There were more steps to planting this time around. First, we grubbed away the grass from the patch where the plant would soon be planted. Next, we dug a hole and put the plant in. We compacted soil around the plant to make sure that there were not any air pockets. We placed foam mats around the trunks of the plants and put cages around them. These protect the plants from spray and from pests like rabbits. Finally, we surrounded the plant with the torn up grass so the plant won't freeze. (Some of us also named our plants, but that wasn't required).
We worked for two hours and then took a lunch break before working for another two hours. When we were finished, we'd planted about 140 native plants including Totara, Hebe, Flax and Cabbage Tree. It was satisfying to look back at all the work we'd done.
Dr. Hostetler then took us to a pub called Smash Palace. Every Tuesday, people from around Christchurch gather and talk about sustainable development issues related to the rebuild of Christchurch. While we ate burgers and fries, Dr. Hostetler gave a talk about green communities and their politics. After his talk, he took questions from the crowd, mainly relating to implementation of environmental policies in government.
After the presentation, we headed to another pub in Lyttelton called Wunderbar. This pub had unique decorations and a youthful vibe, and was one of the only establishments that survived the earthquakes in Lyttelton after 2011. Dr. Dean Anderson and Dr. Meurk joined us for rousing conversations and lots of laughs. Dr. Hostetler challenged a few of the students to a cut-throat game of foosball. Tired, we returned to Lincoln for the night.
~Emma~
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