Volunteers plant in streams

A group of international student volunteers has descended once more upon Kaikoura to assist with a number of planting programmes.

The group of students from the United States, Canada and the UK, signed up for the programme when organisers visited their universities.

Not only do they help with planting, they also learn about Kaikoura's wildlife. They attended a talk on the hutton's shearwaters last week and will attend a presentation by Lindsay Rowe about the blue penguin this evening.

The group of 10 students and one project leader spent three days last week with Kevin Cole from the Trees for Travellers programme, checking on trees which had been planted around the peninsula, carrying out repairs and maintenance and planting more trees. They have also worked in Oaro on pest control, getting rid of old man's beard.

This week they have spent some time with Jan Crooks, from Environment Canterbury, planting weather tolerant native trees and grasses along the banks of Middle Creek.

This will protect the waterways from dairying, filter nitrates and create a freer flowing stream by the use of specific plants to assist with cleaning the water and eradicating some of the weeds.

The group has planted about 650 trees in the last two days.

- The Marlborough Express