CRAIGIEBURN BASIN RESTORATION TRUST
NEWSLETTER — AUGUST 2026
Here we are coming to the end of winter and getting ready for spring. There is some nervous anticipation in the air as we all wonder what an El Nino spring might bring. Changeable weather looks like it will be the order of the day.
It's been a while since our last newsletter in May so there is a bit to cover. Watch out for our refreshed website, which will be up and running in the next couple of weeks, to keep up to date with what's going on at the Trust. We're also working towards having more of a presence on social media.
Changes at the Trust
We're excited to have welcomed Conor English to the Trust Board. Conor has taken up the role of Board Chair and is bringing fresh thinking, governance experience, independence and enthusiasm. Catherine Ross has become Deputy Chair. We're also lucky to have Anita Munn as our new Treasurer. Anita brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and is another great addition to the Board. It's very encouraging to see the Board build its capability.
The Trust is moving to a new phase as we look to turn our planning into delivering projects on the ground. It's no longer possible for all of the work to be delivered by volunteers. The Trust has decided to invest in some paid hours, as funds allow, to support the operations and sustainability of the Trust. Catherine Ross and Anna Hill will be working as Acting GM and Acting Operations Manager respectively, and we will also be engaging an environmental scientist and a fund-raising specialist. All of the roles are contracted and part-time.
Introducing our Draft Ecological Vision 2050
The development of a draft Ecological Vision 2050 is a significant step forward for the Trust. The Ecological Vision won't have legal standing, but it will guide our planning, effort and resource allocation and bring to life the vision of the Trust. It has nine ecological goals to support and guide the Trust's work.
The draft Ecological Vision will be available shortly on the website for consultation. People will have until the end of October to provide feedback. We'd love to hear from you! Feedback will be considered by the Trust and the document updated to reflect the feedback where in the Trust's view it is appropriate for the document to be updated. Our hope is that the Board will approve the Ecological Vision 2050 by the end of this calendar year.
The draft Ecological Vision has been developed by Dr Claire Newell and funded by the Selwyn Natural Environment Fund. A big thank you to Claire and the Selwyn District Council.
Seed Collection, Propagation & Revegetation
Planting for the Future — 'Seed Islands'
We're ready to start construction on 10 seed islands at Helicopter Hill in early October. Each will be a 15m x 15m fenced area planted with mānuka, mountain beech, hebe and a mix of other eco-sourced natives. The idea is simple but powerful — these plants will grow up and become the seed source for the land in between, kickstarting natural regeneration across the wider Basin.
We have DOC's approval, and most of the plants are ready to go from our Flock Hill nursery, with the rest coming from DOC's Motukarara nursery and Trees for Canterbury. Planting days are planned for mid-to-late October, pending a couple of funding applications we're hopeful about. Once funding is locked in, we'll be calling for volunteers to help get these in the ground — watch this space.
Demonstration Plot
Plans and consent are in place for our 1ha demonstration plot near the Mistletoe car park. We have a site visit with DOC in early September to talk through options for a public access track to the site — an important step in making this a place the community can visit and see the restoration work up close.
Shade House & Seed Collection
We spent several great days out in autumn gathering seed. We're now just waiting on the final delivery of materials to build the new shade house — huge thanks to Tūpiki Trust for making this possible. We're excited about what the extra space this new shade house will create for growing on seedlings for planting out.
Nursery Volunteers
We recently had a great group potting day, getting 2,500 mountain beech seedlings potted up. This is ongoing work, and there will be plenty of opportunities for keen volunteers to come and spend an hour or two in the nursery helping keep the supply of regenerative plants growing.
Weed Control
The weed plan for spring is all in place. DOC is carrying out great hand and precision-targeted weed control in key areas, and thanks to Transpower's support, contract crews will cover a larger area too. NZTA are also part of our weed working group and have significant work planned across the Craigieburn cutting area.
If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. With an ongoing challenge like weed control, that couldn't be more true.
Feel the Burn 2027
We're underway for Feel the Burn 2027, and the energy is already building. Lots of returning sponsors are back on board, and the feedback from the socials so far has been fantastic — so we're looking forward to seeing them turn into entries.
This year's event is Saturday 30 January 2027, across Flock Hill and Castle Hill Stations, and the Craigieburn Forest Park, with the same four distances as last year — 30km, 20km, 10km and 5km. We're targeting 500 runners for what promises to be a fantastic day out in the Basin.
Big news: our DOC concession has been approved for nine years, which means Feel the Burn is now confirmed as an annual event. That's a huge step for the Trust's long-term planning and for the 100-year restoration vision this event helps fund.
We're always on the lookout for more sponsors — every bit of support helps make the boat go faster and puts more funding behind the Trust's work. If you know a business that might want to get on board, we'd love to hear from you.
Funding
Securing funding for our work continues to be a big focus. We have grant applications lodged or in development for a range of activities including the establishment of the seed islands; the demonstration plot; our education and outreach programme; seed collection and storage; data collection; and operational costs. Fingers crossed that at least some of our applications are successful. Funding makes the Trust's work possible.