To celebrate Matariki, Enviroschools Te Tai Poutini teamed up with Conservation Volunteers NZ and planted nearly 200 trees at the He Rā Rākau Tītapu Coronation Planting project site near Deverys Creek in Barrytown.
Observation and creativity.
Checking out the invertebrates that have their homes in this special place.
Making sure the young plants are well protected and survive.
An enthusiastic group of students, parents and teachers from local schools Barrytown School, Kaniere School and Hokitika Primary School came along in late June to take positive action for te taiao (the environment). This was also a great opportunity to learn from Department of Conservation experts about the ngahere and our unique native ecosystems on the West Coast. The celebration included building knowledge about Matariki and what each whetū (star) represents, and talking about similar seasonal celebrations in other cultures, and sharing gratitude and kai.
“It was great how the day offered a range of interrelated activities for the kids to mark Matariki, from planting the trees, to finding insects to looking at the stars. Lovely too was the thinking on how many of our spiritual and cultural traditions across the world have been based around changes in nature and the seasons. Very cool to see kids observing, making connections and thinking about future relationships between humans and nature”, said Robyn Langridge, whose family owns the land hosting the project.
Taking action and celebrating Matariki.
Who is this and what role do they have in this bush?
The Coronation Planting project has funding from the Department of Conservation for 7,000 native trees to be planted at this site. This planting will enhance a mountain-to-sea forest corridor. Across New Zealand, 100,000 trees will be planted in 2024 and Trees that Count are administering the project. School participation in this action day was made possible with funding from the West Coast Community Trust.
Enviroschools Regional Coordinator, Lauren Kelley says, “We are hugely thankful to everyone who supported this event and joined in to mark this special New Year occasion together! I hope it’s something the students will remember as their trees grow into a healthy forest ecosystem over the years to come.”
Building plant identification skills.