Mrs Jenny Hunter with Room 5

The Community Forest is a unique resource that our school retains. The students and teachers use this as a valuable teaching resource. This week Mrs Jenny Hunter, former Associate Principal of the school returned in her capacity as ambassador for the forest. This week many of the classes have had a tour of the native trees and been introduced to what the forest offers.

History of the Community Forest at Campbells Bay School.

A long time ago our school site was a native forest, that covered most of the East Coast

Bays area. In early photographs we can see that the men of the community came to working bees    with slashers to clear the site for the school which opened in 1925.The gully where the forest is confined was never cleared, and although some native species survived, lots of weeds , rubbish and some exotic species flourished.

After the war Mr Ron Wilcox planted trees around the school, and other soldiers  helped to plant trees in Centennial Park. About 35 years ago , Mr Bernard Stanley with helpers, planted  totara  and rimu .At times workers cleared the ginger plants and tried to keep the weeds down.

Some interest in developing this area was shown in the seventies, but in 1994 , the planting of trees by interested parties who bought their trees, was started. Numbered pegs mark those spots and many of the trees survive today. In 1995  the principal , Mr John McGowan mooted the idea that the forest development would be an ideal project for the school to undertake for the 75 th Jubilee to be held in 2000.A committee was formed in 1996/7 and Fiona George drew up a development plan to advance the forest concept.

Volunteers from the community, Milford Rotary, and from the school, worked regularly to clear weeds , plant trees , mulch the areas and build the wooden walkways. This proved to be very costly and was helped generously by the Lotteries Board and Maddren Timber. However the walkways were necessary to give all weather access to the bush as well as protect the emerging seedlings on the forest floor. There are also wooden platforms where classes can sit for lessons and observations.

Exotic trees along the edge of the bank  were felled in 1996 ,and poplars at the edge of the field went as well. This was more in keeping with establishing a native forest ,but did leave the bank vulnerable. In 1998 a subsidence occurred when the field edge slid down the gully taking with it trees and some of  the walkway. However a retaining wall was constructed and with more planting all was righted.

It was a great event when in 2000 at the time of the Jubilee, the forest was visited by Professor Baylis ,a noted botanist and one of the school’s first day pupils in 1925.He was thrilled that the school had the foresight to restore the 1.5 hectare piece of wasteland into a community asset. He planted a kahikatea with 2 of the newest pupils at the school, which has a commemorative plaque  on the lower platform to celebrate.

As families have moved through the school, we have had many weeding sessions and planting occasions to ensure the forest is a living classroom. Mr Richard Hursthouse, Mrs Rosemary Wilcox and Mrs Anne Tyas have acted as custodians since 2000, and have planted trees donated by the school which has been very appreciative of their efforts and time. The school now manages the forest with the help of the children and parents. Each year level looks after an area for the 6 years the children are at the school. Each term there are opportunities for weeding sessions and usually about Arbor Day(June 5) planting occurs, where necessary. An Enviro club exists to propagate seeds and cuttings to assist in completing the planting requirements.

For the next Jubilee of the School in 2025 our Community Forest will be a real forest in the middle of the city.