On Tuesday 21st June, a small group of young people from the Youth Employability Programme at Marlborough Youth Trust headed out to Lake Elterwater and Taimate farm to take part in some planting.
John Hickman, of Taimate farm, had extended an invite to the wider community to come out on the same day as Country Calendar was visiting for some filming and so the group from MYT headed out there.
John is working on building a website that can be accessed by councils around the country, to coordinate farm plantings as well as provide urban residents or those without their own land the chance to get out on a farm and help with plantings and mitigating climate change. The goal is result in greater plantings on farms for less cost, get people out on the land to see what farms are doing, and give those who feel unable to do these projects (due to lack of land or financial means), a way to participate and break down the "Rural-Urban Divide".
The group of youth that headed out to Lake Elterwater and Taimate farm were enthusiastic, and got stuck right into planting more than 1000 native plants. They were part of a larger group of volunteers, including local businesses. It was a great opportunity, "giving aroha and time to enhance our rangatahi into good mahi". The team says "it was a little frosty but great for the mind and soul" and they encourage everyone to make a "conscious decision to support [the] community ... it really helps build your mana".
We thank John and his team at Lake Elterwater and Taimate farm for the opportunity for these young people to go out and contribute in this way, and for the delicious BBQ lunch provided. Many thanks also to the team at Marlborough Youth Trust YEP Mahi 12 group for their hard mahi on the day!