North Canterbury News: February 26, 2021

How to ‘have avoice’
By DAVID HILL
NorthCanterbury’s youth are
set to converge on Kaiapoi for a
weekend of learning howto
make an impact.
The Hurunui Youth Council
is hosting an initiative called
The Social Experiment,a
programme whichencourages
youngpeople to ‘‘have avoice’’,
Hurunui District Council youth
development officer Ward
Sherman says.
‘‘This is agreat opportunity
for local youth to gainnew
skills and make new friends,
and it’s open to Waimakariri
and Kaikoura youth as well,
whichisagoodexample of
differentNorth Canterbury
areas working together,’’ Ward
says.
‘‘The programme teaches
youth thatthey have avoice
withintheir communityand
helps them developthe tools
they needtobeheard.’’
The Social Experiment was
developed in New Zealand to
offer trainingtopeopleofall
ages to empower them to make
adifference.
‘‘The teamare very
passionate, knowledgeable and
skilled —afact that’s apparent
from the results they have
achieved in the past,’’ Ward
says.
The event is being held at
Blue Skies in Kaiapoi this
Saturday and Sunday.
Adventure course on offer
The Rangiora Lions Club is
offering aNorth Canterbury
person the chance to take
part in alife­changing
outdoor adventure course.
Berwick Outdoor
Adventure courses are held at
Berwick Lodge, 45km south of
Dunedin, and have been run
for 28 years.
They offer confidencebuilding
team activities to
help people push their limits,
and expand their personal
and professional goals.
Activities include abseiling,
kayaking, first aid, mountain
biking and group challenges.
Participants need to be
reasonably fit, aged over 18
and be able to travel to
Dunedin to attend on May 7to
May 15.
Club president Tini Lawry
says the course can be lifechanging.
‘‘We want to
encourage alocal person who
may have faced afew challenges
in 2020 to step out of
their comfort zone,” she says.
Applicants must live in
North Canterbury and can
apply by writing abiography
(maximum 500 words) about
themselves, detailing how the
experience would benefit
them, and send it to
lions.secretary.RNG@
gmail.com or mail it to
Rangiora Lions Club, PO Box
119, Rangiora 7440. Applications
close on March 10.
Befriend a
tree,give
it adrink
By SHELLEY TOPP
Waimakariri residents are being
encouraged to water trees on the
berms outside their properties
during hot, dry weather.
Although the Waimakariri District
Council does watering rounds
during the summer, it is asking
residents to help by also watering
the trees.
‘‘If you have astreet tree outside
your house we would love it if you
could give it adrink,’’ council parks
community assets officer Greg
Barnard says.
‘‘Any water you can give the trees
will help them get through the hot,
dry summer.
‘‘A bucket of water every three or
four days will make all the
difference,’’ he says.
It is particularly important to keep
young trees well irrigated while they
are still getting established.
‘‘Once established, trees provide
added value to nearby properties
and are an important part of urban
life,’’ he says.
This is because they are
aesthetically pleasing, purify the air
by absorbing carbon dioxide and
releasing oxygen back into the
environment, provide shade and
sound barriers, help create
ecosystems to provide habitat for
birds and insects, reduce runoff, and
absorb pollutants.
NEWS
North Canterbury News, February 25, 2021
5
Tree­friendly... Greg Barnard, the Waimakariri District Council’s parks
community assetsofficer,shows how homeowners can help keep
youngroadside trees irrigated during the dryer months. PHOTO: SHELLEY TOPP