22 March 2017 Landscape students muck in at Mahinga Kai reserve

The Mahinga Kai – Anzac Drive Reserve in East Christchurch received some care and attention recently when 120 Lincoln University landscape architecture students and staff members visited the project to carry out maintenance work.

The large group spent a day hand-weeding new areas of planting, loading wheelbarrows with mulch, spreading mulch around plants, and stabilising wind protection around the new season’s plantings.

Lincoln’s School of Landscape Architecture (SOLA) Associate Professor Mike Barthelmeh says the school holds an annual March “Vertical Studio” session for all students and this year they decided they wanted to do something to help a local community to achieve its goals.

“We were lucky enough to have perfect weather for the day,” he says.

“We had such a large group attending, we felt as though we were able to make a real difference. Everyone worked very hard.”

Associate Professor Barthelmeh says the SOLA team places a high value on community engagement.

“Where possible, we like to get involved with community-based projects that use our expertise.”

Recent work includes design proposals for West Melton Primary School, Lincoln High School, the Children’s Sensory Garden for Christchurch Botanic Gardens and a new playground for the Lincoln University Childcare Centre.

For more information about the Mahinga Kai project, see http://avonotakaronetwork.org/mahinga-kai/