It was a case of picking up a spade and mucking in for Otama School pupils when they planted a riparian strip with trees on Friday.
Otama School teamed up with New Zealand Landcare Trust regional co-ordinator Janet Gregory to plant the trees along the Otama Stream on Lex Wohlers' property.
Mrs Gregory said the trees being planted included cabbage trees, ribbonwood, pittosporum and kowhai.
The tree-planting exercise was part of a larger project, which looked at the overall health of the stream, school principal Shona Hewlett said.
Pupils had been monitoring aspects of stream life including water clarity, how minerals were dissolved in the water including fertiliser, water temperature, pH and insect life.
Teacher Jim Crieghton said not only was the insect life monitored, but it was also counted and catalogued.
"This [the entire project] would be a long-time thing," Mr Crieghton said.
Mr Wohlers had paid for the trees and was keen to encourage the pupils to take part in the project.
He said the tree plantings would increase amenity values.
As well as paying for the trees, Mr Wohlers would be taking care of weed control in the area that was fenced.
