Woodlands at school and home

Press, 16 November 1987, Page 40

Woodlands at school and home

Two years ago the grounds of the Wainoni Primary School were very bare.

Trees that were planted, died through drought, poor soils or the effects of vandalism. The school playground was an unattractive windswept expanse of grass.

When Mr Jack Morris came to the school as Principal in 1986, he was determined to improve this environment. He started a system of planting in the school grounds, whereby children “owned” trees and had special responsibility for their individual care. Pine trees were planted first to provide shelter. Once these are established, native trees will be placed beneath them and ground

cover and bulbs added. In fifteen years or so the pines will be felled. This will provide an additional source of income for the school. The Woodlands scheme, as it is called, has been an enormous success. Vandalism of the trees and the school buildings has dropped off and the pupils of the school now have a real feeling of achievement. Encouraged by the success of the school scheme, Jack Morris and officers of the Housing Corporation decided to take the project into the community. Many of the children at the Wainoni school live with their families in Housing Corporation homes. It was decided to offer the parents of these children the oppor-

tunity of planting on their properties. Twenty families asked to be included and with the help of Hamptons Nufsery and Garden Centre Ltd, the scheme got underway. The children from the families taking part, were able to choose six trees. One large deciduous tree, two or three medium trees and some small bushes and ground cover. Later, teams of teachers, children, parents and Housing Corporation officials, under the direction of Peter Mackie, Assistant Manager, Rental Housing Section, spent two days planting the trees and bushes. The Housing Corporation paid for the cost of the trees.

Each child whose family owns the trees is given a Woodlands at Home certificate. Mr Morris and officers from the Housing Corporation visit the trees every six or eight weeks during the critical first six months to inspect progress. A star is awarded each time, to show the trees have been properly looked after. Mr Morris and Mr Mackie are both optimistic about the scheme’s future. If twenty families take part every year, for even three years, the number of trees will increase enormously. By 1990 there will be 1000 new trees in the area, making Wainoni/Aranui a much more pleasant place in which to live.