Te Whangai Trust
Te Whāngai Trust is a New Zealand charitable trust that operates native plant nurseries and delivers environmental restoration projects, embedding employment pathways for rangatahi and people exiting the corrections system into its work.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersAuckland, New Zealand
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Te Whangai Trust does
Te Whāngai Trust is a New Zealand registered charitable trust (CC 24389) founded in 2007 by Gary and Adrienne Dalton. The organisation operates native plant nurseries at Pūkorokoro and Glenbrook with combined annual production capacity exceeding 150,000 eco-sourced native plants, and delivers large-scale environmental restoration services — including stream daylighting, wetland creation, riparian planting, and long-term establishment maintenance — across the Auckland and Waikato regions. Its core operational technology is physical: nursery production infrastructure combined with field-based planting and maintenance crews working under PlantPass-aligned quality standards.
The Trust runs a work-integrated social enterprise model that embeds employment pathways into restoration delivery. Through the Ngā Tipu a te Uru Roa scholarship programme (delivered with the Ministry of Social Development) and two newer programmes partnered with the Department of Corrections, the Trust supports NEET rangatahi aged 15–24 and people transitioning from the corrections system into nursery, planting, and maintenance roles, with 74% of participants entering education, employment, or training and 79% of Māori or Pasifika participants achieving EET outcomes. Customers include Auckland Council Healthy Waters, Auckland Transport, and the Auckland Urban Development Office on the public sector side, and lead contractors Fulton Hogan, HEB Construction, Glasgow Contractors, and STF Group on the private construction side.
Revenue is generated across four streams: environmental restoration contracts with councils and developers; one-off native plant sales; recurring government funding from MSD and the Department of Corrections for social programmes; and individual/corporate donations via a tiered monthly giving and payroll giving programme. The model is explicitly grounded in a quadruple bottom line of social, environmental, economic, and cultural outcomes. The Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees (chaired by Brian Watson) and led by General Manager Jonathan Chambers.
Te Whangai Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Te Whangai Trust
- Legal name
- Te Whāngai Trust
- Website
- https://tewhangai.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Te Whāngai Trust is a New Zealand charitable trust that operates native plant nurseries and delivers environmental restoration projects, embedding employment pathways for rangatahi and people exiting the corrections system into its work.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Te Whangai Trust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Restoration Services
- NAICS
- Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (11321), Landscaping Services (561730)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Native Species & Restoration Plant Nurseries (AFAMADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Plant Replacement, Transplanting & Garden Refresh Services (HSAIAFAG)
Keywords
Where Te Whangai Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Auckland
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Te Whangai Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Environmental Restoration Contracts: Revenue from councils, developers, and contractors for large-scale native planting and ecological restoration projects. Services include plant supply, planting delivery, and long-term maintenance.
- Native Plant Sales: Sale of eco-sourced native plants for restoration projects and landscaping purposes.
- Government Funding for Social Programmes: Funding from Ministry of Social Development and Department of Corrections to support rangatahi scholarship programmes and employment pathways for people facing barriers.
- Donations and Charitable Giving: Donations from individuals and organizations supporting the social enterprise mission. Registered charity CC 24389 with tax-deductible donations and payroll giving options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly giving - $25 tier |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly giving - $50 tier |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly giving - $100 tier |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly giving - $250 tier |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | One-time and custom donations |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Te Whangai Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Te Whāngai Trust operates native plant nurseries that produce eco-sourced native plants, and delivers large-scale ecological restoration services including site planting and long-term establishment maintenance. The Trust runs a work-integrated social enterprise providing structured horticulture training and employment pathways for rangatahi (NEET youth aged 15-24) and people transitioning from the corrections system.
Product overview
Te Whāngai Trust is a non-profit social enterprise operating across Auckland and the Waikato that delivers native plant production and environmental restoration while creating nature-based employment pathways for rangatahi and people transitioning from the corrections system. The organisation combines eco-sourced native plant supply from its Pūkorokoro and Glenbrook nurseries with large-scale planting and maintenance services, delivering projects such as Te Auaunga Awa Oakley Creek Restoration, Te Aka Raataa Te Puhinui Regeneration, Manu-kau Noa Iho Hayman Park Wetland, Mokoia Pā Site Planting, and Blackgate Stream Restoration. Alongside environmental services, the Trust operates the Ngā Tipu a te Uru Roa scholarship programme for NEET youth aged 15-24, delivering horticulture training and employment pathways. The model is grounded in a quadruple bottom line: social, environmental, economic and cultural outcomes delivered together.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Eco-Sourced Native Plant Supply Production and supply of eco-sourced native plants grown in the Trust's Pūkorokoro and Glenbrook nurseries for ecological restoration projects, including wetland, riparian, and landscape planting applications. Customers include councils, developers, contractors, and landowners.
- Large-Scale Planting Services End-to-end planting delivery including site preparation, groundworks support, and coordinated planting operations at contract scale across Auckland and Waikato. Delivered as ecological subcontractor work to lead contractors and public agencies.
- Establishment and Maintenance Services Structured establishment and maintenance programmes including weed control, replacement planting, and ongoing monitoring aligned with PlantPass requirements to achieve long-term survival rates and ecological integrity on restoration sites.
- Ngā Tipu a te Uru Roa Scholarship Programme Rangatahi scholarship programme delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, providing hands-on horticulture training, work readiness skills, mentoring, pastoral care, and pathways into employment, education, or training for NEET youth aged 15-24 and people transitioning from the corrections system.
