School's fruit orchard truly blossoming

Whanganui Girls' College principal Tania King, left, with students Daniella Gibson, Stella Howe and Sophie Archer, and Karleen Edmonds from KidsCan. Photo/Bevan Conley

Whanganui Girls' College will benefit from 21 new fruit trees, donated by KidsCan.

The school received the citrus, pear, feijoa and apple trees last week, and they were planted in the school gardens by some of the Year 9 students.

Principal Tania King said the school already had some fruit trees, as well as other gardens, but these new trees would be valuable to the school.

"The students will be able to just come and help themselves to the fruit. But it will also be used in our sustainability unit, where the girls learn how to do things like bottling fruit and making chutney," Mrs King said.

She said she had noticed the students got a greater sense of satisfaction out of eating fruit and vegetables that they had helped to grow themselves.

And while some of the girls found the prospect of digging holes for fruit trees a bit daunting, their principal showed them how it was done. Mrs King rolled up her sleeves and got stuck in - high heels and all.

Karleen Edmonds said KidsCan, a children's charity organisation which works with schools, provided funding for fruit trees to decile 3 and 4 schools who were not eligible for the Fruit in Schools programme.

"Kidscan will be providing funding for up to 15 orchards in schools this year - but this is the only one in the Manawatu-Whanganui region," Ms Edmonds said.

"Funding an orchard is quite expensive, and we currently have about 80 schools on our waiting list."

But she said Whanganui Girls' College had "sold her" on the idea that they would benefit from an orchard.

"What impressed me was finding out that the girls themselves will be doing most of the work in the orchard.

"So they won't just be benefiting from the fruit - they'll also be learning about growing fruit trees," Ms Edmonds said.