Twenty—13 June 2014

Twenty is an innovative Auckland based client focused direct marketing agency which provides a broad range of services to a variety of major New Zealand companies.  Their services range from creative communications to data analysis and modelling and digital design and development.

Last year, Twenty contacted us about a unique idea—for Christmas they wanted to give their clients enduring gifts of native New Zealand trees which would be planted at CUE Haven.

Because we don’t plant during summer, they waited until the planting season in winter, and today the directors and almost all of the staff of Twenty were on site to plant the trees.

The trees planted were all iconic native New Zealand trees and included totara, puriri, kahikatea, taraire, titoki, rewarewa, kohekohe, kowhai and porokaiwhiri.

The trees were planted amongst the pioneer plantings in the areas initially planted in 2010 and 2011.  This will ensure that the trees, which are long lived but grow very slowly, will have sufficient canopy protection until they are fully established.

The Twenty team arrived at ten and included Amanda, Amy, Andrea, Barry, Carren, Eva, Gandhali, Gina, Hamish, Jason, Joon, Leonie, Liam, Mark, Megan, Mike, Natalie, Robert, Rory, Simon, Tim and Zoe.  Unfortunately, Cherie who had organised the day and coordinated the event couldn’t join the team today.  But we do want to thank her for all her hard work in organising a great day.

We got acquainted over morning tea.  The variety of Nescafe Menu coffees and the Iced Peach Nestea, generously sponsored by Nestle NZ for volunteers to CUE Haven was most appreciated by all. Thanks, Nestle NZ!!

Then Mahrukh gave a talk about the history of the CUE Haven restoration project and Tom gave a short safety briefing and description of the work to be done.

Because we would be working near the mature bush on the property, we asked the group to clean and disinfect their shoes as part of our efforts to control the spread of the kauri dieback disease.

Each person then grabbed a spade and pair of gloves and we hiked up to the planting site.

Tom then gave a planting demo and the group went to work.  It was challenging planting on steep ground amongst the growing canopy trees but the team coped very well and finished off the planting in no time.

Once the team had finished planting all the trees, they gathered up the spades and crates and empty planting bags.

Then we went for a leisurely walk back down through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award Grove and the gully walking track.

We had farewell drinks before the group headed off to the local pub for a late lunch.

Because it was Friday the 13^th, some of the team had dressed up.

But there was nothing unlucky about today’s fantastic planting day.  The weather was perfect and the hard working team planted 175 canopy trees in a very short time.

We really enjoyed meeting and working with you all.  We wish you continued success and we hope to see you again.

You have made a major contribution to the CUE Haven project and the planet. What a wonderful gift!!  These trees will live for centuries and your efforts will be appreciated by generations.  THANK YOU very much!

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.  ~Nelson Henderson

He who plants a tree
Plants a hope.
~Lucy Larcom, “Plant a Tree”