ABOUT US :: Trees for Survival

What is TFS?  - Some Background  -  How does TFS work?  -  What is a PGU?

What is TFS?
The Trees for Survival programme is run by the TFS Charitable Trust and is a hands-on environmental education experience promoting growing and planting of native trees and shrubs to:

• help control soil erosion
• safeguard water quality
• provide new habitats for native birds as well as other plants and animals
• beautify our environment
• remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
• renew a natural resource

The TFS programme is designed to involve children who learn about trees and their place in our environment. These plantings provide ‘at risk’ land with plant cover, restores eroded land to improve stream and water quality as well as providing habitats for the spread of our native flora and fauna. The programme also creates community partnerships by engaging not only schools and landowners but service clubs, regional and local councils, business sponsors and volunteers who all work together to protect our environmental heritage.

Some Background.
The TFS programme was started in 1991 by the Rotary Club of Pakuranga and was based on a similar concept that was operating in Australia at the time.

Since its early beginnings, the programme has grown to have a nationwide coverage with 138 Trees for Survival Schools planting over 60,000 trees per year. Of these, 58 are based in the Auckland region where 39,000 trees were planted in 2006.

During 2007 there will be a planned expansion of the programme within the Greater Wellington, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Manawatu regions. 

How does Trees for Survival (TFS) work?

• Schools apply to become a TFS School.
• TFS assists the school to arrange one or more Unit Sponsors to provide funding for a Plant Growing Unit (PGU) ongoing financial and physical support for the TFS school.
• School pupils, supported by TFS and Regional Councils, with assistance from the school community and the Supporting Organisation grow native plants from seedlings to a stage where they are ready to be planted out.
• The Regional Councils liaise with Landowners and select planting sites.
• The pupils and school community, with the help of the landowner and other TFS partners plant out native trees.
• The Regional Councils and Landowners monitor the plant growth ensuring maximum environmental advantage. 

What is a PGU?
A PGU is a specially designed unit can house up to 1500 seedlings. It has curtains to protect the seedlings from the elements and includes an irrigation system and an automatic timer to make watering easy and efficient.

For best results the unit should be placed on a level surface that won’t get boggy in winter and has plenty of sun and water available. The dimensions of the PGU are 6m long x1.5m wide x 1.8m high but extra space around the unit to allow room to work and an area where fully grown plants can be put to ‘harden off’ before being planted out is recommended. If security is an issue it is sometimes necessary to fence this area and a lockable place provided for the water timer.

The cost of a Plant Growing Unit is approximately $4000 and includes wire baskets, root trainers, milk crates, and a water timer (see picture to right).

Involvement with TFS gives you the advantages of being part of a National body, access to the TFS teacher’s resource kit, regular newsletters, and ongoing contact with Trees for Survival Management and other TFS schools.