Show the Plants Some Love: A Successful First Event of 2025

The rain showers on a Tuesday in February didn’t dampen our spirits as we kicked off our first event of the year, Show the Plants Some Love. This event is a Valentine’s Day event when we encourage everyone to show love to their native restoration plants during a hot, dry time of year.

We returned to our 2024 Greening Taupō Day site on the golf course, where we spent the day mulching and weeding the plants we had planted last year.

A huge thank you to the students from Marotiri School, Taupō Primary School, and Te Kura, who all came out to lend a hand. Together, we worked with the Greening Taupō Wicked Weeders to spread three big piles of mulch around the plants. Each plant got a nice layer of mulch, which will help keep it warm over winter, retain moisture in summer, prevent weeds from taking over, and provide nutrients as the mulch breaks down.

The Marotiri students also had time for a Native Restoration Scavenger Hunt, where they learned more about the special native trees they’d just helped protect. And, of course, no event would be complete without a well-deserved reward—an ice cream for everyone!

Well done to all the students for their hard work and enthusiasm!