Colliers team rolls up sleeves for Katikati community orchard

A seven-strong leadership team from Tauranga construction firm Colliers Project Leader swapped their office desks for spades and wheelbarrows on 20 May, pitching in at the Beach Rd/Park Rd corner reserve orchard managed by Grow On Katikati. The volunteers weeded, edged and spread a large load of tree mulch that had been generously donated by local business All Terrain Chipping.

Grow On Katikati coordinator Jizzy Green explained that the orchard is part of a broader Town Food Resilience plan the non-profit group is working towards. Seven fruit trees were planted there in November 2023 in partnership with GOK, Katikati College's Grow Hub and Mana Kai Mana Ora. A further 48 fruit trees form part of the KatiKai Way initiative, which began as a Katikati Kindergarten project some years ago.

Green described the patch as far more than a corner reserve, calling it a living community space where people and connections are nurtured alongside the kai. She said the long-term vision is for tamariki walking to and from school to be able to pick seasonal fruit as the trees mature — though that will also require future pruning and pest management, and volunteers are welcome to get involved.

The connection between Colliers and GOK came through SociaLink, which put the two groups in touch after the construction team expressed a desire to give back to the community in a meaningful way. After the mahi was done, the group shared morning tea together in the sunshine. More information about Grow On Katikati's food resilience work is available at growonkatikati.com.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).