Matariki Tu Rākau programme of memorial tree planting

[Video begins. Belinda Miller appears.]

Belinda Miller, Te Uru Rākau Senior Adviser – Matariki Tu Rākau: Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service is proud to be partnering with Maeroa Intermediate School to plant trees through our Matariki Tu Rākau Grant. Maeroa Intermediate School will be planting over 500 trees provided for through the grant.

[Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service, Matariki Tu Rākau logo appears on screen, followed by words: Helping communities plant living memorials to honour their heroes.]

[Children singing in the background while camera zooms in on gully and stream.]

[Amanda Taylor appears. Shots of netball court and gully.]

Amanda Taylor, Deputy Principal – Maeroa Intermediate: I came to this school as a student and I can remember the gully was the cricket nets, so that’s like 35, 37 years ago or whatever it is. And so, the gully has always been there; it’s been different things at different times, but it’s become a bit of an eyesore.

[Students shown digging into soil with spades, planting trees.]

Student 1: The gully project is for an outdoor learning space for future generations of Maeroa and for people to have fun in and a happy place and a good place for the environment.

[Julie Yeoman and Belinda walking past seedlings, talking. Shots of seedlings, children planting seeds.]

Julie Yeoman, Teacher – Maeroa Intermediate: So, the Matariki Tu Rākau grant has enabled us to start a shade house and in that shade house we’ve been propagating native plants from seed and the other thing that it’s helped us with is potting mix and seed raising mix…

[Shot of manuka seeds.]

This is some of the manuka that we’ve harvested.

[Shots of shade house, children holding, carrying seedlings to gully.]

It’s also enabled us to purchase some trees to be able to plant down in the gully and so it’s really enabled us to probably triple what we would have been doing. The other thing it’s done is we have working bees once a month on a Saturday and we like the people that have come some kai for morning tea and so the grant has enabled us to purchase really yummy morning teas.

[More shots of students digging, planting trees.]

Interviewer: So, it’s becoming more popular?

Student 2: Yeah, last year the maximum we had was like five people. It’s really fun just planting with your friends.

Students 3: The landscape has changed so that there’s more trees.

Student 2: Some of them have roots which stabilise the soil and when rain comes down it won’t pick up rubbish and take it into the stream.

[Shots of two student potting seedlings while they talk.]

Student 4: And also, the air around our school is more healthy.

Student 5: And the wildlife. Oh, lizards!

Student 4: Lizards, yes!

Student 5: So many!

Student 4: We even had to make a new lizard enclosure.

[Shot of Amanda holding silver plaque with words: Matariki Tu Rākau. A national project to establish stands of trees across Aotearoa New Zealand’s heroes. These trees were planted by the students and community of Maeroa Intermediate School in Winter 2021 to honour Rob Begbie. 500 trees were provided by Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service as part of the One Billion Trees Programme. Shot of memorial pamphlet with Rob’s image, along with words: In Loving Memory of Rob Begbie, 7^th July 1941 – 12^th October 2019. Children heard singing in background.]

Amanda: The gully restoration was driven as a memorial to Rob Begbie, who was a teacher in our school for must have been about twenty years. It would be a really peaceful place to remember a great man.

[Shots of children smiling, planting trees.]

Student 1: Also, we can look back on all of these trees at like 20 metes high or the maximum they can grow and think “oh, we’ve planted all of these”.

Student 2: Yeah, knowing we planted them will be cool.

[Belinda’s voice in background as planting continues.]

Belinda: These projects are legacy projects. Plant a tree to connect to your city, marae or school. Be part of building a forest, a collective resource which will be enjoyed by communities for generations to come.

[Children singing as camera zooms out, showing gully and stream.]

[Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest logo appears with words: Apply for funding to run your community planting event by visiting www.mpi.govt.nz/matariki-tu-Rākau matarikituRākau@mpi.govt.nz 0800 008 333.]

[Black screen appears with words: Thanks to Maeroa Intermediate. Produced by Kim Boyce-Campbell.]

[Video ends. End of transcript.]