With less than 1% of native vegetation remaining on the Canterbury Plains, we need your help. Every spring Te Ara Kākāriki organises a number of Plantout events where volunteers join us to plant native seedlings on sites across the beautiful Selwyn District. If you have an interest in the environment, love getting outdoors, and want to enjoy a day out doing good with like-minded people, join us! Whether you’ve planted before, or are completely new to it, everyone is welcome at our events.
Saturday August 24th 2024
10 - 3 Self-drive
Sunday September 8th 2024
10 - 4 Bus and lunch provided
Saturday September 21st 2024
10 - 3.30 Self-drive
Sunday October 6th 2024
10 - 4 Bus and lunch provided
Our planting events begin with an ecologist giving a planting demonstration, as well as some background on the site and our trust. We provide everything you’ll need for planting, like spades, clean gloves, drinking water, morning and afternoon tea, and each site has a toilet available. For our two largest events, we also provide bus transport and lunches. Throughout each event, friendly Te Ara Kākāriki team members are there to help, answering any questions you might have, and providing opportunities to learn more about the biodiversity of the area.
Each site has been carefully selected, and a restoration plan created by one of our ecologists including a plant list and site layout. This gives each of our Greendots the best chance of successful growth and ensures your efforts are worthwhile. By joining us as a volunteer, you will play a key part in enabling Te Ara Kākāriki to fulfil our vision of creating a green corridor across the Canterbury Plains, ki uta ki tai from the mountains to the sea.
Fill in the form opposite and we’ll be in touch
Alongside our public volunteer events, Te Ara Kakariki can also organise a planting day just for your staff team or community group every year in September or October. If you have a team or group of people and would like to arrange an enjoyable event where they can contribute to the local environment, get in touch with us today to discuss options.
Keep an eye on our newsletter, social media and website for Plantout dates. Every year in early August, we’ll publish links to a registration form for each event. By registering, you help us with our planning, and if your plans change and you’re unable to come we really appreciate you letting us know.
One week before the event, we will email out detailed information about the Plantout such as how to get there, and things you’ll need to bring like sturdy boots or shoes and a sun hat. For each Plantout we have a postponement date in case the weather isn’t looking good, and we will let you know a couple of days before if this happens. Otherwise, all that’s left to do is come along and enjoy planting native seedlings.
Funding for our restoration work and events comes from a variety of public sources, and we appreciate any contribution towards our activities. If you are volunteering at one of our large spring Plantouts, you may like to consider a koha of $10 per adult, and $5 per child to help us cover our costs. Or if you aren’t able to join us in person, but would still like to help our efforts consider making a donation.
Te Ara Kākāriki Greenway Canterbury Trust is an incorporated Charitable Trust with the goal of increasing biodiversity in Canterbury.
Our mission is to create a ‘Greenway’ – a corridor of native biodiversity Greendots between the Waimakiriri and Rakaia rivers, linking the mountains to the sea Ki uta ki tai.
We’ll send you regular updates on planting days and other useful news (we will not share your details with third parties)
