Pupils beautifying riverbank

It was a frosty morning recently but that did not stop pupils from Amana Christian School getting stuck into the dirt and planting about 300 native species along the banks of the Silverstream in Mosgiel as part of a biodiversity beautification project.

Pupil Jeddy Solofati said the aim was to make the stream more natural and more beautiful than it was before.

"We are making it more appealing to the public, like, when they walk through here, they can look out and it just looks pleasing and nice."

Pupil Johannah Horrell (14) said they were planting toetoes and native flax among other species.

"We learned not to tease their roots but to just put them in straight because they do not like it if you tease their roots."

Silverstream Biodiversity Planting Project representative Brian Peat said the aim was for schools and other local groups to take responsibility for stretches of the riverbank they had planted.

The easy job was to plant, but the more challenging task was to keep track of the progress of the plants.

The aim was groups involved in planting would come back to visit at least six times a year to make sure the native plants were growing well and were not being choked by surrounding grass.

Pupils from Elm Grove School and Taieri College had also planted stretches along the bank, and other schools and groups in the area had shown interest in the project, Mr Peat said.

When Covid restrictions allowed, personnel from the Corrections Facility at Milton would help clear some of the grasses and would create signage explaining the project.

simon.henderson@thestar.co.nz