Wilderness Tours Regeneration Project
Wilderness Tours Regeneration Project aims to regenerate the land we operate in by planting native trees with our staff and visitors.OUR MISSION
Our mission is to regenerate the land we live and operate in by planting native trees and engaging Franz Josef Wilderness Tours staff and guests in the process.
In this project, we’re committed to enhancing biodiversity in the region. Ensuring we leave a lasting, positive impact on the environment that surrounds our tours.
A key driver is to involve our staff in meaningful conservation work during quieter periods, and to give back to our local community through hands-on restoration efforts that will benefit generations to come.
MORE INFO
- Inspired by the Tiaki Promise, our project is built on the belief that we all have a responsibility to care for the places we visit, work, and call home.
- Our vision is simple: leave more than we take. Through native planting and habitat restoration, we’re helping create healthier landscapes for future generations.
- Our first regeneration site is located within our Off Road Adventure Tour area, where land previously dominated by gorse is being restored with native species.
- The project supports our team, giving staff opportunities to take part in meaningful conservation work and connect more deeply with the environment they share with guests every day.
- This is just the beginning. As the project grows, we plan to expand planting areas, restore additional sites, and continue contributing to the long term health of the Franz Josef region.
WILDERNESS TOURS
REGENERATION PROJECT:
CHARITABLE TRUST
The Wilderness Tours Regeneration Project Charitable Trust is being established. This is our dedicated environmental initiative, focused on native tree planting and work site regeneration.
While the trust is being set up and registered, we’ve created a dedicated account within Franz Josef Wilderness Tours to hold and manage all regeneration-related funds transparently. Every dollar we receive goes directly toward native trees, planting costs, and conservation work. This will be transferred to the charitable trust once it’s fully established. We’re committed to full transparency and ensuring all funds are used for their intended purpose from day one.
MORE INFO
- Inspired by the Tiaki Promise, our project is built on the belief that we all have a responsibility to care for the places we visit, work, and call home.
- Our vision is simple: leave more than we take. Through native planting and habitat restoration, we’re helping create healthier landscapes for future generations.
- Our first regeneration site is located within our Off Road Adventure Tour area, where land previously dominated by gorse is being restored with native species.
- The project supports our team, giving staff opportunities to take part in meaningful conservation work and connect more deeply with the environment they share with guests every day.
- This is just the beginning. As the project grows, we plan to expand planting areas, restore additional sites, and continue contributing to the long term health of the Franz Josef region.
OUR FIRST DAY…
The first day of the Wilderness Tours Regeneration Project exceeded our expectations! It was a beautiful, warm winters day, with backdrop of the the Southern Alps and Glaciers. The Franz Josef Wilderness Tours team spent an afternoon planting native grasses and iris’s in the area where our quad bike test tracks take place. This area has long been part of the operation and has recently become over-run with gorse (an invasive plant species). We’ve spent the last few prepping the site for planting by removing trailer loads of gorse. At least we got to see the first plants make it into the ground.
The most exciting and unexpected part of our first day was the voluntary inclusion of our customers that afternoon! We had some guests joining and Off-Road Buggy Ride experience, and once they saw what we were doing they were keen to leave their mark in New Zealand by planting a tree on our site. This is an exciting glimpse of what we can incorporate into future tours. Read more about first day here.
What Tiaki Means To Us
We proudly support the Tiaki Promise. As locals who live and work in this remarkable part of New Zealand, we’re committed to caring for our environment, respecting wildlife and leaving this place better than we found it.
Keeping it local
We aim to source all our native plants from the local nursery and
planting project: Okarito Native Plant Trust. Keeping partnerships local further supports our local community.