On Friday 17 May, 40 BDSC students (along with two teachers, seven Fisher & Paykel staff and two university volunteers) journeyed to Clevedon for the annual Trees for Survival Day. Although the weather was chilly when we arrived at school early in the morning, we were full of eagerness as we waited for the bus to arrive. Smiling students hopped on the bus one by one as Ms Rooke took the roll, excited about the day we had all been waiting for. Tree planting day! The day we would finally plant the native tree seedlings we potted up and waited patiently for them to grow all year.
Upon arriving at the beautiful fields of the farm, we were welcomed by the farm owners Ant and Christine Waters and their extended family plus the Trees for Survival coordinator Linzi Hughes. Linzi took us through what we needed to do for the day and before long, we were ready with our gloves and gumboots and began planting!
We spent the day on the farm, climbing up and down, and planted well over a thousand trees along the grassy hill. After many hours exhausted from all the planting, we were more than ready for the most exciting part of tree planting: The Big Feast! Ant and Christine prepared a delicious meal of grilled sausages, homemade cookies, macaroni and cheese. The lunch has become legendary! Following our incredible meal, we cleaned our muddy boots and prepared for the journey back. All of us left full, happy, and proud of all the work we did.
Tree planting is a crucial effort that helps control the erosion of soil on riverbanks and streams, ensuring that our waterways are kept clean and healthy. The plants also improve air quality, foster native biodiversity such as birds and fish and support bush regeneration. By planting trees and other native flora, we’re doing our part to make a meaningful impact on the world around us.
We would like to thank Ms Rooke and Ms Jumilla-Rivera, who put in so much time and effort into making this the highlight of the year, Linzi Huges, our Trees for Survival co-ordinator for organising and taking us through the event, Ant and Christine Waters for inviting us to their farm and serving us all a wonderful lunch, the awesome student volunteers and Enviroschool leaders who helped us on the trip, and, finally, to Fisher & Paykel who sponsor us and help make this opportunity possible.
We couldn’t have done it without you all!
~ Angela Huang 10B7, Nicole He 10J5 & Wei En Huang 10J5, Trees for Survival Student Co-leaders