In September Todd Energy and the Taranaki Rugby Football Union (TRFU) teamed up to plant native trees as part of the TRFU’s Planting Trees for Tomorrow Programme.
“We wanted to be part of planting projects as they’re a great way to engage with our local community whilst helping the environment,” says Jimmy Fastier, TRFU Commercial Manager.
“Working together with Todd enabled us to create memorable planting days in both North and South Taranaki; it was great to be able to ‘make a day out of it’ providing the kids with post planting sausages and cookies, as well as some play time with the Yarrows Taranaki Bulls players afterwards. Together we managed to plan two very special planting days.”
The first planting day took place in South Taranaki, and saw Yarrows Taranaki Bulls players, Matapu School Year 7/8 students and local farmers Mark and Mel Cleaver plant 250 native plants in a wetland on the Cleaver’s farm located right next to the school. The planting day was a huge success, with the 250 plants planted in no time, even though the site was quite muddy, with many stuck gumboots involved.
After planting it was kai time, with a sausage sizzle and cookies followed some basketball and handball. Well done to all the Matapu School students involved, they really got stuck in (despite the mud!) to help our taiao!
The second planting day took place at Waitara’s Ōwae Marae and was a true team event. Students from the Manukorihi intermediate School’s rugby team, Yarrows Taranaki Bulls players, Manukorihi Hapū members, Tree Machine staff, and Geoff White from Te Karanga Nursery got together for a morning of mahi, planting 250 native plants along the boundary of the Marae on North Road.
As with the South Taranaki day, the planting was smashed out in no time, leaving time for a sausage sizzle and cookies (which were provided by Yarrows the Bakers) and a game of touch on the lawn in front of the Marae’s Whare Nui.
A big ka pai to the school students and Yarrows Taranaki Bulls players for putting in the hard yards! Also, a massive thanks to everyone else who helped make these days happen, particularly the Manukorihi Hapū and the Cleavers for making their land available for planting. There’s nothing better than getting out in nature and making a difference, especially when we get to share it with our tamariki and rangatahi, the leaders of the future.
