Press

6 May 2017
Giving back by Planting Trees

by June Pauline Misa and George Misa

The Leyte-Samar NZ Solidarity Foundation was established on 10 April 2015 to unite migrant Filipinos in New Zealand that hail from the neighboring provinces of Leyte and Samar in the eastern Visayas region. Our members work on shared goals to help their hometowns that nurtured them, and give back to New Zealand, their new home that has embraced them with open arms.

On the 6th of May 2017, the foundation chose to celebrate its second anniversary by giving back to the New Zealand environment through restoration work at the Motuihe island / Te Motu-a-Ihenga. Since 2003, the island has welcomed participants to community conservation programmes such as tree planting under the watch of the Motuihe Trust and Department of Conservation. The aim is to reforest the island with native plants where native bird, lizard and insect species can be released, while keeping it free of mammalian pests to allow these species to flourish.

In keeping with its goal to be a public reserve, the island also conserves its historic features and maintains tracks and visitor facilities. Last Saturday, our delegation made history as the largest group of volunteers that the island had seen, with 80 participants including 2 from the Department of Conservation (DoC) and 1 from the Motuihe Trust. The strong attendance is due to the efforts of the project committee, headed by Nino Pangatungan our project director, who did the preparatory work and made the activity possible.

Under clear and sunny Saturday skies, our group boarded a Fullers ferry heading to Motuihe Island at 9 am at Auckland downtown. We were welcomed by workers from the DoC and Motuihe Trust as well as a tidy line of seagulls on the bridge upon arrival. After some instructions from the volunteer workers, we trekked together to the native plant nursery at the center of the island where we were given two tasks. The first was to maintain native plants in the nursery, and the second, to plant grown seedlings to the ground.

About a third of the group remained in the nursery to transfer seedlings to new pots, remove weeds and tidy them up. The other two thirds went out to plant the grown native plant seedlings at the southern end of the island. Following a tow tractor that carried these plants including rewarewa and kanuka, the group walked together while appreciating the beautiful, sweeping views of Auckland, Rangitoto island, and even the Coromandel. At two sites in the island’s southern part, the group dug a series of holes 2 to 5 meters apart with a shovel, planted the seedlings and covered their roots with mud. Despite the tall grass and soft land in some parts, the planting was completed quickly with everyone working together.

The heat was exhausting but it was easily forgotten with people’s sense of humour and encouragement. The DoC also provided an informational talk that helped us appreciate how our work has benefitted the island’s future.
After planting, we headed back to the nursery, shared lunch together, and received certificates of participation. Some unsurprisingly went out for a swim in the clear and calm waters surrounding the island. By 3:30 pm, the Fullers ferry returned to collect us from the island and take us back to Auckland.

Overall, the activity was not only fruitful but very educational and enjoyable as well. Big thanks are due to the sponsors of the project for helping to pay for the ferry transport and the participants of the activity including the members, and their families and friends. With these results, the foundation has promised to plant trees in the island on a yearly basis in the spirit of giving back to NZ. These small but constant efforts will certainly create a lasting impact to NZ’s environment and its people for many years to come.