A Canterbury MBA student is preparing to push himself to the limit in an ambitious 24-hour tree planting challenge aimed at supporting native habitat restoration.
Tom Scott, who is completing his MBA at the University of Canterbury, has launched a 12-week fundraising campaign that if successful, will raise enough funds to plant around 500 eco-sourced native plants, which he will attempt to plant them all within a 24-hour period.
The initiative forms part of a Creative Challenge course within his MBA programme, which encourages students to step outside their comfort zone and attempt a project with a genuine risk of failure.
“I was inspired by Beau Miles, the Backyard Adventurer, who challenged himself to plant one tree per minute. That idea stuck with me, and I wanted to do something similar that would also contribute positively to biodiversity in the Selwyn area.” Says Tom.
The trees will be planted on land near Tai Tapu owned by Kathryn Taylor, who has previously hosted a volunteer planting day with Te Ara Kakariki as part of their Greendot restoration programme.
Taylor says she loves native birds and wants to keep expanding the planting on her property.
“I wanted to support Tom in his learning. Encouraging students and helping them take on challenges like this is really important.” Said Taylor when asked why she wanted to be involved in the project.
“and it will be fantastic to add another 500 trees to my planting site. I’ll be there to support Tom however I can – although I won’t be staying up all night, I’ll leave that part to him!”
The planting will contribute to the wider work of Te Ara Kākāriki, by continuing to create a network of ecological ‘Greendots’ along a corridor that reconnect habitats from the mountains to the foot of the Port Hills and encompassing Te Waihora.
Te Ara Kakariki coordinator Jo Fearn says projects like this show the power of community-driven restoration.
“We’re thrilled that Tom chose to raise funds for native tree planting and in turn support the work Te Ara Kākāriki is doing locally. Every planting makes a difference for biodiversity, and we’re really pleased to support him in this challenge’
Funds raised through the campaign will go directly toward purchasing eco-sourced native plants and planting materials.
The fundraising campaign will run over the coming weeks, with the 24-hour planting challenge planned in early May.
If you’d like to help Tom to achieve his fundraising target you can donate here
or follow his progress here on the Instagram page
