Date: 18th March 2025
2024 was a year of significant milestones for our humble Trust!
We planted our 100,000th tree, celebrated our 10th anniversary, and planted a whopping 22,000 trees at Slopehill as part of our vision for a thriving future forest.
We’ve also continued to lead our bread and butter reforestation projects: nurturing the growing ecosystems at our keystone sites, educating and inspiring students through our Educate for Nature Programme, and keeping our heart – the Jean Malpas Nursery – beating strongly.
We are a Trust built on volunteers, without whom we simply could not operate. From weeding at the nursery to showing up in force at our planting days with gumboots and wide smiles, our volunteers’ commitment is vital to achieving the Trust’s vision of restoring native biodiversity to the Whakatipu Basin (and bringing lots fun to the task!).
We’re also deeply grateful to our funders, whose generosity allows us to continue this important work. Our partners and contractors work tirelessly in the background to ensure our planning comes to life. Mana Tāhuna in particular have enabled us to scale up and deliver the Slopehill project. Huge thanks also to the wonderful people at QLDC and DOC, who not only collaborate with us to plant for perpetuity on land they manage, but go out of their way to ensure success.
This year’s achievements simply would not have been possible without Operations Manager Karen O’Donahoo, Education and Outreach Officer Jo Smith and Nursery Manager Catherine Robb. Jo and Karen are moving on to exciting new adventures and we wish them the best of luck.
They have been fierce driving forces in the Trust’s growth, have poured heart and soul into their work, and above all are both epic humans. Thank you.
In March, Neill Simpson stepped from the Chairperson role to a Trustee role after ten years of incredible leadership. Towards the end of the year we were excited to welcome long-time volunteer and friend of the Trust Sararose Brown as our new Operations Manager. We brought on Lucy Boniface as our Youth Trustee and Guy Saxton as our Treasurer Trustee, both of whom brought fresh perspectives and bags of energy. I’d like to thank Ben Teele, Christina Shaw and Jono Browne, outgoing Trustees who have made significant contributions over the years.
I’d like to recognise the passing of Hans Arnestedt, who as a founding trustee has been instrumental in reforestation efforts in the Whakatipu Basin and on Wāwāhi Waka Pigeon Island, and until recently was actively maintaining the Lake Hayes South site. His energy and dedication leave a lasting legacy.
It’s been a pleasure to serve as Acting Chair and I’ve been inspired every day by this wonderful ecosystem of amazing people. As I’ve made the move from Aotearoa to Canada, I’m thrilled that Jill Hodgson is stepping into the Chairperson role. Jill has been a dedicated trustee for seven years and I’ve no doubt she will lead the Trust forward with passion and purpose.
Every plant is a step toward reforestation of the basin, and we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved together this year.
Kat Durman, Acting Chair
Posted in: Latest News
