Honda TreeFund returns to Whakanewha Regional Park on 19 May

Honda staff and customers get together again on Thursday 19 May at Whakanewha Regional Park on Waiheke Island with another treeplanting to enhance the vegetation already established at the park through Honda TreeFund native tree plantings over the past seven years.

Auckland Council park ranger at Whakanewha Regional Park, Dan Beauchamp, has worked closely with the Honda New Zealand team since the TreeFund planting programme commenced in 2004, tending for the trees and co-ordinating four more plantings since the initial event. There are now 3350 trees at Whakanewha as a result of the Honda TreeFund, some of which are well established, while others are just starting their journey.

“We’ve done several plantings at Whakanewha, with trees chosen to emulate the coastal forest and keep in tune with what is already growing there,” says Ian Maxwell, Manager of Parks, Sports and Recreation for Auckland Council.

“We have planted karo, te rata and whau, interspersed with the odd pohutukawa and flax and chosen areas which were quite scrubby and barren, to both suppress weed regrowth and add to the diversity and beauty of the park.

It’s been fantastic to see how the trees have grown throughout Whakanewha and other parks over the years through the collaboration with the TreeFund.“

The Whakanewha native tree planting was one of the first in the Honda TreeFund initiative that has seen more than 450,000 native trees planted around New Zealand over the last eight years.

Honda New Zealand through the TreeFund project funds the planting of 13 native trees for every new car sold. The trees are planted locally in the customers’ purchase region by the local regional council, Honda staff and their customers in designated areas.

Honda New Zealand’s Managing Director Graeme Seymour explains, “Our commitment to the environment runs to the very heart of Honda’s culture and philosophy. The Honda TreeFund is our way of getting together with local communities to help them improve the biodiversity, coastal land protection and other environmental concerns in their area.

“Honda staff and our customers have a great time at the tree planting days. There’s a tremendous amount of satisfaction to be had at the end of the day when you look at hundreds of native trees you helped to plant. It’s a great feeling to make a positive difference to the environment for future generations to enjoy by getting out of the office and getting your hands dirty.”

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