School Programme
Trees for Survival Schools
Since 1991, we’ve been partnering with schools, landowners and partners to help inspire children to protect Aotearoa with our school programme.
Every student who participates in the Trees for Survival's environmental education school programme learns how to grow native trees from a single seedling, prepare land for planting, and take part on planting day alongside landowners, partners, teachers and their peers to plant the trees they nurtured with their very own hands!
Trees for Survival's environmental education school programme teaches students how they can be activity involved in the regeneration of their environment.
To support the natural ecology in New Zealand, we only plant NZ native plants across our Trees for Survival school programme.
Together, with the generosity of our amazing partners and donors, our school programme has successfully planted more than 2 million native plants across Aotearoa New Zealand, with more schools joining the programme every year!
2M+
Total native plants planted
146,280
Total native plants planted in 2023
186
Schools involved in 2023
5,500
Students involved in 2023
12km
Waterways planted in 2023
Teacher information
Trees for Survival is an environmental education programme that works with schools and communities to grow, nurture and plant native trees. Schools in the programme are each set up with a custom-built, irrigated shade house and each year potting mix and approximately 900 native plant seedlings are supplied.
The programme operates on a one-year cycle starting with the arrival of eco sourced seedlings which the school pots up (transfers into bags), nurtures and then plants the following autumn. Our local area Facilitators work with schools to help guide them through the seasonal activities, help identify suitable planting sites and monitoring plant growth.
The students are engaged in learning around ecology, horticulture and environmental restoration with many opportunities for curriculum-based learning.
Hands on Education
We provide the opportunity to align Trees for Survival activities with a range of learning opportunities for all ages.
We are excited to be working on a curriculum linked teaching guide and video for teachers use to support their Trees for Survival activities!
We will be releasing the first stage of this guide in 2024.
Currently the Trees for Survival programme can be aligned with the following NCEA units:
Level 3 Unit+22175v2, 27208v2, 27210v2, 29829v1
Level 2 Unit+31656, 21556, 2765, 9681, US2803,29493, 29669.
What’s involved in the Trees for Survival Programme?
Trees for Survival schools are provided with educational resources to bring the Trees for Survival classroom to life.
Every Trees for Survival school receives:
2 x purpose built shade houses measuring 3.0m x 1.5m which will be delivered to and set up at your school
Irrigation system (watering) and a timer
Crates and planting bags
Approx 900 native plant seedlings each year
Your school will need to help identify a suitable well lit, level area for the shade house to be located and provide a dedicated tap for the irrigation.
It is useful to have the shade house located where it is easy to access on all sides.
Your Facilitator will teach you how to set and adjust your timer.
Otaua School has been working in partnership with TFSNZ for approximately 5 years. We absolutely love this learning opportunity. We are a little country school but only 5 minutes from our local town so we have quite a diverse range of students. Many are on local farms and have a strong connection with the whenua, but equally as many live in town and have limited experience planting and growing.
The children take pride in seeing the plants growing in our planting bay and throw themselves wholeheartedly into planting day. In fact, this day is a highlight of the school year for many! Thank you TFSNZ for this opportunity.”
– Otaua School
Trees for Survival school locations
Trees for Survival is located across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Please zoom in/out and click on the icons below to find see what schools are involved in our programme.
Te Tai Tokerau - Northland
Hikurangi School
Kaiwaka School
Kamo Intermediate School
Maunu School
Portland School Whangarei
Tāmaki-makau-rau - Auckland
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Waikato
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Te Moana-a-Toi - Bay of Plenty
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Te Tairāwhiti - Gisborne
Awapuni School
Ngatapa School
Patutahi School
Tologa Bay Area School
Tiniroto School
Te Matau-a-Māui - Hawke's Bay
Help us plan where we should expand the programme in future! Show your interest by filling in our application to join.
Taranaki
Devon Intermediate School
Hawera Christian School
Huirangi School
Kaponga School
Manukorihi Intermediate School
Matapu School
Moturoa School
Oakura School
Opunake High School
Spotswood College
St Joseph’s New Plymouth
St Patricks School South Taranaki
Manawatū - Whanganui
Help us plan where we should expand the programme in future! Show your interest by filling in our application to join.
Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara - Wellington
Help us plan where we should expand the programme in future! Show your interest by filling in our application to join.
Te Tai-o-Aorere - Tasman
Help us plan where we should expand the programme in future! Show your interest by filling in our application to join.
Whakataū - Nelson
Help us plan where we should expand the programme in future! Show your interest by filling in our application to join.
Te Tauihu-o-te-waka - Marlborough
Help us plan where we should expand the programme in future! Show your interest by filling in our application to join.
Te Tai Poutini - West Coast
Help us plan where we should expand the programme in future! Show your interest by filling in our application to join.
Waitaha - Canterbury
Help us plan where we should expand the programme in future! Show your interest by filling in our application to join.
Ōtākou - Otago
Queenstown Primary School
Shotover Primary School
Murihiku - Southland
Help us plan where we should expand the programme in future! Show your interest by filling in our application to join.
Principal Partners
We are incredibly thankful to our Principal Partners whose generous support ensures we can bring Trees for Survival to more schools, educating more students, and planting more trees than ever before!
Trees for Survival is a Rotary initiated project, originally established by the Rotary Club of Pakuranga in 1991.
We are thrilled to receive ongoing support from numerous Rotary Clubs with club members regularly helping at our planting days.
Partner with a school
We welcome Rotary Clubs and corporate partners to support our school programme.
By partnering with our schools, you’ll have the opportunity to be involved with your local school and give back to the local community and environment.
