WIL supports Cust Preschool planting project

Cust Preschool planted over 100 native seedlings they raised in a greenhouse at their preschool at Jack Graham Reserve in May. Year seven and eight students from Cust School, along with parents and teachers from Cust Preschool helped the preschoolers with their planting.

A group of preschoolers from Cust Preschool planted 102 of their native seedlings at the Jack Graham Reserve in Cust last month.

The preschoolers grew the seedlings in a greenhouse at their school with the plants and greenhouse provided by Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL) as part of a biodiversity project which aims to enhance ecological values while building closer relationships with the community.

Students from West Eyreton and Swannanoa schools, along with Cust Preschool are participating in the project which sees the students raising the native seedlings and then deciding where they would like to plant them in the local community.

WIL’s biodiversity project lead Dan Cameron says it is important to get children involved in environmental restoration projects at a young age, especially when they have been actively involved in raising and caring for the plants prior to planting them.

“The children will come back to visit the reserve and see the plants growing over the next few years and this will give them something tangible to see as a result of their efforts.”