Replanting Arrowtown’s Backcountry

Rationale have recently entered into a partnership with the Arrowtown Choppers, to support their aim to plant 18,000 native trees in the hills above Arrowtown, over the next three years.

Despite their name, the choppers aren’t a bunch of patched up bike enthusiasts. They were initially formed as a dedicated bunch of locals who took to Arrowtown’s backcountry, armed with chainsaws, loppers and various other weapons to rid the hills of wilding pines.

Their long-term goal is not just the removal of wilding species, but reintroduction of a mix of locally sourced native plants for biodiversity and selective non-spreading exotic trees to enhance Arrowtown’s brilliant autumn colours.

So successful have they been, through their hard work and the ability to secure significant grants from government, that they have now shifted to an ambitious plan to revegetate the areas once covered in pines.

Rationale have had a presence in Arrowtown for 22 years. Our team spends a lot of time exploring the tracks and trails behind Arrowtown and many of us have contributed to local chopping and planting days over the years. We have seen first-hand the huge improvements to the landscape and native birdlife that has been made through the Choppers’ efforts.

Needless to say, the decision to support the replanting phase of the project made perfect sense and was unanimously supported by the Rationale team. We have a strong focus on sustainability and environmental regeneration, so this was a no brainer for us

There are many similar groups across the country doing great things in this space and we’d encourage businesses to think about how they can support the cause in their area. These are all volunteer operations, so every dollar counts.

Our support will see around 830 trees planted a year. We’re going to do some modelling around how much carbon this will sequester over the next 50 years - but that’s a job for another day.

At the end of the day, the team here are stoked to contribute to such a worthy cause. The Choppers are doing awesome work and we’re happy to have the opportunity to lend a hand.

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