Whangārei students and volunteers to plant 700 trees along city stream

Whangārei school students and other volunteers will help plant 700 trees on the banks of a city stream tomorrow.

Waiarohia Stream, which runs through Whangārei, will be gain the new saplings along a section of the stream bank.

The planting is another step in the Arohatia Waiarohia (Love Waiarohia) project that aims to tidy up the stream and keep the waterway healthy.

The project is a collaboration between Manaia Health PHO, Whangārei Intermediate School, Whangārei Boys High School, Whangārei District Council, Northland Regional Council, and Enviroschools.

Whangārei Intermediate School Specialist Team Leader and Environmental Coordinator Tom Peyton has been the major driver behind the project.

"Our student group is called 'Eco Warriors' and they are really keen to clean up the awa. It's great for the students to work alongside community on this project, showing them that others care for the environment too," Peyton said.

Arohatia Waiarohia began with a clean-up day in March, which saw many kilograms of rubbish pulled from the stream and surrounding area. Since the clean-up, Whangārei District Council has cleared the weeds to prepare the area for the riparian planting.

Trees have been provided by the district council and Ngāwhā Corrections Facility and will be planted by the organisations and other community members.

Health Promotion Manager at Manaia Health PHO Ngaire Rae said there is a strong connection between the health of people and the health of their environment.

"We talked to our friends at Whangārei Intermediate School and found that they were concerned about the state of the awa, too. The health of the stream is important to all of the people involved in this project," Rae said.

Community members are encouraged to come along to help with planting and they will need to bring sturdy footwear, gloves, and a spade.

Volunteers should arrive at the intermediate before 9.30am tomorrow, with planting until 2.30pm.