A coastal area in New Zealand that was once bare pasture and windswept grassland has been transformed after 29 years of planting by school students. Since 1997, generations of Buller High School students led by now retired school teacher Janet Pottinger, have helped bring native vegetation back to Tauranga Bay and nearby Cape Foulwind.
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The work was carried out through Buller High School ’s Year 9 environmental programme. According to local Department of Conservation, sudents planted native shrubs and trees along a walkway, seafront and car parks, gradually changing areas that were once mostly windswept paddocks, grassland and pasture.
The final planting took place in November 2025, shortly before Pottinger retired. The Department of Conservation (DOC) staff joined the students and Pottinger for the planting day, marking the end of her 29-year involvement in the project.
The change is now visible across the area. What was once largely open grassland has been replaced by native vegetation, creating shelter and habitat for a range of species. The landscape has also changed significantly for visitors who come to see seals and walk along the Cape Foulwind Walkway.
Photographs taken over the years show how the landscape changed. An area that was still largely covered in grass in 2004 had become filled with flax and other vegetation by 2015. Another roadside area, photographed before planting in 2010, had also changed significantly by 2016.
The change was also visible along the track. Photographs from 2004 and 2008 show how vegetation quickly began covering areas that had previously been open.
Role of Harakeke
Former DOC ranger John Green, who attended the final planting, recalled what the area was like when it came under DOC management in 1987. At the time, staff were finding dead penguins because of dog attacks. Cattle were also collapsing shearwater burrows. The situation is different today.
Harakeke, also known as New Zealand flax, was the main plant used in the project. It was chosen because it grows quickly, is hardy in coastal conditions and provides habitat and a food source for native birds and other animals.
