June 15, 2018
Inmates raise seedlings for Auckland million trees
Twenty thousand tree seedlings raised by inmates at Auckland Prison will be planted out this weekend in Manurewa’s Totara Park.
It’s a part of a celebration of Matariki and a contribution to Auckland mayor Phil Goff’s million trees initiative.
Auckland Prison’s industries manager, David Grear, says about 30 inmates work at the nursery.
As well as picking up useful skills for when they leave prison, it’s a therapeutic environment.
"The idea of caring for something and watching it grow, I think a lot of men can see comparisons in their own journey. The feedback I get from them is they love being out in nature and reconnecting with nature. For some of them it’s the first time they’ve ever done this sort of thing," Mr Grear says.
Volunteers will be offered a manuka seedling to plant in their own homes.
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