Lions plant trees for community to mark 100-year anniversary

A park in Ngongotaha got a makeover when Lions descended on it this weekend.

The Ngongotaha Lions Club donated over 400 fruit and native trees to the Rotorua Ngongotaha Rail Park and, with the help of the community, they were all planted on Saturday.

Ngongotaha Lions Club member and tree planting organiser Ross Thompson said the club decided to do it as part of the club's 100-year anniversary celebrations.

He said they originally set out to plant native trees but then they were given some funding from the council and thought fruit trees would be a great idea.

"We have positioned 25 fruit trees along the road so the local kids can walk by and grab a piece of fruit on the way to school.

"We had about 35 members of the public turn up to help out, it was good that the community got involved.

"New Zealand Lions Clubs are 100 years old this year, so we did this as part of the centennial celebrations. Hopefully the native trees that we have planted will be there for hundreds of years to come."

He said they chose that park as they wanted to make that area nice for people to visit as well as give the public access to fruit trees.

"Lots of kids that were there will be able to go back and see the trees that they helped grow in years to come."

A local mother, Bonnie Hutchings, took her two daughters along to help plant the trees.

"I think it's a fantastic thing for the community. I love the idea of fruit trees being there for the community.

"My girls loved it. My youngest heard about it through school and she really wanted to go."

She said she was looking forward to watching the trees grow.