The $2million Halo Project began last year with the goal of restoring coastal Otago forest, riparian and wetland habitats to increase biodiversity, and has since grown to take on nine full-time staff, and harness the efforts of countless volunteers.
Joining a diverse group of community volunteers from schoolchildren to retirees are prisoners from the Otago Corrections Facility (OCF) outside Milton, who have been helping grow native seedlings for the project.
Workers from the facility’s horticultural education programme recently provided 900 plants for the project, and are now propagating a further 4000 cabbage trees and flax.
Halo Project manager Jennifer Lawn said the contributions of volunteers such as those from the OCF were invaluable.
"There’s truth in the old adage that many hands make light work.
"For the Halo Project, not only does this equate to great outcomes for the environment and biodiversity, but a strong sense of community pride too.
"This project has created a real sense of manaakitanga for the inmates, and for us I think it speaks to the range of community that we are working with."
The project received nearly $2million in funding from Te Uru Rakau — New Zealand Forest Service.
The One Billion Trees partnership project is working closely with landowners to fence and restore more than 270ha of waterways and wetlands habitat, while planting 270,000 natives and boosting water quality in coastal Otago catchments.
Prison director Dave Miller said Halo was just one of several projects the OCF’s nursery workers contributed to.
"All of the plants grown in the nursery are donated to non-profit organisations or other government agencies to help with native regeneration work. We have donated 35,000 plants in the past 18 months, and currently have 60,000 growing, with one tunnel house full of seedlings to add to that number," he said.
Horticulture training was one of a range of opportunities for prisoners to acquire life and employment skills, and "turn their lives around".
Seven participants had achieved NZQA level 2 horticulture qualifications in the past year, and two were now enrolled for Level 3.
"There are over 140 business-like industries operating in prisons across the country, which aim to provide work environments that match, as closely as possible, industry environments.
"We know that when we give people support and assistance with education, employment, accommodation and life skills, they leave our management with a strong foundation from which they can establish a life free from crime. This reduces reoffending and keeps our communities safe."
