The plants are some of 5000 native plants grown by prisoners to help the Otago Fish and Game Council assist local communties with habitat projects in the Upper Clutha catchment.
Many prison-grown plants have already taken root at Bullock Creek Hatchery Springs in Wanaka where voluntary community group Friends of Bullock Creek is leading a restoration project.
Other plants will be used by the Wanaka Catchment Group for riparian and wetland planting on farms within the Lake Wanaka catchment.
Native seeds are sourced from natural habitat in the catchment, propagated at the Otago Corrections Facility and then returned as plants to the area.
Restoration of the 2.5ha Bullock Creek Hatchery Springs removing weeds and planting native flora began in October 2016 through volunteers as well as community-based work by the Department of Corrections.
The springs feed into Bullock Creek and are an important trout spawning stream for Lake Wanaka.
Since 2016, about 3800 plants have been planted at Bullock Creek Hatchery Springs and 4600 volunteers hours have been recorded.
