Twenty-six soldiers from the Woodville district who died in WWII have been commemorated by a living memorial of Tōtara trees at Ferry Reserve.
More than 100 school children, teachers and parents joined Rangitāne tangata whenua, members of the Woodville RSA, Horizons Regional Council, Woodville Lions and Woodville Domain Board to mulch around the 26 trees in preparation for the summer ahead.
Kaumātua Manahi Paewai opened the 4 December event with a blessing. The children from Ballance, Papatawa and Kumeroa Schools were given some background by the Woodville RSA and, with encouragement from the day’s organiser Horizons biodiversity community advisor Neil Mickleson, they got to work.
