victoria says being on the student leadership team has taught her about leadership, making decisions and being organised: "not something that comes naturally to teenagers".
