Our Philosophy
Tāne’s Tree Trust is a not-for-profit charitable trust that promotes the planting, management and sustainable use of native trees for all the values that these forests provide. We believe that New Zealand needs to better value these forests and be encouraged to plant more and actively manage them.
Indigenous forests of Aotearoa are unique biological and environmental treasures. They are also cultural taonga, part of our cultural heritages, and our identities as New Zealanders. Native forests provide multiple values and have a vital role for our continued existence and well-being.
We believe that kaitiakitanga in relation to native forest, involves an active and meaningful relationship between people and the forest.
Appropriate forest management includes pest and weed control, ecological enhancement, disease management and, in suitable situations, it may also include silvicultural intervention and timber production.
Tāne’s Tree Trust initiates, supports and freely disseminates research into best-practice in all aspects of native tree establishment and native forestry.
We promote native forestry on private land as an appropriate land-use option to achieve many conservation, production and cultural gains.
In particular, we see opportunities for active management in planted native forests and naturally reverted second-growth forests to combine conservation outcomes with timber production and other cultural uses.
We promote the application and continued research into continuous-cover-forestry principles as best-practice sustainable forest management.
Tāne’s Tree Trust recognises that appropriate management of native forest is always dependant on context (i.e. perceived and valued differently by different people in different places at different times) and management objectives will range from maintaining untouched ‘wilderness’ and ecological values through to production orientated goals.
Tāne’s Tree Trust advocates a site-specific management approach with careful consideration in respect to the wider landscape and cultural settings – Native forests for now and for the future.
Whatungarongaro te tangata, toitū te whenua
As people disappear from sight, the land remains
Click here for the downloadable file - TTT Manifesto (PDF, 42.26 kB)
Role & purpose
Tāne’s Tree Trust’s vision is to promote and support the use of indigenous New Zealand tree species, for landscape and biodiversity enhancement, to deliver cultural values, and to create sustainable options for high-quality timber and other resources – especially as part of permanent, resilient native forests.
The objectives of the Trust are:
- Promotion of indigenous forestry as an attractive land use option by consolidating and advancing the state of knowledge of indigenous tree species through research and practical demonstration.
- Maximising economic incentives for establishing indigenous forests including reducing the cost of establishment and early management.
- Resolving any legal or other obstacles to the planting and management of indigenous trees.
- Encouraging and facilitating knowledge-sharing amongst stakeholders and interest groups.
For further information on the structure and objectives of the trust refer to this chapter (PDF, 710.49 kB) in the Tāne’s Tree Trust Technical Handbook.
Collaborators and funding
Tāne’s Tree Trust collaborates with and complements a range of forestry and environmental interest groups including the NZ Forest Owners Association; the Indigenous Forestry Section, NZ Farm Forestry Association; NZ Institute of Forestry; Nga Whenua Rahui; Project Crimson Trust; Kauri 2000 Trust; Trees for Survival Trust; NZ Landcare Trust; Montfort Trimble Foundation; research providers both Crown Research Institutes and the tertiary education sector; and regional and district councils.
Our funding comes from membership, donations (including Give-a-Little) and legacies, and from various sources for specific research projects and technology transfer. Direct and in-kind funding for projects is provided by central Government departments (e.g. the Sustainable Farming Fund of the Ministry for Primary Industries), various environmental trusts (e.g. Foundation North (formerly ASB Community Trust), Reconnecting Northland), and local authorities (e.g. Regional Councils).
Planting and natural regeneration
While a substantial focus is on encouraging successful establishment of indigenous forest by planting, the opportunities to encourage natural regeneration and potential management of indigenous species is also a feature of the work of Tāne’s Tree Trust. One major initiative that the trust has been involved in is the facilitation of the Northland Totara Working Group (NTWG) in collaboration with NZ Landcare Trust and other stakeholders. The aim of the NTWG is to promote the management of naturally regenerating second-growth totara-dominant forest on farmland in Northland. Refer to the NTWG page for further details.
Strategic Plan
Tāne’s Tree Trust Strategic Plan can be found here (PDF, 652.18 kB).