All go for students' greens project

Darcy Smith (right), Bunnings Warehouse Whangarei activities organiser, preparing vegetable beds for Raurimu Avenue School's new garden with students Pule Pakieto (left), 13, Jahrequa Nepia, 12 and Trozhin Pitman, 11.

New vegetable gardens at a Northland school will be more than just a patch of greens for students, who will also learn valuable skills, says the deputy principal.

The front of Raurimu Avenue School in Onerahi, Whangarei was transformed last week by a group of students busy hammering, raking and emptying soil to prepare five garden beds.

The garden, built in partnership with Bunnings Warehouse Whangarei, will add to the vegetable garden and fruit trees at the back of the school. Deputy principal Tracey Prime said the gardens would not only provide students with kai, but also "valuable skills".

"It will teach them to provide for the school and themselves, to be self sustainable. We have five at the moment and five classes, so each class will be assigned a garden and it will be up to them to decide what they want to do with it and what they plant."

Ms Prime said the new gardens would be easier to maintain than the current gardens, which are far away from water sources. The new location is also conveniently close to the school's wood-fired pizza oven.

"We want to grow things like fresh herbs to go on pizzas made in the oven and stuff for salads."

Pule Pakieto, 13, who was helping to build the garden, said he was excited the school was getting new patches.

"It's been good getting outside. I think it'll be something new for our school," he said.

Ms Prime said she hoped the vegetables grown in the garden would eventually be sent into the community by the students.