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The unsung natural beauty of this region is a community that cares for place. Our landscapes, wildlife, and ecosystems may feel timeless, but they are vulnerable. Safe guarding them takes a community effort from us all.
Te Wiki o Te Taiao Conservation Week calls us to take action for nature and care for what makes Aotearoa New Zealand special. This April, we want to celebrate the local people who care for Queenstown’s natural treasures. This is a community full of kaitiaki, guardians with a culture of stewardship for the land. At the heart of this effort is Love Queenstown, a community initiative founded to support local projects that protect this treasured place for generations to come.
People across the region are contributing to conservation efforts, as part of a growing community movement to protect the environment that makes Queenstown so special.
The Whakatipu Reforestation Trust’s goal is to establish ecological corridors of native bush and forest stretching from Arrowtown to Lake Whakatipu. They eco-source native seeds, grow seedlings, and run seasonal planting days in spring and autumn. Since 2015, they’ve supported the Queenstown community to plant 1135,000 native trees.
Project Tohu, run by the local Council in partnership with Te Tapu o Tāne, Citycare Property and e3Scientific, is one of the largest revegetation programmes in Aotearoa. They’re transforming an ex-commercial fir plantation back into native forest, planting over 500,000 indigenous species of grasses, bushes, and trees.
Love Queenstown also run planting days. Hundreds of volunteers from the local business community have come together in partnership with WRT, QLDC and Skyline Queenstown to plant over 8,500+ native trees across the region since 2023.
As we regenerate natural habitat, trapping protects local wildlife from introduced predators. Reducing the predator population is essential to enrich biodiversity.
Southern Lakes Sanctuary wants locals and visitors to wake to a dawn chorus of native birds; to see kea and rock wren in the mountains and kaka in the forests. To do that, they work with over 80 community trapping groups to remove predators over 660,000ha.
The Whakatipu Wildlife Trust are working to create a predator-free environment in the Whakatipu Basin where native birds and wildlife can thrive. They coordinate a network of 3,500 traps in the region and have hundreds of local volunteers.
Other trapping groups operating in the region include the Routeburn-Dart Wildlife Trust. They manage 50kms of trap-lines in the Routeburn valley forests protecting native birds like kaka, mohua and kakariki from rats and stoats. The Tucker Beach Wildlife Trust manage the Tucker Beach Wildlife Management Reserve, home to rare dotterels and black fronted tern.
Ecological menaces aren’t all furry and four legged. Wilding pines are a major threat to the local ecosystem. The Whakatipu Wilding Control Group fight the spread of invasive non-native trees and remove around 16,000 trees a year from the mountains in the Whakatipu Basin.
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So many local Queenstown businesses support environmental initiatives. There’s a new wave of adventures on a journey to being more sustainable. A few highlights include Ziptrek Ecotours, who combine ziplining with stories about the local environment. Skyline Queenstown is tackling wilding pines and predators on Bob’s Peak. Nomad Safaris established the Routeburn Dart Environmental Trust. RealNZ supports large-scale habitat restoration and predator control.
Then there are the hotels and lodges making care for the environment part of the Queenstown visitor experience. Think Sherwood, one of the world’s top ten most sustainable hotels. The Headwaters Ecolodge pushes boundaries with its sustainable construction and energy efficiency. Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa is committed to a wide range of sustainability initiatives and community support.
From kitchen gardens, to reducing waste, to working with local artists, these businesses are making it easier for visitors to give back during their stay. Visitors are choosing low-impact activities and accommodation and supporting local conservation initiatives. They’re staying longer, traveling slower, and getting to know the people and culture of this place.
Love Queenstown plays a vital role in connecting local people, businesses, and visitors to take collaborative environmental action. The Love Queenstown Community Fund was set up in early 2023 to support grassroots climate, conservation, and biodiversity initiatives. Its sister fund, Love Wānaka, fulfils the same kaupapa on the other side of the Crown Range.
Love Queenstown exists to ensure collective contributions lead to real, tangible outcomes. Since launching, the fund has raised over $100,000. $75,000 has been distributed in community impact grants, while the rest has been invested to seed future funding rounds.
100% of Love Queenstown funding is allocated locally. Impact grants support local conservation organisations to carry out projects across the region. Recipients include habitat restoration heroes like the Whakatipu Wildlife Trust, the Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust, and the Whakatipu Reforestation Trust. Grants have also gone to the Tāhuna Glenorchy Dark Skies Sanctuary to protect our night skies while conserving pekapeka – the tiny bats that are New Zealand’s only native land mammal. The Mana Tāhuna Charitable Trust is dedicated to restoring Waiwhakaata – Lake Hayes – with a te ao Māori lens. They’ve planted 165,000 plants, installed sediment traps to improve water quality, and carry out predator control.
A group of local businesses contribute to the Love Queenstown fund. Eight Impact Partners, Skyline Queenstown, Tourism Innovation Group, Queenstown Airport, Alpine Luxury Tours, Trails of Middle Earth, Queenstown isite, Catch a Fish, and Relax it’s Done, give 1% of their net proceeds, or a total of $10,000 each year, while 28 other businesses also support the cause. Queenstown visitors also contribute, with hundreds of businesses and visitors supporting the fund since its launch.
This Conservation Week, we’re inviting Queenstown locals and visitors to keep this momentum going and give to Love Queenstown.
If you run a local business, there are a few easy ways to get involved. You can become a regular supporter, give a one-off donation, or help to spread the word.
As an individual, the easiest way to give is a recurring monthly donation. You can set up a donation in a few seconds using your credit or debit card. Donations are tax deductible, you can give as little as $10 a month, and if you need to stop for any reason, it’s easy and quick.
Love Queenstown exists to help care for the place we all love. So, join the community supporting Queenstown’s environment, with a simple monthly donation. Every dollar you give goes to helping local nature thrive. Together, we can protect this precious place.
