Race to Restore: Conservation Volunteers' Tree Planting Competition Commemorates World Environment Day in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch

The Papakura Stream, a significant freshwater system that flows into the Manukau Harbour, is set to flourish with the planting of thousands of native trees in commemoration of World Environment Day. Conservation Volunteers, in partnership with Auckland's corporate community, will unite to enhance the local environment while engaging in friendly competition. Ten corporate teams will compete against each other to plant as many native trees as possible within a two-hour period. This highly anticipated event, taking place on June 2nd, also takes place in Christchurch and Wellington and celebrates its eighth year in 2023, with 18 teams registered across New Zealand.

Siobhan O'Grady, Strategic Partnership Manager at Conservation Volunteers New Zealand, expressed the significance of this event, stating, "We wanted to provide a unique opportunity for businesses to come together and make a positive impact on the environment and their communities. Volunteers truly enjoy spending the day with their colleagues and meeting people from other organizations and industries. The event continues to gain momentum each year, and the remarkable results achieved serve as a testament to the year-round work we do."

The Auckland leg of this year's event will see ten corporate teams hosted at Donald's Farm in Whitford, a non-profit dairy farm managed by NZ Young Farmers. The farm aims to connect South Auckland children with farming, educating them on the origins of their food and demonstrating exemplary practices in farming and environmental stewardship. In Christchurch, teams will help to turn the Red Zone into a native urban forest while Wellington teams will plant to protect and support biodiversity in the Ōwhiro stream.

In 2022, 14 teams across the country planted an impressive 6,244 native trees, shrubs, and grasses in just two hours, and this year's challenge promises an even greater impact. Proceeds generated from the event will contribute to supporting other critical conservation initiatives.

This years competitors are:

In Auckland: Go Well Consulting, Concentrix, 2 Degrees (2 teams), Accenture, HP, Lane Neave, Mondelez, Lion and Fonterra.

In Wellington: Accenture, 2 Degrees and Z Energy

In Christchurch: Advance Landscape, 2 Degrees, Lane Neave, Switched On and Lion

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