Paparore School helps put in 1400 plants for Arbour Day

About 1400 seedlings were put into the ground at the annual Summit Forests’ Arbour Day planting day at Little Gem lake this month, with around 140 Paparore School students, teachers and whānau also involved.

About 140 Paparore School students, teachers and whānau have done some important mahi for the planet by helping to plant 1400 seedlings around a Far North dune lake.

Summit Forests’ 14th annual Arbour Day planting day at Little Gem Lake, around 17km north of Kaitāia, saw 1400 eco-sourced seedlings planted by keen members of the local community this month.

Summit staff were joined by 140 Paparore School students, teachers and whānau; the Bushland Trust; Department of Conservation; Fish and Game; and Ngāi Takoto in a community working bee at the special Far North site.

As well as its famous beaches and marine life, Northland has some of the rarest and most threatened ecosystems on the planet – dune lakes. Dune lakes are unique ecosystems, formed by wind creating hollows between dunes, preventing inland water from running out to sea.

No rivers or streams flow into these lakes – instead, the lake water comes from rainfall, as well as water seeping up through the sand. Lake Ngātu and Kai Iwi Lakes are some of the better-known ones, but Northland has more than 350 dune lakes and many are on private land.

Dune lake Little Gem is hidden behind Lake Ngātu at Sweetwater, and is one of Summit Forests’ ecological restoration sites.

Little Gem is also important because it supports threatened plants and wetland birds like Matuku-hūrepo (Australasian bittern), Karen Lucich, Summit Forests’ environmental planner, said.

“Restoration projects take a lot of resourcing and it’s important to start small and keep them manageable. We undertake weed control, releasing of planting, and mowing of recreational tracks but its success is the ongoing support of Paparore School and the community,” Lucich said.

“Summit Forests appreciates people organising a day out of their usual work to be involved in planting days, for the betterment of our environment.”

The annual Arbour Day event had to be postponed for a week for better weather, but on the big day planting conditions were not easy but all 1400 eco-sourced seedlings we planted.

They included kanuka, houpara, manuka, harakeke, tī kōuka, kohekohe, matipo, puriri and taraire.

Paparore School principal John Windleborn said the school has been involved in numerous planting projects around the lakes as kaitiakitanga of the area.

“This project fits well with the school’s principles of working with the community and caring for the environment. Paparore is proud to be involved and we thank Summit for the opportunity,” Windleborn said.