St Patrick’s Primary School in Taupō is on an elevated site looking across to Tauhara Maunga, and each day the mountain draws the attention of curious young kaitiaki. From a distance, they see a mountain scape that’s barely cloaked. But they are encouraged to imagine better, with the help of education coordinators from Kids Greening Taupō, who passionately share their knowledge through facilitating programmes like Trees for Survival in local schools.
St Patrick’s students learn about techniques in local seed sourcing, seedraising and nursery tasks. Each year they produce around 800-1000 shrubs and flaxes which they plant out around the maunga. Their mahi contributes to a big ambition for Mt Tauhara and the surrounding whenua, in a project known as Tauhara Ngahau. Led by a collective of neighbouring Ahuwhenua land trusts, the aim over the next decade is to restore and regenerate at least 60 hectares, extending the native cloak (‘korowai’) of Tauhara Maunga to the surrounding whenua and linking up biodiversity corridors across Taupō. It’s only the first step towards a 500 year vision to restore, reconnect and regenerate the wellbeing of the maunga and surrounding whenua.
Hynds Regional Sales Support Jim Dyson put forward the Trees for Survival programme for support through the Hynds Foundation Regional Community Fund. Jim has spent many hours in the bush as a keen hunter, and recognises the value of the programme in meeting big conservation challenges. “Working alongside these youngsters, you can see how important it is for them to have this educational experience. They aren’t going to become adults who wreck the environment. They will be able to come back to Tauhara throughout their lives, and know they made a difference.”
Trees for Survival was founded by a Rotary club in 1991. This year it celebrated a milestone of one million trees planted over the last 10 years and over two million since its official counts began. It aims for a third million over the next five years by expanding its national network of partner schools – currently there are 233 schools.
Spokesperson Sally Clegg says the programme helps learners to understand the connections between their local native plants, birds and waterways, and be proactive about environmental solutions. “It allows them to make a contribution to their local areas with trees they’ve grown on site in their school. If every school was able to do this, we’d start to make a significant difference for biodiversity across the country.”
