Rarakau Forest Carbon Stories
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Ken McAnergney - Rarakau landowner and kau matua (elder)
"We manage our land at Rarakau for our future generations. The goal is to run a sustainable farm, pay our land taxes and be good conservation managers on our land. We need to generate revenue to pay for these things, but we didn't want to log the forest to get that revenue. This is why we agreed to protect the forest with a carbon credit project. We sell carbon credits instead of wood." "We want our mokopuna (grandchildren) to enjoy the sounds of the Tui, the Kaka, the Kiwi and maybe even one day the Kakapo. We also want to lead by example, in responsible sustainable management." |
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Mike Gibbs - Rarakau landowner
"Our forest carbon project is just great. It enables us to progress our economic development without having to cut our trees down. Our rivers are not being choked up with sediment because we are not logging the forest. The bird life is thriving and we are helping to protect the coastal waters." "The revenue from carbon credits has provided an income stream that can help us train our young people, develop our farm and provide future education and employment opportunities. It is also a show-piece for integrated land management for other indigenous landowners throughout the country." |