FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
31.05.2012
Kids Plant Community Forest to Offset Health Sector Carbon Debt
Marking World Environment Day, Wednesday 5th June, pupils from Bellevue School will gather at a new carbon forest site
to plant manuka trees as part of the ‘Forests For Health New Zealand’ initiative led by OraTaiao: The New Zealand
Climate and Health Council and the Sustainable Business Network. Local school kids will join with health workers and
community to plant the first trees of a native forest that will regenerate wasted scrubland. The site, Waihinahina Park,
adjoins the local marae, Ngā Hau e Whā o Paparārangi, who are partners in the project.
www.forestsforhealthnz.org provides details of the forest.
This initiative, created in collaboration with the Sustainable Business Network and the ‘Trees for Survival’ trust,
allows health professionals to pay online to offset their carbon emissions from unavoidable air travel, road travel, and
electricity use. This money buys native trees for the carbon forest project managed by Wellington City Council and Ngā
Hau e Whā o Paparārangi marae. A wholly collaborative and community vision also means volunteer group ‘Woodridge
Planters’ provides planting expertise, with students from six local schools undertaking the planting.
Part of a worldwide movement of health professionals urgently focusing on the health challenges of climate change,
OraTaiao is a local collective of senior doctors and health practitioners who are taking positive steps to combat the
effects of climate change on population health. Recognising that the health sector contributes significantly to
greenhouse gas emissions, OraTaiao have devised a way for health professionals to reduce their carbon footprint by
growing trees in a dedicated carbon forest in Newlands, Wellington.
“The health sector consumes resources at a vast rate and has a sizeable carbon footprint. We are working with health
workers to reduce their emissions - at work and also at home. ‘Forests for Health’ provides an opportunity to compensate
for any unavoidable emissions” says local GP, Rebecca Randerson.
Dr George Laking from OraTaiao, says “trees absorb carbon emissions as they grow and tree planting is an internationally
recognised way to remove excess carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas responsible for dangerous global warming”.
With a long-term planting vision, OraTaiao hopes support for this carbon forest will be adopted by many New Zealand
health professionals and the hospitals and institutions they work in.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Please join us to plant the first trees at the ‘Forests For Health New Zealand’ site at Waihinahina
Park at the end of Ladbrooke Drive in Newlands, Wellington. We will be planting on the SouthEast side of the dog
exercise area from 12.45pm on World Environment Day, Wednesday 5th June.
ENDS