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Motutapu back on track

Motutapu Island suffered significant damage to its conservation projects following recent storm damage, particularly Cyclone Debbie, which blocked roads and bridges preventing volunteers from visiting the island to do their good work, as well as the public. The 1509 hectare island is home to one of New Zealand’s largest ecological restoration projects. To date 100 hectares of native forest have been planted by Motutapu Restoration Trust volunteers. It’s also home to some of the country’s rarest native species including the Coromandel brown kiwi and saddlebacks.

The good news is that financial investment from Dole New Zealand has helped to make the necessary repairs and the planting programme is back on track. In addition to making a financial contribution to the island, Dole New Zealand has committed to making annual contributions of “untagged funding”, which gives the Trust and Department of Conservation the flexibility to respond immediately when responding to unpredictable events such as storm damage or when the plant nursery irrigation system breaks down. Dole New Zealand is a member of the Sustainable Business Network and is also Rainforest Alliance certified.