About 2000 native trees will be planted in Dunedin over the next month, to honour the men and women of the New Zealand Defence Forces.
Waikouaiti and Signal Hill have been chosen as sites for the planting of 1850 native trees through Matariki Tu Rakau, a special project within the Government’s One Billion Trees programme.
The project is also part of the national 100-year commemorations of World War 1.
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull said the plantings were "memorials to our past, present and future servicemen and women" and would be "an asset to our city".
The further plantings would build on the efforts of the city’s communities to restore these areas, and iwi, schools, community groups, the RSA and volunteer groups would take part. Dunedin City Council biodiversity officer Aalbert Rebergen said the plantings at Waikouaiti were adding to "ongoing dune restoration work between the DCC, iwi and the community".
About 1000 native trees would be planted by Waikouaiti School pupils, the RSA and DCC staff and contractors at a public planting at Signal Hill Reserve on September 22, from 10am-12pm, Mr Rebergen said.
