On Saturday 4th March hundreds of volunteers from the University of Canterbury (UC) and Lincoln University picked up their spades and wheelbarrows to join forces for a morning of volunteering in the Red Zone. Volunteers worked to weed and mulch around the 20,000 native trees planted last winter at Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor 5, Dallington Landing in the Red Zone. This process is known as ‘releasing’ and ensures that these native plants will survive to maturity.

This massive effort will help Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor 5/Dallington Landing to develop into a ‘Forests of Peace and Remembrance’. The Rotary Forests of Peace and Remembrance project is a partnership between Rotary, Council and Conservation Volunteers New Zealand and local volunteers. It is an initiative with the kaupapa of supporting communities to create native ecosystems to help battle climate change and support a pest-free New Zealand.

Around 600 volunteers braved the light rain to sign in at the UC campus, enjoy a hot drink provided by UC CoffeeSoc and bus out to the site. Christchurch City Council members, rangers and SVA executive members then led the enthusiastic volunteers on a “search and rescue” mission to release native plants among the overgrown grass and weeds. The Council was grateful for the work completed by the student volunteers.

“It was wonderful to see so many people putting in the hard work at Dallington Landing and providing some much needed maintenance to native plantings. A huge thank you to everyone who made this event possible, especially the volunteers who were so energetic and positive - together we made the Red Zone a more vibrant and enjoyable space” says UC SVA president Gareth Harcombe.

After putting in some amazing mahi from 9am to 12pm, volunteers returned to the central “Hub Space”. Here they were treated to a well-earned Red Bull and a hot bbq lunch courtesy of Hellers and New World Ilam. Live music performances from local Christchurch music act Ready Salted Band and current UC student Tusekah also proved to be a huge hit. Meanwhile the UC Ultimate Club and UC Rec Centre provided sports activities for those volunteers still with energy to burn.

The Big Give 2023 was a wonderful day out and a chance for student volunteers to connect and work together towards one common goal.

The Student Volunteer Army would like to thank its naming sponsor the University of Canterbury for all the support. The University of Canterbury Students Association (UCSA) was also central to providing equipment and tech support at the Hub Space.

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