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World War 1 planting at Coromandel


World War 1 planting at Coromandel


Pictured: Coromandel Area School students, Chaelyn Croft (right) and Kaiya Kerrison standing with RSA president Ian Franklyn, Councillor Tony Brljevich and RSA members Frank Mead and Kevin Stone at the Hauraki Road planting site.

Children from the Coromandel Area School have joined with RSA members to launch the first plantings of the World War 1 memorial site for Coromandel at Hauraki Road.

In fine weather, the schoolchildren enthusiastically helped to plant more than 100 specimen totara and kahikatea trees, which are the first of some 1000 specimen trees that will signify the "Supreme Sacrifice" forest.

In addition, the children planted a host of companion plants such as smaller hebes and flaxes which they had grown themselves as part of an environmental education project.

Opening the ceremony, Cr Tony Brljevich told the children that the plantings were to remember those soldiers who had selflessly given their lives for future generations.

"What we are planting here today is something living that will acknowledge those who died," he said. "Those who sacrificed in order to save the society we live in."

Coromandel Area School acting principal, Mary Kedzlie described the planting day, which was attended by three classes ranging from Year 3 to Year 6, as "absolutely fantastic."

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"It was great to see the schoolchildren, the community and the council all working together for the betterment of the environment," she commented.

Coromandel RSA President Ian Franklyn said that he was very impressed with the willingness of the students to participate in the project.

"It is great young people are keen to participate in remembering those soldiers who gave their lives more than 100 years ago," he said. "It's heart-warming to see all these young people out here today getting their hands in the earth to help grow a forest that will benefit their children and future generations."

The "Supreme Sacrifice" memorial forest is on TCDC land adjacent to the waste water treatment plant, and the new plantings will act as a beautification project for the area. It is intended the remaining 900 trees will be planted on the site this season as part of a joint venture between the Thames-Coromandel District Council and the Waikato Regional Council.

The next World War 1 planting will be at Rhodes Park in Thames on 11th August 2015.


Get involved in the project

We're asking people to please help the project by donating $100 to the cost of a tree or by joining in on the plantings, or both. You can also choose to donate $150 and plant the tree yourself.

There are three ways to donate:

(1) You can dedicate the tree to a specific NZ soldier who was killed in the war. That tree gets planted in the Memorial Forest site dedicated to that particular battle or campaign.

(2) You can dedicate a tree to the "unknown soldier";

In these two cases you receive a memorial certificate that includes the GPS co-ordinates of the tree you've donated.

(3) Or, you can gift a tree on behalf of your family without necessarily having a specific soldier in mind who was killed in the war. You'll receive a memorial certificate but no GPS location.

To donate please go to www.tcdc.govt.nz/donatetree

Our Council is working on the Memorial Forest project with schools, iwi, RSAs, service clubs, Wintec, community groups and agencies including the Department of Conservation and Waikato Regional Council.

There are still lots of opportunity to get involved, contact our Economic Development Programme Manager Ben Dunbar-Smith on 07 868 0200 or email at ben.dunbar-smith@tcdc.govt.nz

For more information on the New Zealand World War One Memorial Forest and all its sites across our District, see www.tcdc.govt.nz/ww1memorialforest


ends

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