Southland Tramping Club | Environmental Action in the Community

The Southland Tramping Club has a proud tradition of financial support for ecological restoration projects, as well as getting actively involved in planting native trees, track maintenance, checking pest lines and encouraging other groups.
The club recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, recognising decades of tramping initiatives, supporting people in the outdoors and enjoying the environment.
The club’s efforts have included building two bridges at Forest and Bird’s Te Rere Reserve in the Catlins, a planting programme at the Ōreti Tōtara Dune Forest in Otatara, funding for pest control programmes and Southland LandSAR (Search and Rescue) team involvement. Their ethos is that without conservation they would not have anywhere to go tramping, therefore it’s important to them to contribute to environmental projects.
Some of their planting efforts act as a carbon offset for travel needed to get to various tramping destinations.
Club members gain a tremendous sense of well-being and mental wellness from getting out into the countryside. They have regular trips away during the year and organise cycle and kayak trips as well. Murihiku Southland and the rest of New Zealand is a pretty special place and club members believe it is very important to look after it.