A rural Wairarapa school boosting rare native tree numbers has been nominated for a regional conservation award.
Wainuioru School has been raising and planting native trees on QEII covenant land for the last three years.
It has now been put forward for a sustainable project award at the inaugural Wellington Regional Encore
awards. The school receives seedlings, which they grow until mature enough to plant, then take them to farm land near the school in Wainuioru where they are planted.
The trees, which include totara, manuka and kahikatea, are planted to stop erosion in the area.
The school is also planting a rare native tree daisy, now on a national critical list.
Principal Rob Cameron said the whole school was involved in the project, with younger kids raising the young trees and the senior kids planting them. "It's teaching them how to restore our native bush area ... and it gives them a sense of purpose because they come back each year and see the trees growing," he said. Warren Field, from Greater Wellington Regional Council, said his council supplied the seedlings and the potting mix, but the school did the rest of the work.
Other Wairarapa projects up for awards are Wharerata Farm, an organic farm in South Wairarapa, which has been nominated for its contribution to environmental conservation and restoration; St Patrick's School, Masterton, which has brought chickens to the school to reduce food waste and get eggs; and Rimutaka Forest Park Trust, which has been nominated for its kiwi programme and social benefits. The awards ceremony is held at Parliament's Banquet Hall at 5.30pm tonight.
