Rātā creates a crimson future for Remarkables School
19/10/2017
Students from Remarkables Primary School in Queenstown joined Josh Emett from Rātā Dining and Project Crimson Trustee Ruud Kleinpaste (a.k.a “the Bugman”) to plant around 100 native trees at Remarkables School on 18 October.
Rātā Dining partnered with Project Crimson in 2012 and through their ongoing fundraising efforts enable Project Crimson to plant more native trees in the Queenstown region. The Wakatipu Reforestation Trust is a partner of Project Crimson’s and helps to organize the annual planting day each year, grows plants in their community nursery and coordinates local volunteers.
Project Crimson Communications Manager Melanie Seyfort says “This was our fourth year of planting in Queenstown with Rātā. As well as getting our hands dirty with planting we now have an environmental education component to the planting day. Project Crimson Trustee Ruud Kleinpaste took the children from Remarkables Primary School through workshops to learn about their local bugs and ecosystems.”
“The fact that we are able to assist restoration programmes in Queenstown is testament to the success of the Trust, which 27 years ago was focused solely on pohutukawa restoration work in Northland. It’s wonderful that over this time our work has been able to spread throughout New Zealand, and we are thrilled that organisations such as the Wakatipu Reforestation Trust are in place to help restore native plants into high profile parts of the Wakatipu.”
Remarkables School Principal, Debbie Dickson said the kids were excited about the planting day. “Our kids are hoping that by planting these natives we’ll be able to attract more native birds to the school grounds. We’re so grateful for the support from Rātā, Project Crimson and the Wakatipu Reforestation Trust to help us restore an area of the school with trees. It was an amazing experience having Ruud and his bugs come to our school!”
