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With the backing of our passionate business community, industry partners, and conscious visitors, we’re continuing to grow the impact we can make – supporting those leading the way in protecting and regenerating our environment.
This year, funding will support a diverse range of complementary initiatives, from native revegetation and biodiversity efforts to wetland restoration and visitor engagement projects. Each initiative is designed not just for immediate impact, but to inspire lasting change and long-term systems shift across our community.
Let’s meet this year’s impact initiatives!
The Tāhuna Glenorchy Dark Skies Sanctuary works to protect the night skies at the Head of Lake Whakatipu while conserving pekapeka (our only native land mammal) and other nocturnal species.
With the support of a $10,000 Impact Grant, the programme is building on last year’s successful pilot with 10 monitors, expanding to 25 devices to enable robust population studies across wetlands, valleys, and village areas. In partnership with Southern Lakes Sanctuary, this monitoring is complemented by light-reduction initiatives, habitat restoration, and predator control, creating a holistic approach to nocturnal conservation.
With future plans to engage local neighbourhoods in planting days, trapping programmes, and fun community events, the project not only safeguards biodiversity but also nurtures long-term kaitiakitanga, ensuring Glenorchy’s unique nocturnal environment thrives for generations to come.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to have Love QT’s continued support as we take our bat conservation programme to the next level. Last year’s pilot gave us the confidence that this work can make a real difference, and now we’re ready to scale up and deliver even greater outcomes for our nocturnal wildlife” – Leslie Van Gelder, Chair.
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The Whakatipu Wildlife Trust is dedicated to creating a predator-free environment around Lake Whakatipu, with its passionate volunteer network removing around 13,000 predators each year.
Backed by a $9,800 Love Queenstown Impact Grant, the Trust is launching a comprehensive citizen science biodiversity monitoring programme to better understand the impact of this mahi.
The initiative will train volunteers to systematically track outcomes, combining traditional bird counts with cutting-edge AR5 bioacoustic recorders capable of detecting even the most elusive species. With future integration of AI-driven analysis tools, the project will deliver robust, science-backed data that verifies results and informs future strategies.
Beyond the science, the programme aims to boost volunteer engagement and motivation by showing the tangible difference their efforts make, ensuring conservation gains are both measurable and meaningful.
Mana Tāhunais a kaupapa Māori trust dedicated to restoring the health and mauri of Waiwhakaata – Lake Hayes, while fostering a deep sense of connection to place through a te ao Māori lens.
Their mahi to date is significant, with 165,000 riparian and native plants already established, alongside predator control and the installation of sediment traps to protect water quality.
This year, an $8,000 Impact Grant will help strengthen these efforts by supporting essential spring maintenance sessions. These sessions involve hands-on work such as hand-weeding, invasive species removal, and re-mulching to safeguard young plantings and maintain wetland health.
By caring for these sites, Mana Tāhuna ensures that previous restoration work continues to thrive, strengthening biodiversity and creating a healthier, more resilient freshwater ecosystem for future generations.
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The Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust, in partnership with Dart River Adventures, is “bringing back the birdsong” through its innovative Operation Birdsong project.
Visitors begin their journey hearing the rich chorus of recorded native birdsong before being confronted with the stark silence of the forest today - creating a powerful emotional shift.
Guides then connect guests to solutions through QR codes, making it easy to donate and contribute to ongoing predator control.
This approach uniquely blends conservation, education, and tourism, using visitor engagement to raise awareness, fund local biodiversity restoration, and foster a culture of giving within the visitor economy.
An $8,000 Impact Grant from Love Queenstown will kickstart the project, funding the development and rollout of the visitor experience and storytelling elements that bring this concept to life.
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The Whakatipu Reforestation Trust’s Powering Up for Plants project will equip the Trust with a reliable, sustainable, and low-impact power supply. Producing over 10,000 native plants annually, the nursery underpins biodiversity restoration and conservation across the Whakatipu. The upgrade ensures energy reliability, strengthening WRT’s ability to host volunteers, schools, and community events while scaling action and inspiring long-term stewardship.
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Love Queenstown has allocated a further $8,542 through key strategic partnerships to support the Trust’s native habitat restoration in the Whakatipu Basin.
This funding will support WRT’s community nursery, grow engagement with schools, businesses, and individuals, and co-fund partnered planting projects – including Love Queenstown’s industry planting days – scaling engagement across the community to create thriving native landscapes.
Our focus from day one has been on the future: how can we be good tupuna / ancestors and lay the foundations for a thriving home long after we are gone. In addition to the grants awarded this year, a further $10,500 has been invested into the Love Queenstown Endowment Fund, with twenty percent of everything we raise enabling long-term, substantial funding opportunities that will benefit this place for generations to come.
Supported by our partners at the 45South Foundation, these efforts are nurturing the seeds of a sustainable future and helping our environment thrive for years to come.
A huge thank you goes to our local business community, visitors, and everyone who supports Love Queenstown’s mission for a thriving, regenerative future. Your generosity and belief in our work make these grants possible and fuel the efforts of the incredible organisations leading environmental restoration, conservation, and behaviour change across our region.
To continue supporting meaningful mahi throughout the Basin, we invite you to join us in protecting and regenerating Queenstown’s precious natural environment.
