West Coast’s Ōkārito Plant Project was founded in 2023. Photo / Supplied
A West Coast planting initiative has become an underdog in the tourism world this year – all while on a mission to restore habitat across the region.
The Ōkārito Plant Project brings together 18 local businesses, the Department of Conservation (DoC), Development West Coast, landowners and the community.
This year at the New Zealand Tourism Awards, the project even won the Collaboration Award – beating out finalists that included DoC and Air New Zealand.
Together, the group has planted more than 6000 native trees and eco-sourced species across multiple restoration sites in Ōkārito, Fox Glacier and, most recently, Purcell Reserve, a 12ha former farm block in Whataroa that is transitioning back to thriving wetland and forest habitat.
Founded in 2023, the project began as a collaboration between Ōkārito Native Plants Trust Board and the Development West Coast Nature Economy Project and quickly expanded to include a network of guiding companies, landowners, schools and international visitors.
Paula Sheridan, of Ōkārito Boat EcoTours, said the project was “deeply connected” to the community.
“For us, the Ōkārito Plant Project is deeply connected to who we are, both as a business and as members of this community.
“Our entire livelihood is centred on the health of the Ōkārito Lagoon and its surrounding wetlands – one of the most pristine and intact wetland ecosystems left in Aotearoa.
“Protecting the waterways that feed it is not optional; it’s essential.
“If we lose the health of those waterways, we risk losing the very place that supports countless species.
“From abundant birdlife to those that are critically endangered, and of course aquatic and plant species as well – again many which are nationally threatened or critical across Aotearoa.“
Sheridan said from the beginning, it mattered that this project wasn’t something done to the community, but with it.
“Working alongside local farmers and families has been one of the most important and rewarding parts of the journey,” she said.
“We’ve learned so much – not just about the land itself, but about how restoration can work hand in hand with food production, history and people’s lives.
“Coming from outside the farming world, setting foot on South Westland farms for the first time was a whole new experience for us and it continues to be a learning curve.
“Every day we better understand what works for farmers, what works for nature and how both can thrive together.
“The plant project also aligns strongly with the incredible predator elimination work already happening here through [Zero Invasive Predators].
“One strengthens the other, predator control creates [a] safer habitat and restoration expands that habitat.
“Together they tell a much bigger story about the future of South Westland – a region where nature is recovering,
“Businesses are stepping up and communities are working collectively toward something meaningful.
“What’s most exciting is that this isn’t just a conservation project; it’s a community project, a tourism project, and a regional story of people choosing to look after what sustains us all.
“For us, being a part of that is not just important – it’s the purpose behind everything we do."
Ōkārito Native Plants Trust chairman Aaron Smith said the project was not only about planting trees.
“The project places a strong emphasis on education – not just planting trees, but helping people understand why the work matters," he said.
“Many describe the experience as transformative, often realising for the first time the importance of protecting the places they love.
“Over the past two years, [Ōkārito Plant Project] has hosted hundreds of volunteers, including tourism staff from partner businesses, conservation-minded travellers, school groups from Franz Josef and Fox Glacier, and international students.
“The project continues to strengthen its community roots – expanding nursery capacity, developing new educational signage, trialling self-guided restoration walks and creating opportunities for visitors to contribute beyond set planting days.
“The [Ōkārito Plant Project] team say the demand is clear: people want to be part of something meaningful.
“With continued support, the project hopes to grow into a resilient, self-sustaining regenerative tourism model for the wider region – one grounded in community, collaboration and care for the whenua.”