Whangārei schoolchildren are helping preserve and enhance their environment by planting thousands of trees along a city waterway.
Yesterday children from Totara Grove and Tikipunga High schools helped plant more than 1000 trees at the Waitaua Stream, in Tikipunga.
Charities the Whitebait Connection and Sustainable Coastlines organised the planting of native trees with the Tikipunga Schools. The Waitaua is one of two main streams that flow into Whangārei Falls. To date, over 60,000 native plants have been planted there, which has restored more than five kilometres of riparian habitat.
Around 80 per cent of the plants have been grown by volunteers at the He Kākano Community Plant Nursery. This event is supported by Matariki Tu Rakau, an organisation that helps communities to come together to plant trees and create living memorials to those who gave their lives in World War I.
Northern Advocate photographer Michael Cunningham went along to record the environmental efforts.