Endangered Coastal Plants Get Award-Winning Help From School Kids
Planting indigenous species and enhancing native plant growth along the New Plymouth coast have won a Taranaki school one of the honours in this year’s New Zealand Plant Conservation Network (NZPCN) awards
The annual awards recognise the huge efforts made by a large number of individuals, communities, and organisations in protecting and enhancing New Zealand’s unique native plants.
“The awards recognise special people and projects that have captured the interest of local communities,” said NZPCN President Dr Philippa Crisp. “These individuals and groups are the leading guardians of our country’s native plants and ecosystems, and deserve recognition for their tireless and dedicated work,” she said.
Students from Moturoa School in New Plymouth, who have been growing rare native plants and re-establishing them in natural areas along the local coast, won the ‘School Plant Conservation Project’ Award.
Since 1996 the school’s students have been involved in the propagation, growing and planting of a number of Taranaki’s endangered plant species. Working with the Department of Conservation and the New Plymouth District Council on planting programmes the students have boosted populations of these threatened coastal plants with many hundreds now thriving in traditional coastal habitats throughout Taranaki as well as within newly established projects such as along New Plymouth’s Coastal Walkway.
Other awards recognised the eradication of pest animals from a South Island ecosanctuary, the work of a Northland plant nursery in enhancing native growth at Cape Reinga, and a North Island territorial authority for preserving and improving the local biodiversity, as well as the work of dedicated individual plant enthusiasts and conservationists - Sir (Dr) Alan Mark, Colin Ogle and Robyn Smith.
“Those honoured are leading the way in plant conservation in New Zealand, and set an example to us all to strive for,” said Philippa Crisp. “The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network congratulates all award winners.”
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Posted: 18/10/2010