Year six to eight students at St Francis School in Thames planted 800 trees along the Hauraki rail trail as part of Trees for Survival, an environmental education programme.
Assistant principal Sue Wilson said each year the school receives around 1000 seedlings which they grow for a year.
“When the time is right, they are then planted out in areas chosen by a council environmental officer. This year, we planted 800 and our remaining plants were planted by another school,” she said.
Ms Wilson said the learners have some understanding of which plants are native to the Kauaeranga.
“They have the opportunity to ‘visit’ the areas they have planted over the years,” she said.
“It is also great for these learners to be part of a local initiative beautifying their local area. As a Catholic school, this fits in well with the learning we did around Laudato Si’.”
The students, aged 10-13, planted the trees in mid-August.
Laudato Si’ is Pope Francis’ encyclical which focuses on the care for the natural environment
and all people
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