We have an exciting project in the wings with SCION (NZ’s Forestry Research Institute in Rotorua) to plant 1,000 Totara trees on Pukahukiwi. This helps in their ongoing research programme on the growing of native species and reconnects our whenua and whanau with our own native flora and fauna as it once was.
The planting ceremony is scheduled for late June and an exciting thing about this day also, is that we are working with our Whangamarino primary school and Tamariki, so that every student gets to plant 1 tree each. The great thing about this, is while we may not get to see these mighty trees grow to maturity, many of our Tamariki will and they will be able to share this moment with their children to come. SCION will record the details of the location of each tree and who planted it for future reference. WOW! What a great way to reconnect our tamariki with papatuanuku, the whenua and nature.
Also, SCION will set some trees aside so that we can have a special commemorative occasion for our proposed Tamati whanau re-union in Easter next year. More about this in our Tamati Re-union blog later on.
Anything that involves our tamariki, that connects them to the whenua and over time (maybe 50 years or more) allows them to look back at a special moment and say “I was there” is really neat. I won’t be here to see that and probably my children as well but their children will be. At that moment, maybe they will remember us, where they come from and feel proud of who they are.