Whakatipu Reforestation Trust

What Whakatipu Reforestation Trust does

Whakatipu Reforestation Trust (WRT) is a New Zealand-registered charitable trust (Charity Number CC50275) founded in 2013/2014 by Neill and Barbara Simpson to restore native biodiversity in the Whakatipu Basin (Queenstown–Arrowtown–Glenorchy area). The trust operates as a community-led reforestation organization, with its operational center at the Jean Malpas Community Nursery in Kelvin Heights, where approximately 10,000 native plants are propagated annually from locally eco-sourced seeds and cuttings. WRT coordinates volunteer-driven seasonal planting days (spring and autumn), manages 70+ planting sites including the 33-hectare Slope Hill Recreation Reserve in partnership with the Department of Conservation, and runs the Educate for Nature school and adult education programme. Since 2015, the trust has planted over 140,000 native trees and shrubs across the basin, recording more than 30,000 volunteer hours.

The trust's core technology is its eco-sourcing methodology — collecting seeds and cuttings close to their eventual planting sites with per-batch location records — combined with a community nursery propagating 70+ indigenous species including threatened taxa. A 2024 joint research project with Scion Research Institute, University of Otago, and Ahika Consulting is testing native seed broadcasting into sprayed wilding conifer stands as a novel restoration technique. The trust's go-to-market is entirely community-led and event-driven, relying on volunteer sessions, school planting projects, corporate volunteer days, and tourism-sector engagement. Distribution of plants is direct: free or low-cost native plants are supplied to community groups (Alpine Retreat, KAPOW, Gibbston, Glenorchy associations), schools (Wakatipu High, Shotover Primary, Remarkables Primary, Arrowtown Preschool), and government partners (DOC, Queenstown Lakes District Council).

WRT's business model is a charitable donations model with zero commercial revenue. Income is derived from individual donations (one-off, monthly, or annual via the trust's website or bank transfer), grants from foundations and government bodies (Hilton Global Foundation, Trees That Count, Leslie Hutchins Conservation Foundation, ORC EcoFund, DOC Community Fund), corporate sponsorship (Patagonia NZ, Simplicity Kiwi, hotel consortium), and in-kind contributions (compost, catering, plant guards, fencing). The only priced offering is the Whakatipu Planting and Species Guide, available for a suggested $10 donation. The organization runs on five part-time staff supported by a volunteer base and a board of trustees.

Name

Whakatipu Reforestation Trust

Legal name

Whakatipu Reforestation Trust

Website

https://wrtqt.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Whakatipu Reforestation Trust is a New Zealand charitable trust that restores native biodiversity in the Whakatipu Basin through a community nursery producing 10,000 eco-sourced native plants annually, seasonal volunteer planting days across 70+ sites, and school-based environmental education programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (113210), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Native Species & Restoration Plant Nurseries (AFAMADAF), Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

Keywords

• Native reforestation services
• Community nursery operations
• Biodiversity restoration programs
• Environmental education programmes
• Volunteer planting programs

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: The trust relies entirely on generous donations from the public, corporate sponsorship, and grants from organizations such as the Hilton Global Foundation, Trees That Count, Leslie Hutchins Conservation Foundation, Otago Regional Council EcoFund, and various local businesses.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Sponsorship from businesses for specific programs such as the Educate for Nature program, planting events, and nursery operations. Includes both financial contributions and in-kind support (food for planting days, venue use, etc.).
3. Planting Guide Sales: Optional $10 donation to receive a hard copy of the Whakatipu Planting and Species Guide at various local locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Trust operates a community nursery at Jardine Park, Kelvin Heights that propagates approximately 10,000 locally eco-sourced native plants each year, and runs seasonal spring and autumn community planting days at keystone restoration sites across the Whakatipu Basin. It also delivers the Educate for Nature environmental education programme for schools, adults and community groups, and produces practical planting and species guides. Its work is funded entirely by donations, corporate sponsorship, and grants.

Product overview

Whakatipu Reforestation Trust is a conservation charity that operates a unified set of restoration programmes rather than a commercial product platform. Its core offerings include the Jean Malpas Community Nursery (which propagates 10,000 native plants annually), Community Planting Days (volunteer-driven seasonal planting events), and the Educate for Nature Programme (environmental education spanning schools, adults, and community groups). Supporting offerings include the Whakatipu Planting and Species Guide (a practical planting reference), Educational Resources (plant guides and colouring sheets), the Whakatipu Beech Seeding Project (research into seed broadcasting restoration), and management of five keystone planting sites across different ecosystem types.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jean Malpas Community Nursery

