The weather was fine, the soil was soft and the more than 170 children from Napier Central School were ready and willing last Friday to make the nearby landscape a little greener.
Since 2010, the school has enjoyed a partnership with the Napier City Council in helping care for Gleeson Park, on the hillside off Faraday St.
That partnership involves ensuring the park is well blessed with native plants and shrubs, as well as keeping the area clean.
Teacher Sonia Bauerfeind said once a term a class heads for the park to clean up litter, and once a year children from Year 3 to Year 6 assemble to take part in the annual planting programme.
"The children really enjoy it - lots of truly happy moments," she said.
The school had effectively adopted the park having once used it for small-scale cross country races - although that had now discontinued.
But the devotion to keeping it clean and green had not.
Native plants from cabbage trees, to renga renga lilies, flaxes and small offshoots of the kowhai family were planted by the eager young diggers and planters.
The children worked under the direction of council park staff and co-ordinator Michelle Frey.
Seven classes took part on a rotating basis - starting at 9.15am and ending at 11.55am.
"It's great because since we started the programme children have returned and spotted a plant they put there a year or two ago - and proudly say 'I planted that'," Mrs Bauerfeind said.
Every second year, children from Year 5 or 6 also make a special tile which is cemented into place at the park.
About 90 tiles have been created.