Si ce
1997,
Yea
9
stude ts
have
etu ed
fou
times
a
yea
to
pla t
ative
sh ubs
a d
t ees
(Photo:
Facebook/Bulle
school)
A
coastal
a ea
i
New
Zeala d
that
was
o ce
ba e
pastu e
a d
wi dswept
g assla d
has
bee
t a sfo med
afte
29
yea s
of
pla ti g
by
school
stude ts.
Si ce
1997,
ge e atio s
of
Bulle
High
School
stude ts
led
by
ow
eti ed
school
teache
Ja et
Potti ge ,
have
helped
b i g
ative
vegetatio
back
to
Tau a ga
Bay
a d
ea by
Cape
Foulwi d.The
wo k
was
ca ied
out
th ough
Bulle
High
School’s
Yea
9
e vi o me tal
p og amme.
Acco di g
to
local
Depa tme t
of
Co se vatio ,
sude ts
pla ted
ative
sh ubs
a d
t ees
alo g
a
walkway,
seaf o t
a d
ca
pa ks,
g adually
cha gi g
a eas
that
we e
o ce
mostly
wi dswept
paddocks,
g assla d
a d
pastu e.The
fi al
pla ti g
took
place
i
Novembe
2025,
sho tly
befo e
Potti ge
eti ed.
The
Depa tme t
of
Co se vatio
(DOC)
staff
joi ed
the
stude ts
a d
Potti ge
fo
the
pla ti g
day,
ma ki g
the
e d
of
he
29-yea
i volveme t
i
the
p oject.The
cha ge
is
ow
visible
ac oss
the
a ea.
What
was
o ce
la gely
ope
g assla d
has
bee
eplaced
by
ative
vegetatio ,
c eati g
shelte
a d
habitat
fo
a
a ge
of
species.
The
la dscape
has
also
cha ged
sig ifica tly
fo
visito s
who
come
to
see
seals
a d
walk
alo g
the
Cape
Foulwi d
Walkway.Photog aphs
take
ove
the
yea s
show
how
the
la dscape
cha ged.
A
a ea
that
was
still
la gely
g assed
i
2004
had
become
cove ed
with
flax
a d
othe
vegetatio
by
2015.
A othe
oadside
a ea
photog aphed
befo e
pla ti g
i
2010
had
cha ged
sig ifica tly
by
2016.The
cha ge
was
also
visible
alo g
the
t ack.
Photog aphs
f om
2004
a d
2008
show
how
vegetatio
quickly
bega
cove i g
a eas
that
had
p eviously
bee
ope .
Role
of
Ha akeke
Fo me
DOC
a ge
Joh
G ee ,
who
atte ded
the
fi al
pla ti g,
ecalled
what
the
a ea
was
like
whe
it
came
u de
DOC
ma ageme t
i
1987.
At
the
time,
staff
we e
fi di g
dead
pe gui s
because
of
dog
attacks.
Cattle
we e
also
collapsi g
shea wate
bu ows.
The
situatio
is
diffe e t
today.Ha akeke,
also
k ow
as
New
Zeala d
flax,
was
the
mai
pla t
used
i
the
p oject.
It
was
chose
because
it
g ows
quickly,
is
ha dy
i
coastal
co ditio s
a d
p ovides
habitat
a d
a
food
sou ce
fo
ative
bi ds
a d
othe
a imals.
The
pla ts
also
helped
c eate
co ditio s
fo
othe
ative
species
to
establish.
Bi ds
att acted
by
its
summe
flowe s
also
helped
sp ead
seeds,
suppo ti g
the
g owth
of
vegetatio
beyo d
the
a eas
di ectly
pla ted
by
stude ts.Ove
time,
the
esto ed
a eas
became
home
to
a
a ge
of
ative
wildlife.
DOC
said
they
ow
suppo t
sooty
shea wate s,
blue
pe gui s,
fai y
p io s,
weka,
seals
a d
ma y
othe
ative
bi ds,
liza ds
a d
i ve teb ates.
Mo e
tha
12,000
pla ti gs
The
scale
of
the
wo k
ca ied
out
ove
ea ly
th ee
decades
was
huge.
Acco di g
to
Potti ge ,
stude ts
pla ted
12,425
pla ts
du i g
108
pla ti g
t ips.A ou d
2,800
stude ts
we e
i volved
i
the
p oject
ove
the
29
yea s.
With
fou
pla ti g
t ips
taki g
place
each
yea ,
the
wo k
became
a
egula
pa t
of
the
school’s
e vi o me tal
p og amme.Potti ge
said
stude ts
emai ed
e thusiastic
about
the
t ees
they
pla ted.
Some
late
etu ed
with
thei
families
to
see
how
much
the
pla ts
had
g ow .“Ove
the
yea s
I
have
fou d
that
the
stude ts
we e
always
ve y
e thusiastic
about
the
t ees
they
pla ted
a d
ma y
of
them
we e
p oud
to
show
thei
wha au
yea s
late
how
much
thei
pla ts
had
g ow ,”
she
said.At
the
fi al
pla ti g
i
Novembe
2025,
Potti ge
said
the
timi g
had
wo ked
out
well
because
she
was
eti i g
a d
the e
was
o
lo ge
a ywhe e
left
to
pla t.
DOC
said
the
p oject
showed
the
value
of
doi g
a
little
wo k
egula ly.The
p oject
was
also
awa ded
a
West
Coast
Tai
Pouti i
Co se vatio
Awa d,
a
T ustpowe
West
Coast
Sup eme
Awa d
a d
a
Pla t
Co se vatio
Netwo k
Awa d.