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Hauraki Coromandel’s inaugural season of GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL – Kaitiaki has delivered strong restoration outcomes and marked a significant step forward for regenerative tourism in the region. The 2025 programme saw 1,264 native trees donated, 41 business supporters involved, contributors from 17 countries, and 11 community-led planting sites completed.
Across the winter and spring planting season, volunteers, visitors, school groups and tourism operators worked together on restoration projects throughout the region. Seedlings sourced from Pare Hauraki Nursery are already being grown for Season 2, with additional operators joining the initiative and new sites being identified.
The regional momentum aligns with broader national sentiment. Tourism New Zealand’s Views on Tourism: New Zealand (year ended September 2025) report shows increasing public interest in environmental action, with 52 per cent of New Zealanders wanting greater education to protect the environment, 39 per cent wanting tourism operators to contribute to environmental initiatives and 36 per cent wanting visitors to give back to Aotearoa.
GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL – Kaitiaki responds to this by translating community values into practical action.
Destination Hauraki Coromandel general manager Kylie Hawker-Green says the initiative recognises the need to protect the landscapes visitors come to experience.
“People visit Hauraki Coromandel for its landscapes and natural environment, so those places need to be protected. GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL – Kaitiaki was created as the action that enables tourism to give back. It brings visitors, operators and communities together to care for the whenua. Our vision is a region where biodiversity thrives and where tourism plays a direct role in leaving places better than before.”
Season 1 projects were spread across the region, including Mautohe Cathedral Cove, where locals, operators and visitors worked to support one of Aotearoa’s most iconic coastal sites. In Pūkorokoro, volunteers planted native species to strengthen habitat for migratory birds, while at Tangiaro the Tamariki for Trees initiative saw Hillary Outdoors students and the Moehau Environment Group begin work on a new reserve.
Pare Hauraki Nursery supervisor Jamie Nisbett says the community involvement has been encouraging.
“Every tree planted represents a commitment to restoring the whenua for future generations. Seeing school groups, operators and visitors planting eco-sourced native species shows that kaitiakitanga is thriving in Hauraki Coromandel.”
Tourism operators have supported the initiative by adding donation options to booking systems and taking part in planting days.
Cathedral Cove Kayaks owner Mike Grogan says the programme has strengthened connections between visitors and the environment.
“It is a privilege to operate in this beautiful place and we need to do whatever we can to protect and preserve it. GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL – Kaitiaki gives our customers a way to contribute to the land and sea they’ve just experienced. It’s changed the way we tell our story and the way people engage with our environment.”
Planning for Season 2 is underway, with new planting sites for 2026, expanded predator control support and more business supporters preparing to join. As the initiative grows, so does its environmental impact, strengthening biodiversity, community involvement and long-term regional resilience.
