Pupils take part in new landscape design

Principal Ross McLeod gives Max Webber and Zoe Wakefield a close look at the finished landscaping plans many pupils also hand a hand in. PHOTO/Warren Buckland

When the pupils of Napier Central School were asked how they would like their planned new garden area to look some seriously creative and colourful ideas emerged.

And a few ambitious and slightly hopeful ones.

"We got some great ideas," principal Ross McLeod said.

"Among them bike tracks and cafes," he added with a laugh.

And a flying fox as well as a cable car down to the seafront also popped up.

While they won't be part of the school's planned new outdoor spread, lots of native plants and trees, along with pathways, interactive areas and seating will.

The new area will be at the southern boundary off Colenso Ave which was for many years the popular spot for the children as it was the site of six grand old pohutukawa and puriri trees.

"The children enjoyed playing around those gnarly old trees," Mr McLeod said.

But they weren't popular with everyone, and in late 2015 it was discovered that someone had gone on to the school grounds and drilled holes into the trees - then filled those holes with poison.

The limbs of the trees slowly died and they became brittle and dangerous, so the trees were felled to ensure the safety of the children.

Mr McLeod said the children, along with parents and past pupils, were upset and saddened that the grand old trees, so long a feature of the playground, had been attacked and had to go.

"It was sad," 10-year-old Zoe Wakefield said.

The plans to restore the area sparked up last year with the youngsters and the community asked to submit ideas for what they would like to see, and landscape designer Charlotte Pedersen from Espaso Verde has incorporated some of the submitted ideas in her plan.

The native trees and plants will be traversed by pathways from the new entranceway, and the children will have seating as well as areas for adventure.

"It's hoped the native plantings will attract native birds."

Eleven-year-old Max Webber said there used to be a couple of kereru who called by, and he hoped they would return when the new recreational spread was in place.

Mr McLeod said the crucial fundraising to help see the project get under way in about three weeks and hopefully wrapped up by the end of the year, was now under way.

As well as raffles and mufti days and other events the school's Board of Trustees would be seeking sponsorship from businesses and had already picked up support from Vidal Estate Winery.

Winemaker Hugh Crichton has selected five top wines which have been made available to the school for its fundraising sale.

"It is up and running," Mr McLeod said, adding that the children who had been part of the design idea process were excited at the prospect of seeing their imaginations eventually take shape.

"It's going to be cool," Connor Kingsford, 11, said.