Hands in the Dirt, Eyes on the Future – Industry Planting Day Returns for 2025
Love Queenstown is thrilled to announce the return of the 2025 Industry Planting Day in collaboration with the Whakatipu Reforestation Trust, Skyline, and the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC). This year’s event builds on previous planting efforts at Jardine Park and promises to be a day full of action and inspiration.
Taking place on Thursday, 16 October, this event invites businesses across the region to roll up their sleeves and support climate and biodiversity action through native tree planting. With 2,000 native seedlings ready to go in the ground, this year’s industry planting day will take the collaborative total to over 4,000 plants at this site over the last two years.
“We’re proud to continue building momentum alongside our partners and volunteers,” Ash Bickley, Love Queenstown Community Fund Coordinator, says. “These planting days are about more than just trees – they’re about connection, collaboration, and giving back to the landscapes that define our region and support our tourism economy. Every plant in the ground is a step towards a more regenerative future.”
The day offers morning sessions (9am - 12pm) and afternoon sessions (12.30pm - 3.30pm), with volunteers also invited to explore the Whakatipu Reforestation Trust’s community nursery throughout the day.
Sararose Brown, Operations Manager at the Whakatipu Reforestation Trust, is thrilled to see more trees going into Jardine Park, one of the Trust’s keystone planting sites. She said the business community has always been important to achieving their vision of restoring native biodiversity in the Whakatipu basin. “We regularly run nursery sessions and working bees with our corporate partners so it’s wonderful to see a wider range of businesses involved through Love Queenstown.”
Alongside the lead partners, this event is supported by Trees that Count (with funding from Bupa), Air New Zealand’s Every Corner initiative, Patagonia, and Ryd who are offering discounted transport throughout the day.
Volunteers will enjoy tea, coffee, and refreshments throughout the day, plus a BBQ lunch courtesy of Skyline Queenstown. A professional photographer will also be on hand to capture the action.
Check out full event details and register at loveqt.co.nz
