Safeguarded from further depletion, a Southland native forest remnant has been opened to the public. About 40 people braved the elements on Saturday for the official opening of the Oreti Totara Dune Forest near Invercargill. The 81ha property was bought by the Native Forest Restoration Trust in May, with the intention of returning the farmed…

  The country’s increasingly rare protected coastal wetlands have been boosted after a group of Golden Bay residents purchased a block for restoration. Heather Wallace, Rick Cosslett, and Victoria Davis, with support from Bill Adams and two private donors, recently purchased 7ha on the eastern side of the inner reaches of Parapara Inlet, near Collingwood.…

  The Native Forest Restoration Trust officially came into being with the signing of its Deed of Trust on 17 July 1980, forty years ago. The first event to celebrate this important and exciting milestone was the planting of 1200 trees and shrubs at Ed Hillary Hope Reserve on Saturday 18 July 2020. This 467ha…

  The 20th May was the deadline for this purchase and we are absolutely delighted to confirm that this has now gone through and we will have a new reserve near Otatara which will be protected for all New Zealanders forever. This appeal has been a real challenge for NFRT. We were first notified about…

  We’ve so far raised about $775,000, an amazing achievement under the circumstances, but not enough to save all of this amazing property near Invercargill containing nationally endangered dune totara forest. Understandably, this has been a tough campaign. We started fundraising in late February, about the same time as New Zealand announced its first case…

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to our appeal to buy and restore 80 hectares of rare coastal Totara forest near Invercargill in Southland. We’re thrilled to share the news that we’ve reached the halfway mark, having now raised $750,000 of the $1.5 million targets. We have just three weeks left to…

  Kia ora to all of our wonderful supporters. We hope you are safe and well and have the support you need in these difficult times. As with most charities and small businesses, we are navigating unchartered waters in trying to ensure that the Trust is secure for the future. This includes the purchase agreement…

  We were recently contacted by members of Otatara Landcare Group about an 80-hectare property in Otatara, just west of Invercargill. It borders the Oreti river and has been identified as one of the most important natural areas in Southland that is not already protected. The area has largely been cleared of native forest, and…

Trust members and supporters were deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of Jeanette Fitzsimons. Jeanette has been an inspiration to many thousands of New Zealanders over several decades. Not least with anti-GE campaigns, her support for organic farmers and in the conservation and enhancement of our natural ecosystems. A quietly effective and humble…

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