At the start of the driveway to Ernslaw's Tapanui office, there is a area with of unique mix of tree stands including some 118-year-old Radiata,75-year-old Douglas Fir, 43-year-old Eucalyptus Regnans and other species. This area is regularly visited by the public including mountain bikers, people out walking their dogs and a group of kids called “The Ngahere Explorers”. To the Ngahere Explorers this area is known as the Gruffalo Forest.

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The Ngahere Explorers was started by Tapanui’s early childhood centre - KidzWay , 8 years ago. The oldest 10 children,2 teachers and a parent helper or two, visited the Gruffalo Forest once a week. There, they play, explore, and have their smoko in the bush.

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The Ngahere Explorers programme aims to build and improve; confidence, social skills, language and communication, motivation, concentration, curiosity, creativity, physical skills, problem solving, and knowledge or understanding of the outdoors.

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"Their time in the Gruffalo Forest was great for their imagination and encouraged them to come out of their shell," said Head Teacher Denise. “The kids are encouraged to come up with ideas for what to do, building huts is one of their favorites! “

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However, with the harvest of the Eucalyptus trees and Ernslaw's health and safety rules, the Ngahere Explorers have chosen a new location for their weekly walks.

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They recently invited staff from the Ernslaw team, responsible for managing the Gruffalo Forest, to join them for a "smoko" (a morning tea break with scones and tea) at their new location. They thanked Ernslaw the company's involvement over the years. "We told them that the area would be replanted, and a new and improved bike track would be developed." said Phil de la Mare, Ernslaw's General Manager for the South Island.

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Denise believes this open communication is crucial for the children's understanding. "This was a good step for helping them understand what was happening and why," she said.

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The Ngahere Explorers programme looks forward to returning to the Gruffalo Forest once the operations are complete and it's safe to do so.

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