Whaanau Planting Project a Success

With a little enthusiasm and willingness to get their hands dirty, the Kirkwood Whānau has shown what can be achieved on te awa. Last September, the whanau got together and planted 155 trees funded by the Honda Tree Fund on a small Waikato District Council reserve adjoining family land next to Turangawaewae Marae.

Whānau planting the first stage of the project.

Six months on and the plants are looking great! Regular rainfall over the summer has ensured that the plants have gotten the moisture they need to grow and thrive. Over this time the project has been visited three times by Waikato RiverCare staff and contractors to remove weeds from the planting zone and start tree weed control with another visit planned soon.

The second stage of this project is expected to take place in September this year with an additional 495 plants to finish the project. Thanks to the support of Waikato Regional Council, whanau who will have more trees to plant later this year! There is no doubt an enthusiastic team will step up to the challenge and do yet another stellar job planting.

Tau ke tuu meke mahia te mahi hei painga moo te whaanau. Mauri ora.

Thanks goes out to Honda Tree Fund, who’s grant enabled this project to begin, Waikato Regional Council, and, of course, the Kirkwood Whānau for actively doing their part to protect and restore the Waikato River.