NZ's first Arbor Week officially starts today

Community groups nationwide will be planting nearly 900 trees during New Zealand's first official Arbor Week which starts today.

The Arbor Week initiative was developed as a joint venture by Keep New Zealand Beautiful, alongside Paper4trees, and will run from from today until June 7th. Coinciding with World Environment Day (on Friday June 5), this inaugural event is aimed at schools, businesses and civic organisations to set up planting events to secure a greener future for New Zealand.

Keep New Zealand Beautiful General Manager, Heather Saunderson says not only is tree planting great for the environment, but participation in Arbor Week helps community members feel good about the place they live and work. “So far nearly 900 plants have been donated by Paper4trees schools and preschools for the Arbor Week events” says Ms. Saunderson.

Paper4trees is a waste minimisation and tree planting programme free to New Zealand schools and preschools whereby they are given 45 litre classroom recycling bins. National Programme Manager, Hope Lawsen says “As an incentive to recycle all the paper and cardboard they use, we reward them with one native tree/plant for every two cubic metres of paper and cardboard they recycle or divert from landfill.”

Ms Lawsen says the programme has been running since 2001 so some schools are running out of room for trees so they have asked us to donate their trees to a community project that will benefit from them. “This year, we have partnered with Keep New Zealand Beautiful to donate trees from schools around the country to the Arbor Week Initiative,” says Ms Lawsen.
Key planting events include:

TAKAPUNA, AUCKLAND
Wednesday 3rd June, 10am – 1pm
150 Seedlings will be planted
DoC, KNZB National Office, Corporate support (BAT), Local Childcare Centre (New Shoots)

THE GROYNES, CHRISTCHURCH
Friday 5th June, 10am – 1:30 pm
The Enchanted Garden Early Childhood Centre is participating in Arbor Week by taking a group of preschool children to plant trees at the Groynes. For more info see: www.theenchantedgarden.co.nz

NORTH SHORE ROAD, HASTINGS
Sunday 7th June, 10am
To celebrate national Arbor Week, Keep Hastings Beautiful are organsing a tree planting event at Whirinaki to plant hundreds of seedlings. You can meet the team at 10am at the end of North Shore Road in Whirinaki for a briefing. They will provide gloves, but ask that you bring your own spade.

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