Restoring Native Forest Near Auckland 

Located north of Auckland on New Zealand’s North Island, Te Muri is a regional park that overlooks Mahurangi Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf. Since 2016, Greenfleet has partnered with Auckland Council to revegetate this park and help to conserve and enhance its unique biodiversity. 

 

Location & Overview  

Map of New Zealand with the Te Muri planting site

Between 2016 and 2022, Greenfleet revegetated around 96 hectares of the park at Te Muri with indigenous seedlings. This is equivalent to the size of 48 Melbourne Cricket Grounds, the largest sporting field in Australia.  

 

Restoring Native Species 

The pōhutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa) and pūriri (Vitex lucens)-broadleaved forest ecosystem forms part of the remnant vegetation on the site and the protection and extension of this ecological community is vital. While originally impacted by land clearing, other threats to this ecosystem include sea-level rise as a result of climate change. 

Now, more than 100,000 trees have been planted with species that include pōhutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa), pūriri, tōtara (Podocarpus totara) and kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides). Ongoing assessments have found that all previously planted areas are growing well, and Auckland Council is happy with the progression of the project.  

Greenfleet supporters, Cardlink, plant trees at Te Muri in August 2022
Greenfleet supporters, Cardlink, plant trees at Te Muri in August 2022.

 

Environmental Benefits 

There are many environmental benefits to the revegetation work happening at Te Muri. Restoration of the coastal broadleaved forest will help with the connectivity of wildlife habitat in the region and as we continue to extend the vegetation on the site it will provide steppingstones for many indigenous bird species to move throughout the area.  

With the steep rolling hills of Te Muri, this project assists in the protection of the creeks and gullies of the park. Located within the Hungry Creek and Puhoi River catchments, the revegetation with indigenous species is helping to mitigate erosion and improve water quality as it flows into both of these important waterways.  

 

Project Partners 

The project allows us to collaborate with conservation organisations, local landholders, and businesses in New Zealand to enrich biodiversity, take climate action and restore ecosystems.  

In 2021, Greenfleet also formed a partnership with Wildland Consultants to help deliver the project. We have now worked with them to continue this reforestation project and the operations associated with it.  

 

Climate Action 

Greenfleet’s ecosystem restoration work delivers climate action by building biodiverse forests that remove carbon from the atmosphere as they grow. The forest at Te Muri at is legally protected and over its lifetime will capture nearly 30,400 tonnes of CO2-e from the atmosphere. This is the equivalent of what over 7,000 average vehicles emit in one year. 

 

About Greenfleet 

Greenfleet is a 25-year-old Australian not-for-profit environmental organisation protecting our climate by restoring our forests.   

We plant native biodiverse forests to capture carbon emissions and help fight the impacts of climate change. Greenfleet is Australia’s first carbon offset provider and since 1997 has planted over 10.3 million trees creating more than 550 forests in Australia and New Zealand.  

Our forests are legally protected, conserving biodiversity, improving the health of our soils and waterways, and restoring habitat for wildlife, including many endangered species. 

Greenfleet grows forests and climate hope by empowering people to take tangible and long-lasting environmental action.    

Find out more about Greenfleet and how to get involved here.  

Location Size

96 hectares north of Auckland, New Zealand.

Planting Dates

2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

Species

  1. Alectryon excelsa
  2. Beilschmiedia tarairi
  3. Carex geminata
  4. Carex lessoniana
  5. Carex virgata
  6. Carpodetus serratus
  7. Coprosma robusta
  8. Cordyline australis
  9. Corynocarpus laevigatus
  10. Cyperus ustulatus
  11. Dacrycarpus dacrydioides
  12. Sophora microphyla
  13. Cordyline australis
  14. Dacrycarpus dacrydioides
  15. Dysoxylum spectabile
  16. Knightia excelsa
  17. Kunzea robusta
  18. Leptospermum scoparium
  19. Melicytus ramiflorus
  20. Metrosideros excelsa
  21. Myrsine australis
  22. Phormium tenax
  23. Phyllocladus trichomanoides
  24. Podocarpus totara
  25. Pseudopanax lessonii
  26. Sophora chathamica
  27. Sophora microphylla
  28. Vitex lucens

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