In March students from Ngā Manu a Rēhua at Gisborne Intermediate were fortunate to visit Aunty Soraya Pohatu Council’s native nursery project coordinator at our Aberdeen Road nursery to learn about growing different native plants from seedlings, before taking them into the taiao (nature) for planting.

The majority of plants at the Aberdeen Nursery are Mānuka and Harakeke. However, there are also a range of other plants including karaka, pūriri, kōwhai, tōtara and kahikatea all of which require different types of care when collecting and growing.

Valuable insight was provided throughout the day by Aunty Soraya around these different native species and what is required to harvest them, including when and where, and growing them from the seed stage up until they are ready to be planted throughout the region.

The amount of time required to care for the different plants varies, with harakeke taking around 12 to 18 months and other species like kahikatea and tōtara taking at least a couple of years until they can be planted in the wild. The longer a tree is kept in a nursery the better its odds are of surviving after planting.

This was then followed by hands-on activities where students were tasked with sorting out harakeke plants and sanitizing equipment so that they may be reused for further growing.

The plants were sorted based on height, with the taller plants swapping locations in the nursery with shorter plants to give them a better spot to grow. Equipment such as plastic pots were washed and sanitized so they could be recycled to be used on another round of plants.

After learning about the different plants the students were then divided into 6 different groups.

Each group was assigned a different plant and have been tasked with researching everything they can about their plant - from its bark, leaf shape and flower to the matauranga māori around the plant, its uses and benefits in the environment.

Kōkā Ana and Kōkā Tracey both Nga Manu a Rehua kaiako/teachers, expressed their gratitude for the day and noted that the kids were stoked with the opportunity to do some hands-on work.

They also appreciated the opportunity to give back to Aunty Soraya for her generous heart and always ensuring our tamariki (children) are exposed to opportunities that foster a love for the taiao too – to ensure that they will carry on the mahi in the future.