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 140,000 native trees and shrubs planted since 2015 across 70+ planting sites
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Mana Tāhuna Charitable TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Strategic partnership for landscape-scale restoration projects. Mana Tāhuna's Mahi Taiao team prepares sites, executes planting, and provides ongoing maintenance. Key partner for Slope Hill Reserve restoration and Lake Hayes catchment improvement. Funded through Jobs for Nature funding.
• Trees That CountcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Provided 7,000 native trees for He Rā Rākau Tītapu – King Charles III Coronation Plantings at Slope Hill Reserve. Part of national 100,000 tree planting initiative to commemorate King's coronation. Plants sourced from local nurseries Springburn and Home Creek.
• Patagonia New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Financed plant guards, fencing, rabbit control and three years of site maintenance for coronation plantings at Slope Hill. Co-funded tree planting efforts alongside Simplicity Kiwi.
• Love QueenstownmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Tourism sector partnership coordinating visitor industry participation in planting events. Provided marketing support and managed volunteer registrations for coronation planting week. Created opportunity for tourism sector to gain hands-on conservation experience.
• Department of Conservation (DOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative land management partnership. DOC provides Slope Hill Recreation Reserve (33ha) for restoration. Close collaboration on planting for perpetuity on DOC-managed land. Partner on Queenstown Lakes District Threatened Plants guide.
• Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQLDC Reserves team provided site for Jean Malpas Nursery at Jardine Park. Collaborates on land management and provided initial support for nursery establishment. Former QLDC Climate and Biodiversity Plan leadership created pathway for trust engagement.
• Waste to WildernessmajorOthersDelivered 12 truckloads of nutrient-rich compost made from hotel food waste and wilding pine mulch. Essential for Slope Hill site's dry conditions; helps nourish establishing plants.
• Various Hotels (Hilton Queenstown, Crowne Plaza, Sudima, Holiday Inn Frankton Road, The Rees Hotel)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal hotels provide morning tea, refreshments, and sometimes lunches for volunteer planting days. Supported coronation plantings and ongoing community events.
• Whakatipu Wilding Conifer Control GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partner on 3-year Whakatipu Beech Seeding Project exploring viability of broadcasting native seed into sprayed wilding conifer stands. Shared expertise in conifer control and forest restoration.
• Ahika Consulting LimitedsupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnical support partner for Whakatipu Beech Seeding Project. Provided consulting expertise for research methodology.
• Scion Research InstitutesupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnical support partner for Whakatipu Beech Seeding Project. Provided research expertise in forest and ecosystem restoration.
• University of OtagosupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnical support partner for Whakatipu Beech Seeding Project. Academic research partnership for seed broadcasting restoration technique.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Whakatipu Wilding Conifer Control Group: A local volunteer organization in the Whakatipu Basin focused on controlling invasive wilding pines, a direct precondition for WRT's native reforestation work. WRT is a formal partner on the joint 3-year Whakatipu Beech Seeding Project and both organizations operate within the same catchment with overlapping volunteer bases.
• Kiwis for kiwi: A New Zealand charitable trust dedicated to saving the kiwi through habitat protection and predator control. Comparable charitable trust model, native biodiversity focus, community volunteer mobilization, and corporate sponsorship-driven funding approach.
• Trees That Count: A New Zealand charitable trust that runs the country's native tree planting registry and aggregates funding for native reforestation projects. Directly comparable mission (native revegetation at scale) and partnership overlap (Trees That Count supplied 7,000 native trees for WRT's Coronation plantings at Slope Hill).
• Mana Tāhuna Charitable Trust: A Lakes District charitable trust that operates the Mahi Taiao environmental team executing landscape-scale native planting and site maintenance. WRT's core strategic partner for the Slope Hill and Lake Hayes catchment projects, with overlapping mission in native restoration and a comparable operating model (Jobs for Nature funded crews).
• Project Crimson: A New Zealand charitable trust founded to restore native pōhutukawa and rātā forests. Closely analogous mission (native species revegetation), community engagement model, and corporate partnership-driven funding approach — a useful sector benchmark.

Regional players

• Southern Lakes Sanctuary: A Queenstown-based conservation charity focused on predator-free sanctuaries and native species restoration in the same Otago/Southern Lakes region. Directly comparable geography and overlapping mission with WRT; trustee Melanie Seyfort works across both organizations, evidencing active peer collaboration.
• Taranaki Tree Trust: A New Zealand regional trust promoting native and exotic tree planting and land restoration. Analogous charitable trust model with comparable scope (regional reforestation, community education, eco-sourced nursery operations).
• Native Forest Restoration Trust: A New Zealand charitable trust (also known as the Native Forest Restoration Trust) focused on protecting and restoring native forest remnants, primarily in the North Island. Directly comparable charitable trust model with overlapping mission and donor base.

Broad incumbents

• Queen Elizabeth II National Trust (QEII): New Zealand's largest private land conservation organization, administering open space covenants on private land for biodiversity protection. Comparable in mission (protecting indigenous biodiversity through landowner partnerships) and similar reliance on grants and donations, but operates at national scale rather than within a single catchment.
• Predator Free 2050: A national-scale New Zealand initiative backed by the Department of Conservation to eliminate invasive predators — a complementary goal to native reforestation. Comparable in operating model (government-funded, reliant on community trapping and volunteer groups) and an indirect ecosystem peer for WRT's restoration sites.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wrtqt.org.nz
• Instagraminstagram.com/wakatipureforestationtrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Whakatipu Reforestation Trust