Restoring Nature
2021 AWARD FINALIST
Sponsored by Department of Conservation
In June 2017, following the Christchurch earthquakes, Red Tree was engaged by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) to establish native plantings in the Port Hills Red Zone. Regenerating native ecology on such desolate substrates and steep gradients was a tough brief. Red Tree created its Enviroblanket technology. This mimics nature to provide ideal conditions for seed germination.
Enviroblanket goes almost unnoticed on the ground. It is incredibly abundant in seeds and microbial life. It gives new plant life a helping hand to spring forth. In just four years, Enviroblanket has proved so successful that it’s used in a wide variety of environmental zones. This includes wetlands, riparian margins, and coastal forests.
Enviroblanket is now in use across a diverse range of ecological restoration projects in Christchurch, Kaikoura and Gisborne. In 2020, Red Tree applied five hectares of coastal Enviroblanket to restore the Kaikoura transport corridor. One year on, an abundance of healthy native seedlings is emerging.