A planting day for Victoria University students and Ducks Unlimited members at Wairio came with a few more mod cons than usual, thanks to DU President Ross Cottle.

He arrived in his motorhome with Big Red, the side-by-side in tow, which meant hot cups of tea and sausages for lunch and the easy delivery via SxS of the plants to the planting site.

There was a good turnout as students from Victoria University’s School of Biological Sciences led by Stephen Hartley, director, Greater Wellington Regional Council and DOC representatives, DU members and others all chipped to help with the day’s work.

About 300 specimen trees – kahikatea, tōtara, swamp maire and cabbage trees – were bought with a $2000 grant from the Department of Conservation.

Many hands make light work, and by the end of the day, the trees were in place as in-fill in Stage 3 of the wetland, the university’s “classroom in a wetland”, among the nursery trees planted five years ago.