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Private rural health company the Mobile Health Group has teamed up with the Christchurch City Council to sponsor the planting of trees to support their sustainability goals.
This week, volunteers from the company were out in the field planting more than 250 trees into parts of the red-zoned Port Hills.
Council Community Partnership Ranger Sarah Mankelow is excited about the project, which is planning plantings at a range of local sites.
"We've got some sites that have real ecological value though, that makes two parks and other natural spaces. So there's a real opportunity to restore a lot of the natural habitat that's been lost over time."
She believes planting trees is a good way to restore our environment.
She said they're a valuable part of our ecosystem, providing habitat and food. And there's benefits for the volunteers as well.
"They provide mental health benefits. I always feel good after a planting day, just being out in nature is very good for the soul."
Six different species already seen in the Port Hills are being planted, including kowhai and lemonwood, and given recent history in this area, the team were keen to choose plants with some degree of fire resistance.
"Fire is something that people on the hills are particularly concerned about and it has been shown that a number of our native supposed species act like a firebreak. So choosing species that are less flammable than others is an important way to help support fire management and on the Port Hills.
Mankelow said while it's not very expensive to plant trees, it does require investing time, energy and effort over a few years.
She's also encouraging people to support biodiversity by creating places for fungi and insects to feed, starting with their own backyard.
- By Emily O'Hagan, made with the support of NZ On Air