Children keen there should be trees
Written by Beulah Wood.
Photo credits: Beulah Wood and Sarah Woodfield
A Rocha and Cityside Baptist Church in June
Look at that bunch of children and parents with spades and buckets. They’re above Te Auaunga (Oakley Creek), on the Auckland isthmus and it’s a Saturday afternoon, children from Cityside Baptist Church. They’re celebrating Matariki, the Māori New Year, with this midwinter tree-planting.
Watch them working with such goodwill — clear a small patch, plunge the spade in hard to make a hole, pop in a little tree, fill some soil back, step around it firmly. It’s good there are a few big people to help, and some manageable tasks for those of shorter stature. Let’s talk to them.
Elijah: ‘Planting is good because you’re helping the world against climate change. And it’s more fun than sitting at home.’
Estelle: ‘I’m keen there should be enough trees. My grandparents live near Oakley Creek. We played beside it.’
Elijah digs for a seedling
Estelle ties tags to mark the new planting
They move on to the next tasks — a stake by each seedling to mark it, then guarding it against weeds with mulch around its base. Here are some more voices.
Dieneke: ‘It’s a great opportunity, learning as well as doing. We’re working together like an old-style working bee, with the children pulling their weight too. It does need an enthusiast to lead the initiative with children.’
Saul: ‘I enjoy tree-planting and normally do it once a year. It’s good to get outside and join a group effort. We could come back in five years and say, “I planted that tree.” Projects are exciting, often bringing areas back from neglect or damage. It’s very satisfying.’
All hands to the task - Dieneke with seedlings
Lily showing how it's done
Saul & Joel
The children’s full energy winds down a little as they trundle back and forth with buckets of mulch, but Wendy, who has guided many plantings, is still impressed. ‘It’s amazing, especially when I hear these young people talking about helping the environment. That keeps me going. We could get contractors, but they finish and go. No ownership. This is lots better for this place—land to enjoy and come back to.’
Joel working hard on the mulching team
Wendy John, Kaitiaki of Te Auaunga
Maeve happy to be planting close to home
A Rocha organisers are satisfied too. This was perfect way to mark a new year for a church’s grouping of children and parents and gave lots of learning. They’d do it again.
