School Children Plant 1000 Trees In Park

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31135, 11 August 1966, Page 11

School Children Plant 1000 Trees In Park

Two hundred and twenty chattering, excited children—some of them armed with shovels—moved into Elizabeth park Cashmere yesterday and in little more than 90 minutes had planted about 1000 trees and shrubs. The tree-planting was the annual city schools’ Arbor Day ceremony and was sponsored by the Summit Road Scenic Society. The children were from schools at Hoon Hay, Glenmore, Sydenham and Papanui. Mr R. K. Milne, who represented the Canterbury Education Board, told the children that the planting of trees was important. It helped to beautify the surroundings initially and later could help the country's economy. He expressed the board’s appreciation to the Christchurch City Council’s parks and reserves department for providing the trees and shrubs, to members of the council's staff who had helped prepare the holes into which the trees were placed and to the teaching staff who had helped organise the ceremony. The Deputy Mayor (Ct. H. P. Smith) told the children that not only was it important to plant trees but it was just as important for them to act as custodians of those already planted.

It was not regarded as telling tales if children reported seeing anyone damaging or removing young trees, he said. The trees were there to lend beauty to the surroundings. They were not there for vandals to tear out. At the end of brief speeches the children beaded off on to the hillside, where men from the reserves department were waiting to advise and help them.