Rarakau – New Zealand
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About the project
The first rainforest carbon project in New Zealand, enabling the indigenous Māori to keep the forest for conservation and cultural purposes.
“The Land”, as the descendants call it, is owned by the Rowallan-Alton Incorporation (comprised of Māori decedents of the region) and is located in Te Waewae Bay on the coast between the Wairarakau (Rowallan Burn) and the Waikouau Rivers. These landowners hope to interact with their environment in the ways that their ancestors did before the “first contact” in New Zealand.
In 2007, Ekos reached out to the community to help them achieve this goal and change forest land-use from logging to ecosystem-protection. With further support from the Carbon Partnership and Ministry for Māori Development, this has been made possible through the creation of Plan Vivo carbon credits.
For us, this is more than a carbon project; it is the fulfilment of our ancestors’ vision of kaitiakitanga (guardianship), a healthy forest, thriving families, and a future where people and nature look after each other in reciprocity.
More projects
Find out more about other projects in the region or projects that use similar interventions.
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Loru Forest – Vanuatu
Generating income for the Serakar Clan, the traditional custodians of an important section of remnant rainforest.
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Drawa Rainforest – Fiji
Supporting the Fijian clans in protecting their rainforests, providing greater resilience against climate change.
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Babatana Rainforest – Solomon Islands
Providing alternative income sources to unsustainable industries such as mining and supporting the Sirebe tribe to protect their culturally significant and biodiverse rainforest.