VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH – DECEMBER

KAREN NGATAI

Just over a year ago Karen instigated the planting of Rhododendrons along a 1.3km stretch of State Highway 4 between Taumarunui and Manunui, located between the highway and the railway track, with funding that she sourced from throughout the Taumarunui community.
Karen tirelessly mulches around the new plants each month, and in January watered the Rhododendrons every few days to ensure their survival. Karen also co-ordinated local builders and volunteers to complete the new fence between Taumarunui Main Street gardens and the railway yards to hide the mess on the yards over 2 weekends in June, while doing a lot of grunt work herself and making sure that all were well fed.
She has led other initiatives to tidy up an area behind the train platform at Taumarunui prior to a mural being installed (again all organised by Karen). Karen volunteers her time tirelessly in the pursuit of tidying up Taumarunui, more can be seen on the Facebook page “Taumarunui Revitalisation Taskforce”.

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