Many groups start with lots of enthusiasm but soon learn that planting at a catchment scale is different from planting on a single farm. It takes good planning, teamwork, strong relationships, and a clear purpose.
This is a practical guide for new catchment groups. It draws on workshops with established groups and shares the advice, lessons, and information they wish they had when they were first getting started.
The Secret Formula: How Catchment Groups Build Trust and Deliver Environmental Results – New Zealand Association of Resource ManagementWhen communities are empowered to lead with solutions that work for their land and water, supported by credible science and the right people, they can achieve remarkable environmental outcomes.”
Richard Kyte, Thriving Southland
Before any project begins, it’s important for the group to agree on its purpose. A shared purpose keeps everyone moving in the same direction and makes decisions easier.
Common goals include:
There’s no single “right” goal. What matters is that everyone understands the purpose and agrees on it. A clear purpose helps keep the project on track, especially when challenges come up or funding cycles change.
Working together at a catchment scale can achieve outcomes that are difficult for individual landowners to achieve alone.
Catchment groups come in all shapes and sizes. There is no single way to organise a group, but several common approaches are used.
Before choosing a structure for your group, it's important to understand the support already available. Catchment Collectives are being established across New Zealand to support local catchment groups. You will likely have a Catchment Collective that represents your area and can help your group get started. They can provide advice, resources, expertise, and coordination.
With this support, many catchment groups can keep their structure simple and focus on their local priorities, without needing to set up a formal organisation.
Informal structures work well when the community is small, people know each other well, and trust is high. Decisions can be made through open discussion.
Formal structures may work better for larger or more diverse groups, groups that manage funding, or groups with limited time to make decisions together.
Whether your group is formal or informal, it's important to agree on how the group will work. This helps reduce confusion and keeps people engaged over time.
Your group should usually have:
Once your group is established, the next step is understanding your catchment and identifying where action will have the greatest impact.
Catchments are networks and what happens in one part affects areas upstream and downstream. That’s one reason why thinking at a catchment scale is different from thinking only about individual properties. The project’s success depends on working together as a team across the community.
When scoping your catchment work, ask:
Combined projects work better because one site can solve several problems at once. Planting native trees along a stream bank holds the soil to stop erosion. Those same plants filter runoff before it enters the water and create habitat for native birds.
A clear catchment purpose, even a simple one, provides direction and keeps people motivated. A perfect plan isn’t necessary. Clarity and teamwork are far more important.
Consider doing local science projects to monitor the baseline health of your catchment and understand risk areas and water quality issues. This information can inform your decision and help you see the difference your actions are making. Monitoring over time can help measure your success.
Groups use several tools to choose planting sites such as:
Planting works best where landowners genuinely want the project outcomes to succeed and are prepared to maintain the planting area.
Catchment restoration is as much about people as it is about plants. Motivated landowners lead to better results. Projects tend to work well when landowners ask for planting help, invest time or money, and understand why planting is happening on their land.
Where landowners feel pushed, planting often fails or isn’t maintained.
Small conversations are powerful. Rather than large meetings, groups have found one-on-one conversations, small cluster meetings or breaking the catchment into smaller planning areas can work better.
Good records make life easier. Track costs from the start, like plants, labour, fencing, spraying, and maintenance. This helps with funding applications, reporting, and future planning.
Groups manage planting in different ways:
Choose a system that fits your group’s capacity, funding, and local culture. Be mindful that the landowners within the catchment area need to be at the centre of decision making to achieve good outcomes and maintain ownership and long-term momentum. This is important during group set up and throughout the project to enable enduring change.
Some groups survey their community to understand future needs, improve processes, identify burnout, monitor success and set new priorities. This keeps the group strong and reduces pressure on volunteers.
Landowners need to trust the catchment group’s intentions, and this can take some time. It can take time for the group to form and landowners to slowly join, so be patient and continue to engage with landowners over time.
Plant supply is a major part of catchment work. Securing the right plants, at the right time, is essential.
Catchment groups source native plants through several reliable methods. Many groups buy from commercial nurseries or set up a community nursery. Others partner with local growers or hire contractors who source their own plants. Some collect local seeds and hire a grower to raise them. Groups can also save money by buying small seedling trays and potting them until they are ready to plant.
Nurseries provide expert advice on selecting the right species and eco-sourcing. They can help your group plan and secure large orders well before planting starts.
Order your plants early, sometimes up to a year in advance, to secure the stock you need.
Community nurseries can succeed, but groups warn that they require significant commitment. They need reliable volunteers or paid staff, strong leadership, and a solid business case. Your group must also secure several years of planting projects to justify the ongoing setup.
Some community nurseries eventually become commercial due to their size and plant demand.
Once you've secured your plant supply, the next step is developing a planting plan that gives those plants the best chance of survival. A comprehensive planting plan helps ensure the right species are chosen for the right place and purpose. The plan should cover points such as:
Prepare planting sites well in advance, especially if spraying is needed.
Choose your site carefully to give young plants the best chance of survival. Assess the soil type, moisture levels, wind and sun exposure, and frost risk. Make sure vehicles and planting crews can easily access the area for planting and maintenance. Plants drying out is a major cause of failure, especially on steep slopes and exposed ridges.
Match each species to the specific land type, whether it is a wetland, riparian, hill country or frost-prone area. If wild animals or stock are nearby, choose species that are less palatable to reduce damage. Use pioneer species (like mānuka and kānuka) on dry hill country to shelter later plantings. Choose tougher species for harsh sites.
Fencing should be done before planting. Check that existing fences are stock proof. Build dedicated deer and goat fencing if needed. Plan for any required earthworks, and set aside budget and time for ongoing fence maintenance.
Sometimes, rather than planting, natural regeneration can provide tree cover over time.
Natural regeneration can be a cost-effective option where there is enough rainfall, nearby seed sources, and good soil moisture. Weed and browsing animal management is often needed to support success.
Natural regeneration works best where:
Assess the site carefully to determine whether natural regeneration, planting, or a combination of both is the most suitable approach.
Support regeneration by controlling pests and weeds and planting a small number of native species to increase diversity.
Planting time varies by region, so get local advice. In cold or exposed areas, consider using larger plants.
Plan how you will access the planting site. Wet winter conditions and steep hills can make access difficult, so side-by-side vehicles or quad bikes can save time.
If plants arrive before you are ready to plant, store them in the shade. Keep them damp and protect them from stock and browsing animals.
When plants arrive, check height, root collar diameter, and root health. Avoid plants that are root-bound or too top-heavy.
Young native plants cannot easily compete against fast-growing weeds and pasture grass. Proper site preparation before planting is essential. Tougher sites may need multiple weed treatments. Releasing young plants by clearing surrounding weeds is critical for their survival. Monitor your plants regularly to ensure weeds are not smothering them. Monitoring is required for many years (not just the year of planting).
Experienced catchment groups continue to learn and refine their approach over time. They focus on better engagement with their communities and iwi. They work hard to avoid volunteer burnout and build farmer knowledge of native forest establishment, pest control and other issues.
Groups continue to work on securing long-term funding and managing "boom and bust" in project funding.
Consider these points when you are planning your catchment project:
Growing native forest at a catchment scale is about more than trees. It’s about people, land, and long-term resilience. It takes patience, collaboration, and a clear purpose.
Every catchment is different, and no single approach will work everywhere. Learning from the experiences of other groups can help you avoid common challenges and focus efforts where they will have the greatest impact. The work you do today can contribute to healthier waterways, more resilient landscapes, and stronger communities for years to come.