Students across the Eastern Bay have once again stepped up for nature, and the results speak for themselves.

Over two months, eight teams from five schools took on one of the region’s most invasive pest plants – the moth plant.

Now in its third year, DOMP Comp (Destruction of Moth Plant Competition), run by conservation group Halo Whakatāne, encourages rangatahi to hunt down and remove the vine’s seed pods before they spread into our native ecosystems.

This year’s teams collected 31,689 moth plant pods.

Halo Whakatāne’s Meyer Cook said this was fewer than last year’s 36,439, but a bigger win in context with less than half the number of teams involved – eight compared to 18 last year.

With many previous hotspots now clear of moth plants, the mahi seemed to be working, she said.

“That's measurable impact and proof that community action creates real change.

“Each pod can hold up to 1000 wind-dispersed seeds. Thanks to these students, the spread of up to 31 million seeds has been stopped, allowing native species a better chance to thrive.”

This year Halo introduced new ways to get involved.

The whānau category welcomed tamariki and their families, while the new “Give a Pod” initiative invited the public to donate pods to their chosen team, opening the door for further community participation.

The primary winner was Team Pīwakawaka from Apanui School who amassed an epic 8001 pods.

The JR Eliminators, returning winners, smashed the intermediate category with 21,108 pods. There were 11,521 pods collected and donated by Akuiira, Jarred and Travis to help out.

The Tigers from Trident High School Te Marama won the high school category again this year with 1163 pods.

In the whānau category, The Green Dinosaurs, two young brothers, took first place with 336 pods. “Parents have shared that some of their children are still eager to remove pods, even after the competition has ended,” said Ms Cook.

“These kaitiaki prove real change starts with kotahitanga - working in unity for a shared vision. And when tamariki lead the way, a better future for our native species isn’t just possible - it’s already happening.”

Halo Whakatāne plans to run the competition again in 2026, with fresh ideas already on the horizon.