New Zealanders helping plant 25,000 native trees

New Zealanders have helped fund an impressive 25,000 native trees by filling up at Z service stations on one of the wildest, wettest days of the year last Thursday.
Over 24 hours, Z donated 6 cents from every litre of fuel sold to native tree planting organisation, Trees That Count.

Trees That Count Project Director, Tanya Hart, said the funds would provide thousands of native trees to restoration projects across New Zealand, enabling the organisation to extend its conservation work.

“The projects from Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch and Northland have been selected by Trees that Count based on their urgent need for native plantings, and each group’s proven commitment to plant and maintain the sites.

“We are proud to play a part in supporting the great work that community conservation groups do every year. Planting a native tree is something every Kiwi can do to help mitigate climate change,” Tanya said.

Z Chief Executive, Mike Bennetts, said Z is committed to reducing the carbon impact of its products and planting native trees is a meaningful way to achieve this, because of the direct impact trees have on absorbing carbon dioxide.

“Customers have told us that they love the idea of reforesting parts of New Zealand and that they want us to be involved, as a small step to combating climate change,” Mike said.

Where the trees will be planted

In Wellington, Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park volunteers have converted the gorse covered hills into an award-winning conservation area over the past 20 years by planting more than 35,000 natives. They continue to create tracks, undertake pest control and will receive another 5,000 native trees this year from the Z and Trees That Count partnership.

The Christchurch area will receive a total of 10,000 trees for planting. The Port Hills burn area has an urgent need for community replanting to revegetate the charred bare slopes and highly erosion-prone soils to reduce the threat of sedimentation into the Avon-Heathcote Estuary. 8,200 natives will be planted as part of this restoration project. And 1,800 natives will be planted in a Christchurch City Council reserve in Belfast, beside the Kaputahi Stream, which is a tributary of the Styx River on the northern outskirts of Christchurch city.

Nelson’s Moturoa (or Rabbit) Island aims to replace previously planted pines with a native forest to create a resilient coastal buffer to protect and enhance the island for public recreation and enjoyment. A total of at least 5,000 natives will be planted.

In Northland, 5,000 extra native trees will be planted across two sites, the Edmonds Ruins Historic Reserve in Kerikeri and the Rangikapiti Pa near Coopers Beach. The Edmonds Ruins holds significant historical value and is in need of further ecological restoration, and the coastal fringe around Rangikapiti Pa will be restored to enhance and protect the distinctive cultural landscape features of this reserve.

Other tree planting groups can pledge trees at www.treesthatcount.co.nz to become part of a bigger movement and to get access to a soon-to-be launched online fundraising tool, being built in partnership with Z.

ENDS

© Scoop Media