Pride OF NZ Award Finalist Avis Leeson

Avis Leeson has for the last six or seven years worked with over 64 primary and intermediate schools in Hamilton, Morrinsville and Matamata to teach students gardening skills. Avis has liaised with garden centres to provide vegetable plants, fruit trees, irrigation tanks and tools for the students who have over the time, valued the experience and used the knowledge to even encourage their parents and families to grow vegetable gardens.

More recently Avis has been working on developing fruit orchards at every school and all this has been through her voluntary time and effort. Her greatest thrill is to see the happy faces as the children go about harvesting their 'crops' or picking fruit to eat that they have grown.

At age 85 Avis has done (and is still doing) so much for the various communities even though she has not been in the best of health for the last year. Avis has also produced a weekly program on Community Radio about gardening with tips and advice which has led to a large following of appreciative people.

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