Trees for Survival

At Ōtāhuhu Intermediate School, we are proud to be part of the Trees for Survival programme, giving our students the opportunity to learn about the environment through real, hands-on action.

Trees for Survival is an environmental education programme where students help grow, care for, and plant native trees in areas where they are needed most. Through this mahi, our ākonga learn about conservation, native planting, waterway protection, biodiversity, and the important role they can play in caring for our local environment.


Acknowledgements

Ōtāhuhu Intermediate School acknowledges the support of Trees for Survival, the Rotary Club of Ōtāhuhu, and Grace and Bruce Nisbet for making these valuable learning experiences possible for our students.

Together, we are helping to grow the next generation of environmental leaders.

Learning Through Action

Our students do not just learn about the environment in the classroom — they get out into the community and make a real difference.

As part of the programme, students help nurture native plants before taking part in planting days alongside local waterways. These planting days teach students practical horticultural skills, teamwork, responsibility, and kaitiakitanga. Through Trees for Survival, our students are helping to restore natural habitats, improve water quality, support native wildlife, and protect the environment for future generations.

Growing Kaitiaki

Trees for Survival is about more than planting trees. It is about growing young people who understand the importance of caring for the land, the water, and the living things around them.

Our students learn that small actions can make a big difference. By growing, nurturing, and planting native trees, they are contributing to a healthier environment and showing leadership as kaitiaki of Aotearoa.

We are proud of the effort, teamwork, and care our students show through this programme.

Our Planting Journey

Ōtāhuhu Intermediate has worked alongside Trees for Survival, the Rotary Club of Ōtāhuhu, and Grace and Bruce Nisbet to support environmental restoration at Fitzpatrick Road, near the Papakura Stream.

In 2023, our students helped plant 740 native plants. In 2024, they continued this important work by planting another 827 native plants alongside a tributary to the Papakura Stream.

Across these two planting days, our students helped plant 1,567 native plants and supported the restoration of approximately 290 metres of waterway.

This is a wonderful achievement and a legacy our students can be proud of.

Why This Work Matters

Planting native trees along waterways helps to keep streams cooler, cleaner, and healthier. As the plants grow, they provide shade, help filter nutrients from the water, reduce erosion, and create habitats for native insects, birds, and other wildlife.

The planting at Fitzpatrick Road also supports the health of the Papakura Stream and the wider environment, including the harbours and beaches connected to our waterways.

Our students have planted a range of native species, including mānuka, karamū, tī kōuka, harakeke, purei, upokotangata, and hebe. Each plant has an important role in restoring the land, supporting biodiversity, and strengthening the natural environment.