Living Legends, a community conservation programme that will see a total of 170,000 native trees planted throughout New Zealand by the end of the year, got underway for its third and final year in Christchurch on Saturday.
Established to leave a legacy of New Zealand’s hosting of Rugby World Cup, Living Legends dedicates each planting site to a local “Rugby Legend”.
The programme returns to 14 locations throughout New Zealand this year.

Mucking in! Raumati South and Paraparaumu Beach School students
get involved in a Living Legends planting project at Whareroa Farm
on the Kapiti Coast, near Paraparaumu
DOC has supported the programme since it kicked off, in the lead up to Rugby World Cup 2011.
Right now we are busy getting everything ready before volunteers and the rugby legends don their gumboots and get the last 41,000 trees in the ground!

The students helped revegetate a fairly large area of Whareroa Farm,
which they will be able to monitor and watch slowly turn back
into native bush over the years to come
Check out the Living Legends website for more info and event dates, and get involved in a planting day near you!