New announcement. Learn more

School Programme

Trees for Survival Schools

Since 1991, we’ve been partnering with schools, landowners and partners to support environmental education in Aotearoa with our school based programme.

Every student who participates in the Trees for Survival's environmental education school programme learns how to grow native plant species from seedlings, care for these and take part in a planting day alongside landowners, partners, teachers and their peers to plant the trees they nurtured!

Trees for Survival's environmental education school programme teaches students how they can be activity involved in the restoration 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

160,000

Total native plants planted in 2024

213

Schools involved in 2024

5,500

Students involved in 2024

12km

Waterways planted in 2024

Teacher information

Trees for Survival Charitable Trust 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.

Custom built shade house with irrigation


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

  • ACG Strathallan

  • Ahuroa School

  • Aka Aka School

  • Albany Primary School

  • Alfriston Primary

  • Aorere College

  • Ararimu School

  • Ardmore School

  • Auckland Girls' Grammar School

  • Avondale College

  • Avondale Intermediate

  • Awhitu District School

  • Bairds Mainfreight Primary School

  • Bayfield School

  • Beachlands School

  • Botany Downs Secondary College

  • Bucklands Beach Intermediate

  • Bucklands Beach Primary School

  • Christ the King Catholic School

  • Churchill Park School

  • Clevedon School

  • Dairy Flat School

  • Dilworth Junior School

  • Ellerslie School

  • Freemans Bay School

  • Glenbrook School

  • Hobsonville School

  • Horizon School

  • Howick College

  • Howick Primary School

  • Huapai District School

  • Hunua School

  • James Cook High School

  • Kaipara College

  • Kaukapakapa School

  • Kelston Girls' College

  • Kings School

  • Kristin School

  • Macleans College

  • Mahurangi College

  • Maraetai Beach School

  • Marina View School

  • Mauku School

  • Meadowbank Primary

  • Mellons Bay School

  • Michael Park School

  • Milford School

  • Mission Heights Junior College

  • Mount Eden Normal Primary School

  • Mt Richmond School

  • Murrays Bay School

  • Northcote College

  • One Tree Hill College

  • Orewa College

  • Otahuhu Intermediate

  • Owairoa School

  • Pakiri School

  • Pakuranga College

  • Pakuranga Intermediate

  • Panama Road School

  • Papakura Normal School

  • Paparimu School

  • Papatoetoe High School

  • Papatoetoe Intermediate School

  • Parakai School

  • Pasadena Intermediate school

  • Patumahoe Primary School

  • Pinehill School

  • Pinehurst School

  • Point Chevalier Air Scout Group

  • Point View School

  • Ponsonby Primary

  • Pt Chevalier School

  • Pukekohe North School

  • Puni School

  • Ramarama School

  • Remuera Intermediate School

  • Rosehill Intermediate

  • Royal Oak Primary School

  • Sancta Maria College

  • Sandspit Road School

  • Silverdale School

  • Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate

  • Snells Beach School

  • St Cuthbert's College (Epsom)

  • St Kentigern Boys School

  • St Kentigern College

  • St Mark's Catholic School (Pakuranga)

  • St Mary's Catholic School Ellerslie

  • St Peter's College

  • Stanhope Road School

  • Stonefields School

  • Sunny Hills School

  • Takanini School

  • Takapuna Normal Intermediate School

  • Tamaki Primary School

  • Tapora School

  • Tauhoa School

  • Taupaki School

  • Te Atatu Intermediate

  • The Gardens School

  • Tomarata School

  • Verran Primary School

  • View Road School

  • Waiau Pa School

  • Waikowhai Intermediate

  • Waiuku College

  • Waiuku Primary School

  • Wellsford School

  • Wentworth College

  • Whenuapai School

Waikato

  • Cambridge East School

  • Cambridge High School

  • Coroglen School

  • Coromandel Area School

  • Fairfield College

  • Goldfields School

  • Hauraki Plains College

  • Hikuai School

  • Horahora School, Cambridge

  • Horotiu School

  • Kaihere School

  • Kaitao Intermediate School, Rotorua

  • Karangahake School

  • Kerepehi School

  • Kopuarahi School

  • Manawaru School

  • Mangatangi School

  • Maramarua School

  • Melville Primary School

  • Mercury Bay Area School

  • Moanataiari School

  • Motumaoho School

  • Netherton School

  • Ngaruawahia High School

  • Ngutunui School

  • Leamington School

  • Ohinewai School

  • Opoutere School

  • Otaua School

  • Otewa School

  • Parawai School

  • Paterangi School

  • Pirongia Primary School

  • Pokuru School

  • Pukeatua School

  • Pukekawa School

  • Pukeoware School

  • Pukete School

  • Puriri School

  • Rototuna Junior High School

  • St Francis School Thames

  • St Josephs Hamilton

  • St Patrick's Catholic School Te Awamutu

  • St Patrick's School Taupo

  • St Peter's School Cambridge

  • Tatuanui School

  • Te Awamutu Primary School

  • Te Kohanga

  • Te Paina School

  • Te Rerenga School

  • Te Wharekura o Maniapoto

  • Thames South School

  • Tuakau College

  • Vardon Primary School

  • Waikato Montessori School

  • Wharepapa South School

  • Whenuakite School

Te Moana-a-Toi - Bay of Plenty

  • Awakeri School

  • Bethlehem College

  • James Street School

  • Kaitao Intermediate

  • Katikati College

  • Lynmore Primary School

  • Maungatapu School

  • Mt Maunganui College

  • Omanu School

  • Otamarakau School

  • Otonga School

  • Otumoetai College

  • Papamoa College

  • Papamoa Primary School

  • Rangiuru School

  • Rotokawa School

  • Rotorua Primary School

  • St Joseph’s Catholic School Opotiki

  • St Mary's Catholic School Tauranga

  • Tauranga Girls' College

  • Tauranga Intermediate

  • Tauranga Waldorf School

  • Te Pou Oranga O Whakatohea

  • Te Puna School

  • Te Rangihakahaka Centre for Science and Technology

  • Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o te Orini ki Ngāti Awa

  • Trident High School

  • Waihi Beach School

  • Waiotahe

  • Westbrook School

  • Whakatāne High School

  • Whakatane Intermediate

Te Tairāwhiti - Gisborne

  • Awapuni School

  • Makauri 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

  • Green School

  • Hawera Christian School

  • Huirangi School

  • Kaimata School

  • Kaponga School

  • Manukorihi Intermediate School

  • Matapu School

  • Moturoa School

  • Oakura School

  • Opunake High School

  • Spotswood College

  • St Joseph’s New Plymouth

  • St Joseph’s Opunake

  • 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.

 

This product has been added to your cart

CHECKOUT