On Friday, March 9th, a determined group of twelve students from Hornby High School, taking part in the Foundation for Youth Development’s ‘Project K ’ programme, joined forces with  Conservation Volunteers New Zealand and the Silverstream Reserve Advisory Group to help establish native plantings in the Reserve. The initiative is part of the Catchment Care programme, a partnership between Fonterra and Conservation Volunteers New Zealand. The programme carries out conservation projects throughout New Zealand helping to enhance and protect waterways and wetlands through activities like riparian planting, plant maintenance,fencing, removal of invasive species, weeding and rubbish clean-ups, to ensure new and existing plantings flourish for the future. Silverstream is one of the purest waterways in Canterbury, harbouring a healthy stock of trout, eels and aquatic bird-life. The work of the Advisory Group is aimed at restoring the native vegetation within the Reserve, by removing the weed species, protecting regenerating bush, and the planting of more natives. This is the fourth visit to the site by the Catchment Care team, with the students from Hornby spending a strenuous day’ tree-releasing’, removing weeds from around previously planted trees.