Trees That Count Set to Grow through Provincial Growth Fund Support
Conservation organisation, Trees That Count, is gearing up to its grow its programme thanks to a grant from the
Government’s Provincial Growth Fund, as part of the Billion Trees programme.
Trees That Count’s goal is to mobilise New Zealanders to fund, plant and count the survival of 200 million new native
trees over the next 10 years.
Trees That Count has been funded and supported to date by The Tindall Foundation, and more recently with business and
public donations.
“We’re tremendously grateful for Crown support which will enable us to extend our community outreach and provide more
training, resources and support to planting groups throughout New Zealand,” says Joris de Bres, Chair of the Project
Crimson Trust, the well-established conservation organisation behind Trees That Count.
“We’ll also be able to target our efforts to attract further funding from the business sector to help planters increase
their work. We’re keen to see as many companies and individuals as possible funding native trees for community
projects.”
Trees That Count has two tools. One is a recently launched online community Marketplace which matches tree funding with
planting groups who want more native trees to increase their work. More than 140,000 native trees have been funded or
gifted so far.
“The Marketplace has attracted a lot of attention from some of New Zealand’s largest, most innovative companies. They
see funding the planting of native trees as a way of making a real and enduring difference to our country for climate
change, for biodiversity and for community building.”
The second tool is a national tree count which keeps track of and maps the number of native trees planted in New
Zealand. Anybody can participate and add their planting activities at www.treesthatcount.co.nz. Over 14 million native trees have been added to the count since 2016.
“With support from everyone – business, philanthropy, government and everyday New Zealanders - we can create a cultural
shift, where gifting or planting a native tree for any occasion becomes the Kiwi thing to do. That’s an exciting
prospect,” says de Bres.
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