Award-winning Central Otago farmers Ben and Anna Gillespie have been growing their own native plants to plant out on their farm.
Not only is that enhancing their own property but now they are sharing the knowledge they have gained.
A propagation day was recently held at the Gillespies’ Two Farmers Farming operation. The gathering was addressed by Mr Gillespie and horticulture tutor Jo Wakelin, and attended by participants from various catchment groups throughout the South.
Similar events have been held, including a recent workshop in the Maniototo, and more were planned.
"Farmers are actually out there growing their own natives, and enhancing biodiversity aside from everything else they do on farm," Mrs Gillespie said.
The couple noticed the "snowball effect" within the catchment and other farmers were now planting their home-grown natives, and they had a wide group of followers to whom they were able to disperse excess seedlings.
Otago Catchment Community co-ordinator Anna Robinson said the group saw such workshops as a vital opportunity for people to connect from throughout the region.
They could "feed off each other", learn about what was going on elsewhere and go home with new ideas and contacts.
It ticked "so many boxes", not just improving environmental outcomes but also an associated wellbeing factor, she said.
