Sue and Simon Marwick | Environmental Action in Water Quality Improvement

This innovative project involves a Te Anau couple making a real difference by turning a piece of farmland back into native beech forest and wetland.
Sue and Simon Marwick purchased their 3ha block of farmland on Kakapo Road near Te Anau in December 2019 and started planting it in early 2020. It was ideal for planting, being a gully with a range of different habitats from small ponds and wetlands to steep slopes and a flat terrace. It already had some red tussock and various native shrubs.
The retired couple are both keen conservationists with a concern about the degradation of native environments, as well as the escalating effects of climate change. Sue and Simon hope that this will provide habitat for many native plants, birds and other species, as well as help to sequester some carbon. They hope it might also encourage others to start their own restoration projects.
They have propagated almost all of their own trees and have planted approximately 10,000 trees so far. The couple expect to plant another 5000 trees to complete the project.
The project has been supported by Billion Trees funding as well as Environment Southland’s ‘Environmental Enhancement Fund’ and ‘Trees That Count’. The QE2 Trust is currently helping them establish a Restoration Agreement to protect the plantings, prior to a full QE2 Covenant being granted when planting is completed.