Children will protest the felling of native trees at 58 Canal Road, Avondale at 1 pm today.
The Lorax-themed protest celebrates one month since a local stood in front of a wood chipper, starting an occupation.
The event includes local actor Kevin Keys reading the Lorax, a pop-up scene from the book, and a walkie-talkie station
for kids to speak to protesters in trees.
Extinction Rebellion Waitākere spokesperson Simon Oosterman says the seventies Dr Suess fable about the destruction of
trees is more relevant than ever.
"Our children have the right to enjoy our majestic native trees," he says. "Yet developers want to destroy this rare
urban collection of 100-year-old natives."
Oosterman says developers have cut down more than a dozen trees, but protesters sitting in trees has saved many,
including rare trees like black maire.
"As the Lorax says: 'Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not'," he
says. "Many of us read this when we were kids; this is our chance to make it meaningful for our children."
The group wants the council to buy the land and turn it into a park and the Government to return general tree
protection, Oosterman says.ENDS