This story was first published in the Wairarapa Times Age on August 5 2019
A stream in South Wairarapa is getting a helping hand from a bunch of Featherston Year 6 students keen to restore and protect its native biodiversity.
The children from St Teresa’s School have started riparian planting on a section of Donald’s Creek at the south-eastern corner of town.
In chilly conditions on Wednesday the students planted 300 native grasses alongside the stream in an effort to improve the environment and to encourage life back to the water.
The planting is the first of what the students hope will be the start of many more to come and a source of pride in the community.
Donald’s Creek is part of the Featherston landscape, marking the eastern boundary before cutting under SH2 and passing between several properties on its way to Lake Wairarapa. South Wairarapa District Council granted guardianship of the area being planted to Featherston schools in 2016.
St Teresa’s classroom teacher Liz Lark said students are genuinely interested in their local waterways and have been learning about stream health and stream restoration.
“We’ve been working with the team from Mountains to Sea Wellington, monitoring stream health, and developing a restoration plan for this section of Donald’s Creek”, Mrs Lark said.
“They know that through planting native grasses and shrubs, they will encourage greater biodiversity.”
Year 6 student Van Rozing said this means more fish and eels in the stream, and more birds and insects hanging around in the shrubs.
As well as providing habitat for wildlife, when established the plants will create much needed shade for fish in the stream too, said Van’s classmate Rosie Renshaw.
Mrs Lark said the students have aspirations for the area one day being made a public place that people can come and enjoy.
“They know it will take a lot of time and effort to achieve, but long term that is their vision and I think it’s something the whole community will be really supportive of,” Mrs Lark said.
Student Benjamin Everlein encourages “everyone in Featherston” to roll up their sleeves and get on board.
Mountains to Sea Wellington Director Zoe Studd said the enthusiasm and passion of the the students and their teacher is “inspiring”.
“They want to see fish and native animals thrive again in this forgotten spot, and they are doing something about it . . . that’s so exciting,” she said.
It’s going to be really important for them to have lots of community support to help realise their vision, she said.
The students hopes and aspirations fit into a much wider initiative, the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project, a joint venture involving Local and Central Government, and local iwi. The project was launched in 2008 with the aim of restoring this “wetland treasure”. Greater Wellington Regional Council is a key partner, and also a funder of Mountains to Sea Wellington.
Wairarapa Moana is the largest remaining wetland in the lower North Island. It is of national and international importance due to its significant cultural, ecological, and recreational values.