A Children’s Forest is Started.

Colville School joined forces with Moehau Environment Group(MEG) members during Conservation Week, to create the beginnings of a “Children’s Forest”.
Eighteen children and 20 adults spent an enjoyable two hours planting in a small valley at the north end of Waikawau Bay.
Thanks to funding from the Honda Tree Fund, administered by Environment Waikato, 200 eco-sourced native trees will create the beginnings of this native forest.
This is a dream we have had for about ten years. We were overwhelmed by the turnout and had to send someone to get more trees! Hopefully  the children will be encouraged to return and see the trees they planted all those years ago; when they have children.
Environment Waikato land management officer, Emily O’Donnell, who helped initiate the project, was on site to give a hand.
DOC’s Area Manager for Hauraki, John Gaukrodger, gave his support saying it was an exciting project.
This activity comes as an extra to the new ‘Enviroschools’ programme for Colville School students. This programme, now part of the curriculum in many schools throughout the Waikato, promotes the idea that schools are part of the ecosystem the are within, and encourages pupils to create and care for living landscapes.
Rebecca Caldwell is the local facilitator for this programme.
“It’s about how to make our school environment better for all of us,” principal of Colville School,Heath Sawyer, says.
MEG will provide support for this programme whenever possible.
The Children’s Forest will continue to grow with further plantings planned for the next two years..

Volunteers Sought
MEG is seeking interested people to help with a range of conservation activities over the next four months. Activities include:
Planting native trees
Removal of plant pest species
Bird , rat, and insect monitoring-coastal and wetlands
Trapping-rats and stoats.

Most activities are in the Waikawau Bay area at this stage.
For further information contact us (see contacts page).

We’d love your help!