The Rameka Carbon Forest Project was established by Jonathan Kennett and Bronwen Wall - a couple of passionate change makers who wanted to do something practical about the climate crisis. In 2008 they decided to buy 48 hectares of marginal farmland in the Rameka Valley, Mōhua (Golden Bay) with the idea of converting it into a native forest carbon sink.

After securing the land, Jonathan and Bronwen established a community organisation called Project Rameka, who then successfully registered the Rameka Forest Carbon Project under the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. Eight years after the initial land purchase, a neighbouring plot came up for sale. The newly established Rameka Trust managed to secure this extra 45 hectare block through crowd-funding, expanding the total project area to 93 hectares.

Early on the pair were told the best thing to do would be to fence off the land and “just throw pest control at it,” allowing it to regenerate naturally. But they had something different in mind. As well as sequestering carbon, they wanted to give nature a hand by planting lots of native trees to improve biodiversity, and build awareness around the importance of nurturing and protecting our environment in response to climate change. This also helped to foster community connection and care for the land. An ecological survey at the time showed that at least 100 different native and exotic plant species were present on the site, so the opportunities to cultivate diversity and understanding were obvious.

The project was opened up to the wider community in Mōhua and Te Tauihu (top of the South Island). With their previous experience organising native planting projects in Wellington, Bronwen and Jonathan knew how to get things going early, encouraging locals to come along and help out. The strategy was to leave the majority of regenerating scrub to evolve naturally, with active planting in areas of grassland. Today this piece of land is loved by many, not only as a site of numerous excellent mountain biking and walking trails, but by a community of keen volunteers who have helped to plant, manage and enjoy the regenerating bush.

The land also has historic significance, with the Rameka Track running straight through it. This old pack trail is named after the famous Ngāti Tama orator, Rameka, who played a central role in land dealings with the Crown in the mid-1800s. The track was used as a stock route between Whakatū (Nelson) and Mōhua, running alongside the Rameka creek, through Pikikirunga (Canaan Downs) on top of the Tākaka hill, and down into the Motueka valley below. The site was cleared of native forest in the early 1980s under the government’s land development scheme. In 1993 around 12.5 hectares of the land was planted in Pinus Radiata . Today this stand of pines are quite tall, although their economic value is low because many of the trees are of poor quality with the tops constantly blowing out. The majority of these pines will be kept on the land until they are eventually overtaken by native trees, acting as carbon store alongside the native plantings. Only those that threaten the health and growth of the young native trees will be removed.

Almost a decade after Bronwen and Jonathan bought the land, the Rameka Carbon Forest Project is a bustling site of activity. The land is regularly enhanced and maintained by volunteer labour who offer their time for planting days, track building, pest control, and weeding. The kaupapa is about getting folk involved with the project as a community, together ensuring that all forms of maintenance are driven by a desire to restore the health of the land.

The Rameka Carbon Forest Project has an arrangement with Ekos who help to fund this community conservation project through selling their carbon credits to organisations and individuals wanting to offset the carbon emissions they haven’t already reduced. Ekos sells these credits at a premium (because of all the additional value they contain) and the revenue generated is used by the Rameka Trust on activities that further accelerate carbon sequestration. The Trust are now able to employ a permanent pest control officer as well as purchasing traps, native seedlings, plant guards, stakes and other tools required for ongoing forest restoration.

The community has seen a dramatic increase in bird life since the project began. Bronwen joked in 2008 that she’d love to see weka roaming around the land once more. Today there are resident weka doing just that, as well as bountiful numbers of kererū, tūī and korimako. There has also been an increasing number of kea and kakaruwai sightings, and at night the call of the ruru can be heard echoing over the valley. The Rameka Carbon Forest Project can’t take sole credit for the blossoming bird life – the Abel Tasman National Park is just up the road, and the major pest control project driven by Project Janszoon (link to website) has no doubt had a significant part to play.

Bronwen and Jonathan’s long term goal with this project is to cover the entire property with native forest. This is a great example of how a couple of keen, motivated people with the desire to make a difference can amplify change by getting others involved. Ekos believes that it is community initiatives such as this that are needed to tackle the larger global issues related to climate change.

This humble 93 hectare project sends a message to others in the small community of Aotearoa that it is possible to do this, it is possible to finance it, and it can be a lot of fun at the same time!

To keep up to date with the latest updates from the Rameka Carbon Forest Project, head to their website: http://rameka.carbonforest.nz/