Three busloads of Tereora College students headed out to Ngatangiia yesterday to help a local environment group with its project to protect land around streams and coastal areas in Muri.

The 128 year 9 and 10 students were divided into two groups, with the majority helping out at the Muri Environment Care nursery at the Pa Ariki palace grounds at Turangi, and 21 students helped clear a Muri stream of an overgrowth of creepers, as well as plant plugs of vetiver bunchgrass along the stream banks.

Christine Ganivatu, manager of anau at Tereora College, said their contribution yesterday was the college’s way of giving back to the community.

She said the community and businesses in Rarotonga have always supported the college.

The college has its last day today before breaking for the end of year holidays until the end of January 2022.

Anne Tierney of the 11-year-old group Muri Environment Care group offered a very big thank you to the school, teachers and students for their volunteer work yesterday.

“It was a godsend for us in the early days in the establishment of the nursery in the Pa Ariki palace grounds at Turangi,” she said.

“The students and teachers made real progress which has put us weeks ahead.”  Te IpukareaSociety also helped with yesterday’s project.

Tierney said people can follow on Facebook the progress of Muri Environment Care’s coastal and riparian project.

Preventing soil runoff from land areas into the lagoon retains the soil to provide for the regrowth of plants and trees, which in turn brings back life to the streams and coastal areas.

Landowners and businesses along the stream areas have been very coooperative she said, adding that it’s always nice to receive feedback from them about the return of eels and birds to the replanted areas.