During the July school holidays, my friends and I worked with the Kaipatiki Project planting trees in the Jessie Tonar Scott Reserve. Using the provided spades we planted some native species that they had grown themselves as well as digging up some invasive ‘ginger’ root. It was a wonderful experience and we all realised that even in those few hours we had learnt a lot more than how to successfully plant trees. We learnt about the importance of these seemingly small acts and the abundance of world-class nature that was right in our backyard. However, what I personally found most interesting was the people. From toddlers to grandmas so many people had all taken time out of their Saturday to help plant some trees. They didn’t need service hours, they just wanted to better this world. That’s when I realised that service isn’t always about helping others directly. Service is about building a better world, now and in the future. So, while I may never enjoy the shade of my trees, I have no doubt someone else will.

Emma Spence, Year 12

We’d love to know what you are doing to serve the community, submit a short article about what you did and what it meant for you serving others with a picture or video. Here is the link to the form: Service Story Submission