T.L.C. lavished on trees

Press, 1 December 1987, Page 9

T.L.C. lavished on trees

JANE DUNBAR

Trees and shrubs planted around State housing at Wainoni are doing well, thanks to the efforts of schoolchildren and a special fertiliser — T.L.C. The T.L.C. (tender love and care) has been lavished by Wainoni School pupils who volunteered to take part in a joint school-and-Housing Corporation project Planting had been

organised by the corporation before, but the conditions in the district for plant survival were harsh and previously there had been only 50 per cent success, said the corporation’s assistant manager in Christchurch, Mr Peter Mackie. As well as the harsh conditions, the planting had been done without consulting the tenants, so often they did not have an interest in maintaining plants, he said. 1-

With the new scheme this year, however, the survival rate had leapt to 90 per cent. Forty children were presented with certificates at the school assembly yesterday, to say they had successfully completed the “Woodlands at Home” project. This involved planting shrubs and trees outside their homes last June, and three subsequent checks by inspectors to see how the plants were

doing. The corporation will run another scheme at Wainoni next year, and also hopes to get other schools with pupils living in State housing involved. Enthusiasm from the children, parents and school were essential, said Mr The success of the Wainoni scheme was largely because of the enthusiasm of the school principal, Mr Jack Morris, and the children, hfisaid.