Trees for Survival is a Rotary initiated project, originally established by the Rotary Club of Pakuranga in 1991.

The Rotary Club of Auckland has also been a long-standing and proud supporter of this programme.

One of the schools we support is Auckland Girls' Grammar School. Below is an excerpt written by one of the girls about their 2024 planting trip -

'On July 4 2024, our dedicated environmental champions once again embarked on the annual Trees for Survival planting day, proving how passionate our students are about our planet. 46 students and Ms Tudor ventured out to the picturesque Wairoa River, on a sleek, cushioned seated bus - thank you Auckland Rotary for sponsorship!  Thanks to all of you we were not only ensured a comfy and safe ride, but we get to give back to our beautiful environment that deserves just as much care and love.

Suited up with gumboots, gardening gloves, puffer jackets and beanies we threw ourselves into the challenge. With the awesome sound system blasting tunes, we got to jam out to Kiwi classics while digging through dirt and mud. There was plenty of laughter, smiles, and fun as we worked together to plant 837 beautiful native trees. Some of the many trees we planted included mānuka, karamū, and harakeke—definitely worth getting our hands dirty when we look back on it! With sausages sizzling on the grill and the smell making our mouths water, it was the perfect way to celebrate our efforts. We even got to chat and laugh endlessly together while soaking up the sense of accomplishment. It was an epic day of teamwork, tunes, and tree planting, a day that not only brought us closer as a team but also helped us do our part in preserving this beautiful ecosystem for future generations! Special shoutout to you guys for continuing to be the sponsor for the bus so our girls can show the aroha we have for our gorgeous Aotearoa!'

Camryn Hurley