The senior girl class of Hikurangi Primary School, have been tenderly growing native seedlings during the year. Once ready to be planted the girls shared the experience with every class and also Return to Sender and Morris & Morris Funerals.
Wednesday, July 3rd, we brave the threatening weather, donned our gumboots and together we planted nearly 1,000 native trees alongside a stream at Hikurangi Primary School.
Return to Sender has been donating a tree for each casket sold since 2007 as of 31 July 2019 we have donated 12,861 trees. A couple of years ago, we realised anyone could plant a tree – but wondered what did that actually achieve? Nothing if we aren’t educating the future caretakers of our land. In 2017 we officially partnered with ‘Trees for Survival’.
Trees for Survival is a charitable trust that delivers an educational environmental programme in schools. It sees students growing and planting native trees to restore natural habitats by helping landowners revegetate erosion-prone land, improve streamflow and water quality and increase biodiversity.
Once a month we donate money towards trees to the Trees for Surivial on behalf of the families who have chosen a Return to Sender casket. One casket = 1 tree donation.
The students involved in the Trees for Survival environmental education programme receive locally sourced seedlings at the beginning of every year, nurturing them until ready for planting. Planting days will consist of many different native plants; including Mānuka, kānuka, flax, tī kōuka (cabbage tree ) that are suitable for the area that they will be planted.
Return to Sender Caskets supports schools in Whangarei, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Wellington. Funeral Homes are invited to volunteer with us on planting days within their local areas.
Fun fact: early settlers use to brew beer from the root.
Fun fact: Twigs from this plant with rimu were brewed to make beer.
Harakeke/flax bushes will often support a large community of animals, providing shelter and an abundant food resource. Harakeke attracts native birds such as Tui, bellbirds/ korimako, saddlebacks/tīeke, short-tailed bats/pekapeka, geckos and several types of insects that enjoy nectar from its flower.