Many spades make quick work of community planting

Don Farmer | Wednesday, June 30, 2010 18:38

BIG DIG: Students from the Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre helped pupils from the Kahutara and Pirinoa Primary Schools at the planting.

It has been all hands to the pump, or more correctly the spade, at Wairio Wetland as schoolchildren, trainee farmers, Ducks Unlimited, Forest and Bird and Rotarians joined forces for the yearly planting of trees in the wetland restoration project.
The Department of Conservation and the Greater Wellington Regional Council also helped out.
Patron of Ducks Unlimited Jim Campbell said it was great to see young people involved.
''They are tomorrow's environmentalists,'' he said.
By the time the crew stopped for lunch, more than 900 trees had been planted. This is the fifth year of the planting programme, and another planting day has been set for July 20.
The Wairio Wetland restoration project is a joint venture between Ducks Unlimited and the Department of Conservation aimed at returning it to its former glory.
The wetland covers about 700ha to the west of Boggy Pond and the eastern side of Lake Wairarapa.
Mr Campbell said restoration was a slow process.
''But we are now starting to see real results with large areas of retained water and trees getting above the tall grasses.''
Grants from Nikau Foundation and the Rotary Club of South Wairarapa helped fund the planting.