- Pūkorokoro Native Plant Nursery Operations Native plant nursery operation overseen by Ngatamaroa Tetava, providing eco-sourced plant production and on-site training for scholarship programme participants.
- Glenbrook Native Plant Nursery Operations Native plant nursery operation managed by Missie Hei Hei, providing eco-sourced plant production and on-site training for scholarship programme participants.
Quantifiable outcome
- 74% of rangatahi scholarship participants entered into education, employment, or training
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Te Whangai Trust
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Te Whangai Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Te Whangai Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ministry of Social DevelopmentcoreGovernment partner for rangatahi scholarship programme Ngā Tipu a te Uru Roa, providing funding and referral pathways for NEET youth participants aged 15-24.
- Department of CorrectionscoreSupports the rangatahi programme and provides pathways for people transitioning from the corrections system into employment through nursery roles and pastoral care.
- Auckland Council Healthy WaterscorePrimary client and partner for stream restoration projects across Auckland, including Te Puhinui, Te Auaunga Awa, and Blackgate Stream. Provides project contracts and social procurement opportunities.
- Auckland Urban Development Office (AUDO)corePartner for Te Puhinui regeneration project and Hayman Park wetland redevelopment, working on urban stream restoration and stormwater treatment.
- Mana Whenua PartnerscoreIwi and hapū partners providing cultural guidance, mana whenua-led design elements, and connection to mātauranga Māori in restoration practice across projects.
- Primary ITOminorEducational partner providing scholarship opportunities for rangatahi programme participants to gain industry qualifications in primary sector skills.
- Glasgow ContractorscoreLead contractor partner for Te Aka Raataa (Te Puhinui) regeneration and Blackgate Stream restoration projects, engaging Te Whāngai Trust for ecological delivery.
- STF GroupcoreLead contractor for Mokoia Pā site planting project, partnering with Te Whāngai Trust for native plant supply and planting delivery.
- Fulton HogancoreLead contractor for Te Auaunga Awa (Oakley Creek) restoration project, engaging Te Whāngai Trust as lead ecological delivery partner.
- HEB ConstructioncoreLead contractor for Hayman Park Manu-kau Noa Iho wetland project, partnering with Te Whāngai Trust for ecological and planting works.
- Wesley Intermediate SchoolminorSchool partnership for establishment of native plant nursery social enterprise at Wesley Intermediate School as part of Te Auaunga Awa project delivery.
Scale indicators16 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Te Whangai Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Treescape: Established NZ arborist and planting contractor providing commercial native planting, vegetation management, and restoration services to councils and infrastructure clients. Comparable in the for-profit restoration delivery channel that Te Whāngai contracts alongside.
- Conservation Volunteers New Zealand: Volunteer-based conservation and restoration organisation operating across NZ, delivering habitat restoration, tree planting, and community engagement programmes with council and corporate partners.
- Sustainable Coastlines: NZ non-profit delivering large-scale coastal restoration, native planting and volunteer-driven conservation projects with corporate and council partnerships. Comparable in delivery model, funding mix (corporate + grant + donation), and project scale.
- Trees for Survival: NZ environmental education charity combining native plant nursery operations with school- and youth-led planting programmes. Closely comparable in the social-enterprise-plus-native-production model and youth engagement orientation.
Broad incumbents
- Trees That Count: National native tree-planting initiative and marketplace that aggregates funders, planters and projects across NZ. Comparable as a broad incumbent catalysing native planting, though not a delivery contractor itself.
- Keep New Zealand Beautiful: Established national environmental NGO running community clean-ups, town beautification, and the Green Flag Award programme for parks. Overlaps with Te Whāngai in native planting, park quality recognition and community-led environmental engagement.
Emerging players
- Predator Free 2050: Government-backed predator eradication initiative supporting community conservation groups, restoration project funding and ecological outcome measurement. Adjacent in restoration enabling activity and partnership with mana whenua/community groups.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Te Whangai Trust social profiles
Digital presenceTe Whangai Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Te Whangai Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Te Whangai Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Te Whangai Trust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Te Whangai Trust
What does Te Whangai Trust do?
Te Whāngai Trust operates native plant nurseries that produce eco-sourced native plants, and delivers large-scale ecological restoration services including site planting and long-term establishment maintenance. The Trust runs a work-integrated social enterprise providing structured horticulture training and employment pathways for rangatahi (NEET youth aged 15-24) and people transitioning from the corrections system.
Is Te Whangai Trust a public or private company?
Te Whangai Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Te Whangai Trust founded?
Te Whangai Trust was founded in 2007.
Where is Te Whangai Trust based?
Te Whangai Trust is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Te Whangai Trust make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Environmental Restoration Contracts are the primary driver. The others are native Plant Sales, government Funding for Social Programmes and donations and Charitable Giving.
Who are Te Whangai Trust's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Treescape, Conservation Volunteers New Zealand, Sustainable Coastlines and Trees for Survival. Broad incumbents are Trees That Count and Keep New Zealand Beautiful. Predator Free 2050 is listed as an emerging player.
Does Te Whangai Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for Te Whangai Trust.
What industry is Te Whangai Trust in?
Te Whangai Trust's product category is Environmental Restoration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAMADAF, Native Species & Restoration Plant Nurseries, with a secondary code of BPAGALAD, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative). Its NAICS code is 11321 and its SIC code is 700.