An update on Ross’ river planting

Ross Hawthorne, Lamb Slaughter Board Butcher at ANZCO Foods Canterbury, has secured a grant of $5,000 to continue planting native trees along the Ashburton River/Hakatere.

The grant means Ross and his team of 12 volunteers can purchase plants and supplies, and they can now plan to plant out the area faster than they expected.

Ross and his team have planted more than 2,300 plants since he began the project in 2022 and they’ve also helped pass on the skills they’ve learned to others with a section near Melrose Road now being planted.