Rarakau Rainforest Conservation Project
The Forest
Protecting 738ha of Māori owned tall indigenous rainforest, in western Southland, Aotearoa. This wet rainforest is adjacent to Fiordland National Park on the very southern coastline of the South Island, and located at the start of the Hump Ridge Track. The forest has a tawhai (silver beech) canopy, intermixed with miro and tōtara.
The People
“We manage our land at Rarakau for our future generations. The goal is to run a sustainable farm, pay our land taxes and be good conservation managers on our land. We need to generate revenue to pay for these things, but we didn’t want to continue logging the forest to get that revenue. This is why we agreed to protect the forest with a carbon credit project. We sell carbon credits instead of wood.
We want our mokopuna (grandchildren) to enjoy the sounds of the Tūī, the Kākā, the Kiwi and maybe even one day the Kākāpō. We also want to lead by example, in responsible sustainable management.”
Ken McAnergney - Rarakau landowner and kaumātua
“Our forest carbon project is just great. It enables us to progress our economic development without having to cut our trees down. Our rivers are not being choked up with sediment because we are not logging the forest. The bird life is thriving and we are helping to protect the coastal waters.
The revenue from carbon credits has provided an income stream that can help us train our young people, develop our farm and provide future education and employment opportunities. It is also a show-piece for integrated land management for other indigenous landowners throughout the country.”
Mike Gibbs - Rarakau landowner
The Location
The Rarakau Rainforest Conservation Project is located at the bottom of the South Island, New Zealand.
Technical Stuff
Project Area
738 ha
Project Developer
Ekos
Project Scenario
Permanent forest protection
Activity Type
Improved Forest Management: logged to protected forest (IFM-LtPF)
Project Benefits
Carbon sequestration; avoided carbon emissions; biodiversity conservation; water quality protection; climate resilience
Carbon Credits Issued
16,589 tCO2e
Carbon Credit Standard
Carbon Credit Status
Sold out; awaiting next issuance; expected in Q4 2024
Rarakau Rainforest Conservation Project
Project Name
Rowallan Alton (Māori) Incorporation
Project Owner
Rarakau, Southland District, New Zealand
Project Location
Continuation of periodic logging of indigenous forest under the Forests Act
Baseline Scenario
Not applicable
Trees Planted
Dr Misheck Kapambwe
Verifier
Carbon Credit Registry
Follow The Money
Conservation costs money. The main cost elements are:
Conservation management. This includes pest and weed control, forest monitoring, and the administration of the carbon project (carbon returns, registry account management and general administration).
Opportunity costs. This is the revenue that the landowner has given up to enable forest conservation to happen. In this project the landowner gave up revenue from pastoral farming - revenue that would normally be used to make a living off the land.
Measurement, reporting and verification costs required for project certification to the Plan Vivo carbon standard.
Carbon credit revenue goes to cover these costs.
Project Partners
This project was developed between 2008 and 2013 Ekos, with funding from Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry for Māori Development) and Ekos. Key project partners include landowners Rowallan Alton Incorporation (RAI), Landcare Research, Venture Partners, Aerial Surveys Ltd, Victoria University of Wellington, and the Ākina Foundation.
