Programme
The nursery
Where the plants come from. Not on the Cape at all.
A programme that runs continuously.
Where we are now
Almost every plant that goes into this hillside is raised by Forest & Bird’s chief propagator at their nursery in the Oamaru Public Gardens, who has increased production for the Cape. The trust pays a nominal amount per plant to cover propagation, and one of its trustees spends several hours a week there watering and repotting. By September 2026 the stock was down to mainly pittosporums, so plants are now bought in to grow on for the following season.
What it becomes
Enough locally grown stock, every season, to keep every block that is ready for plants supplied with them.
Why this matters
Every polygon on this map is rate-limited by one greenhouse. Plants raised here are adapted to here, and they cannot be bought in at short notice — the constraint is growing space, not money.
What needs to happen
2 of 4- Supply relationship established with Forest & Bird
- Production increased for the Cape
- Stock bought in and grown on to cover the shortfall
- Growing space expanded
A relationship, not a transaction
The propagator raises thousands of plants that are given to people rewilding North Otago. The trust’s per-plant payment covers his costs rather than buying his stock, and the limit on the whole restoration is how much room he has to grow things in.