For the past four years, students from Kaitaia College have been making a real difference in the Dune Lakes Restoration Project, heading out every fortnight to learn about how to protect and restore these unique and precious ecosystems.
It’s an absolute pleasure for Summit Forests to work alongside these inspiring young people. Their enthusiasm, willingness to learn, and dedication to the mahi never fail to impress us. Each visit is an opportunity for them to deepen their knowledge of the whenua, gain valuable hands-on experience, and develop as kaitiaki (guardians) of these special places for the future.
In their recent school newsletter, Kaitaia College acknowledged the supporters of this project, including Ngāi Takoto Rōpū, The Bushland Trust, and Summit Forests – with a special mention for our very own Karen Lucich.
The school wrote: “From the outset we have worked with the amazing Karen Lucich from Summit Forests. She provides a safe and engaging space for our students to get involved in some kaitiaki-tanga mahi. Karen is amazing with our young people and she facilitates a huge variety of activities that the students love. Our students get on board with establishing and marking a bike track around the lake, fence stile building, planting, and habitat restoration by Little Lake Gem.”
We’re grateful to work alongside such committed partners, and we look forward to many more years of kaitiakitanga in action.