At Pigeon Mountain Kindergarten we are so lucky to have Ōhuiarangi/Pigeon Mountain on our doorstep and we often go on maunga (Mountain) walks. The Tūpuna Maunga Authority are currently planting lots of New Zealand native trees and shrubs around the mountain as a restoration project and they invited us to help. 

It was a beautiful day to be planting and we were all excited to be involved and help out. We also had lots of support from our parents and whānau. There were plants placed next to some of the holes which were already dug out. There were also spaces which needed to be dug out with spades. Once the hole was ready, we carefully placed the plant into the hole before moving and patting the soil to cover it properly which will help it to grow.

This was a great experience for everyone to help with the planting process, feel more connected to our maunga and learn how to be responsible kaitiaki (Guardian of the environment). We were also able to strengthen our partnership with our local tangata whenua and build on community relationships. We look forward to seeing how these trees and shrubs we planted today will grow and flourish in the years to come.