Taking nature to heart
Aroha, tika, wairua, manaaki and mana; those are the values inspiring Sacred Heart School's new heart-shaped native planting area
The space was created as the school’s final project of 2025, driven by a passionate team of Enviroleaders. From conception through to the planting and ongoing care, these students have led every step of the journey.
They had been learning about the history of the school grounds and the native spaces that existed there previously, from local historian Senga White.
“That’s where the project came from – they wanted to restore the land to what it was like before humans arrived,” Principal Catherine Colvin says.
Trees that would thrive and attract bees and native birds were eco-sourced through Southland Community Nursery.
The carefully selected trees are paired with a picnic seat, a place for anyone in the school to come when they need a quiet second, or to reflect.
A kōwhai tree was planted too – the first for their generational planting area, where Year Six students choose and plant a new tree each year.
“Up to tree-planting day, there was real hype. They were excited because they knew what they were going to achieve and what it was going to look like,” Catherine says.
She says most of the students visited the area in the last week of term. Some even came back to visit during the holidays – along with members of the wider community.
“A few have been out there singing to their trees.” This is because Josh Sullivan, Environment Southland’s EnviroSchools coordinator, had joked that singing to trees is important for their growth.
Catherine and the students are excited to watch the space flourish. In the meantime, they are undertaking other environmental initiatives for the school.
They are working on composting, vegetable gardens, waste reduction and minimising their impact on the school environment.
Catherine says she loves teaching them about sustainability and restoration. “They hold the keys to the future of the environment.
“The kids love knowing they’re going to achieve something that lasts a long time.”
