Rising From The Ashes
A Community United
Residents, DOC, the Craigieburn Basin Restoration Trust, skiers, hikers, runners, and everyone in between are coming together in support of the Craigieburn Valley - a place that’s given so much to so many.
Raise Some Funds
Elite Trails, Iconic Ground. One Cause. Feel the Burn is a trail run across rarely accessed private high country, taking runners through Flock Hill Station and finishing straight through the burnt landscape itself — a firsthand look at why the recovery work matters. With distances for hardened trail runners and families alike, every entry helps fund the Craigieburn Basin Restoration Trust's long-term plan to bring this basin back to life
See What Works - Trial Plots
A pilot trial above Mistletoe Flat is testing how native plants re-establish after fire — comparing seed, mulch, and seedlings of mānuka, kānuka, koromiko and mountain beech, with and without protection from browsing animals. Early results show small seedlings do best, browse protection makes a real difference, and fast-growing weeds are racing natives for space, so the window to get them established is short. The trial is helping us work out the most practical, cost-effective way to restore native bush at scale.
Gather & Grow
The trust's seed-to-soil operation — collecting local native seed from the Craigieburn Basin and raising it in our own nursery ready for replanting across the burnt landscape. It's community volunteers doing the mahi, hands-on from seed collection to planting, learning as we go and building on what's worked before, to bring this basin's indigenous vegetation back for good.
AI Generated impression of what seed hubs will look like
Plant Hubs
Seed islands are 15mx15m strategic clusters of native plants established across the burnt landscape, designed to spread naturally over time rather than replanting the whole basin tree by tree. Backed by fencing and pest protection, these seed islands give indigenous vegetation a head start — becoming the seed source for the wider regeneration to come.
Control The Weeds
Cleared land is perfect ground for woody weeds like broom, gorse and eucalyptus to get away — and we know from previous fires that left unchecked, they'll out-compete native regeneration. A collaborative approach is essential: working with all stakeholders across the basin, sharing what's being covered and targeting the gaps, gives us the best chance of getting on top of it. Left uncoordinated, the spread would become a losing battle. It's an ongoing effort, and raising the funds to keep it coordinated is key to winning it.
Learning in the Basin
We're working with our community to create different ways to learn about, and contribute to, the Basin's future — from interpretive signs and volunteer days to school groups building their skills, knowledge, and love of the outdoors. Everyone has a part to play as caretakers and kaitiaki of the Craigieburn Basin.
Partners in Restoration
We’re always on the lookout for like-minded brands, businesses, and individuals who want to be part of something meaningful - supporting people, place, and regeneration in the Craigieburn Valley.
West Coast Road, Craigieburn