Balancing climate action & biodiversity restoration
Our focus is two-fold.
- We recognise the immediate urgency of the climate crisis, which requires rapid removals of carbon from the atmosphere.
- We’re also looking to the future, to restore and develop the project area’s unique biodiversity.
The key to this approach is the actively managed restoration of native forests. This will increase biodiversity, enhance environmental resilience and provide a broad range of community and other environmental benefits.
Biodiversity
Before being extensively cleared for settlement and agriculture, New Zealand was largely covered in native forest. Our aim is to restore that native biodiversity, in areas most suited to permanent forests.
To enhance local biodiversity, and re-establish a healthy and balanced ecosystem, our approach includes:
- Selecting and protecting sites with remnants of native forest, to provide a natural seed source for the process of restoration.
- Targeted native enrichment planting, as required, to reintroduce a range of native species
- Focusing on slower growing canopy species, which will eventually form an important part of the long-term structure of the restored forest.
- Protecting the growing trees from pest weeds and choking grasses, through long-term management and pioneer tree growth
- Protecting native birds, which are a vital engine of forest restoration by dispersing seeds from nearby native forest stands.
This active management approach is designed to mimic and accelerate natural restoration, especially where deforestation or grazing has previously removed native seeds from the site.
Community
As well as contributing to the environment, and New Zealand’s climate targets, our restoration programme also makes a significant contribution to rural communities.
- Working with rural landowners to diversify their income
- Supporting local biodiversity by restoring plantation forests to permanent, actively managed environments
- Providing the opportunity to use least productive land to grow trees to support climate action and improve their local environment.
Employment
Overall, the active management of restoring native forests provides significant rural employment.
- Each restoration programme stage requires constant expert management
- Generating a wide range of local jobs – from pest control operators to ecologists, and planters to planners
Supports a large number of local businesses year-round.