Community planting efforts across New Zealand are set to increase in 2018, with Trees That Count receiving an injection of support from Department of Conservation’s Community Fund.
DOC’s Community Fund is directed at practical, on-the-ground projects which maintain and restore the diversity of our natural heritage and enable more people to participate in recreation, enjoy and learn from our historic places, and engage with and value the benefits of conservation.
Trees That Count has received $300,000 from this fund, which will be used to establish 12 further community planting partnerships and see a total of 60,000 more native trees planted over the next three years.
Trees That Count Project Director, Tanya Hart, said the funds would enable the organisation to extend its conservation work and rounds off a successful first year for the project. “Sir Stephen Tindall had an ambitious plan to create a movement where Kiwis unite to help restore and enhance the environment and make a difference to climate change in New Zealand by planting millions more native trees. His dream became a reality in 2016 with the launch of Trees That Count and, one year on, we’re convinced this movement really does have the potential to be a game changer for climate change reduction in New Zealand.
“This year we have seen more than 8 million trees added to our live national tree count; 270 planting projects register their work; 2,700 native trees gifted or donated and we’ve funded the planting of more than 100,000 native trees to 37 groups across New Zealand.
“To make a meaningful contribution to the New Zealand environment and climate change, we need to plant hundreds of millions of trees over the coming years. The Government’s Billion Trees Programme will support this lofty goal. But government alone can’t achieve this – we need to make New Zealanders understand that protecting our environment is a job for us all. 2018 is set to be an even more exciting year, we hope to see many more Kiwis join us on our mission to see millions more native trees planted throughout New Zealand.” Tanya said.