Collaborative tree planting in Katikati reserve

Katikati College Year 10 students joined Grow On Katikati to plant six fruit trees in the Park Rd Beach Rd Reserve.

Grow On Katikati is focusing on food resilience, one backyard at a time.

This month, Katikati College Year 10 students, Mana Ora Mana Kai’s Amy Board, Tom McCaughan, Mike Green and volunteers from Grow On Katikati planted six fruit trees in the Beach/Park Rd Corner Reserve.

Grow On Katikati’s Jizzy Green says this was the culmination of meetings with Western Bay of Plenty District Council to ‘’achieve Katikati’s next step toward creating more food resilience for our community’'.

But they need the public’s help watering the plants over summer, Jizzy says, and they are also in need of a butterfly tap key.

Six fruit trees were planted.

Katikati College horticulture teacher Hilary Johnson says students will gain valuable experience caring for the trees and observing their growth.

‘’While we have a small number of trees in the college horticulture area, these are mostly at their most productive during the summer holidays, when students have neither the opportunity to see them or pick the fruit, so to have trees in a public place is a great idea.’’

Amy says she was delighted with the hard work of the college students.

‘’These trees will still be here in 10 or 20 years and the students will be able to tell their kids that they planted them.”