Whatawhata School students dig in for the future
Doing their bit for the environment, Whatawhata School tamariki recently planted 750 trees along the Waipā River in Koromatua Gully, southwest of Hamilton.
Former dairy farmer David Wilde bought the land in 1959 and, since 2011, has protected its remnant kahikatea trees through a conservation covenant.
For teacher Freddy Beijerling, getting students out of the classroom and into nature is a valuable learning experience.
“This place is part of our community, and it’s great for the students to get involved in projects that benefit their community,” he says.
“As they grow up, they’ll drive past the area they planted, see the growth, and know they played a role in that.”
The Year 7 and 8 students are also undertaking the William Pike Challenge, a programme which takes tauira (students) out of their comfort zone and into the great outdoors through a variety of community service projects.
Jackson Bason, 13, whose favourite bird is the kererū, enjoyed getting his hands dirty for nature.
“Planting the native trees will help give native birds a home,” he says. “It also keeps the riverbanks stable.”
This was Jackson’s second time working on the project, and he estimates he planted around 50 trees this time.
“It was a really sunny day, and we went for a walk to see the site we planted last year – it looked really good. The plants have grown since then and are making the space look so much better.”
Isabella Brooks-Tikitiki, 11, calls herself a country girl and is passionate about looking after the environment. “It’s important to plant the trees because they are like a shield for the river.”
Both students agreed that the best part of the day was seeing the results of their hard work in all the empty plant pots.
“At the end of the day, we gathered all the pots together, and we made this massive snake,” Jackson says.
This project, co-funded by the Waikato River Authority, Waikato Regional Council, and the QEII National Trust, aims to plant a total of 5,500 trees to stabilise riverbanks, filter sediment, and safeguard this special place for generations to come.
