Project
We are restoring the coastal shrublands along the Otago coastline by transforming grazed pasture with native plantings. By enhancing and protecting habitats, we ensure hoiho have safe spaces to rest, breed and raise their young.
At our native plant nursery, we raise thousands of eco-sourced trees appropriate to the climate and coastal conditions such as flax, tōtara, kōwhai, mānuka, ngaio, lemonwood, cabbage tree, black matipo and broadleaf. After three years of raising the seedlings, the plants are ready to reforest coastal wetlands and forests. With the help of community groups and volunteers, we put the plants in the ground at our six reserves from North Otago to the Catlins.
Reforesting with native plants enables the coastal biodiversity to bounce back and be resilient to changing environmental conditions. The native plants provide shelter for hoiho to nest, roost and moult. In our efforts to rejuvenate coastal habitats for hoiho, we also provide safety for other native species to thrive. Reforesting grazed pasture boosts biodiversity, sequesters carbon and buffers the impacts of erosion, flooding and increased temperatures.
We collect seeds from the local sources to ensure the plants are appropriate to the climate and coastal conditions at each reserve.
At our plant nursery, staff and volunteers propagate seedlings and nurture them for three years until maturity.
The planting of native trees provides sheltered breeding sites for hoiho, supports biodiversity, reduces sediment runoff and acts as a buffer for climate change.
At its heart, our nursery is a community venture. Its sustainability depends on the generosity of donations and our dedicated volunteers, who assist our Nursery Supervisor every Wednesday contributing their own garden skills and knowledge of native plants.
Invest in our Seeds to Trees project to increase our impact. All donations towards the nursery feed back into te taiao and support taonga species like the hoiho.
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