New Zealand’s significant net zero carbon emissions by 2050 milestone will push every one of us to make considerable changes about our daily choices.
As climate marches and activists strengthen their demand for less talk and more action, we’re warned that marketing small-step sustainability changes won’t be enough to cut the mustard. If we’re to achieve net zero carbon emissions, we must make big strides on our sustainability journey. We need more conversations about conservation, and we need collective change.
As New Zealand’s largest natural health and wellness online retailer, HealthPost has been proactive supporter of sustainability and conservation initiatives since day one. We’re a proud finalist in this year’s Sustainable Business Awards that celebrate businesses who are minimising their carbon footprint and looking after their environment and people. Business as it should be - working not just for profit, but also for the communities in which they serve, and in our shared surrounding environment.
With one of the most environmentally significant wildernesses on our doorstep, we’re passionate about looking after our own backyard of Golden Bay.
Becoming a Certified Zero Carbon Business Operations with Ekos this year required stringent measurement and offsetting of carbon emissions. We’ve achieved this through generating our own electricity, purchasing an EV for local travel, and through government-issued indigenous forest credits from our local region, three of the four projects are based in Mohua, Golden Bay – including our own carbon forest.
We want to bring our native birds and wildlife back. It’s in our nature. Farewell Spit and Wharariki are in our beautiful Mohua -Golden Bay, a unique and internationally recognised ecosystem for migratory birds and an environmentally significant area for its biodiversity value. It’s also culturally significant area for local iwi.
Over 90 bird species have been recorded there and most have a conservation status of declining or threatened. HealthPost together with community volunteers, Department of Conservation, and local iwi, Manawhenua ki Mohua, has been monitoring and protecting remnant populations of threatened species including Titi and the rare Nelson Green Gecko. We’re working hard to help restore and protect the ecosystems in the area.
The HealthPost Nature Trust was established in 2017, committing $100,000 annually towards conservation efforts. To date, HealthPost has raised over $1.35m, planted over 13,000 nature plants, placed 280 predator traps across eight trap lines, predator-fenced around 3Ha of the Wharariki Ecosanctuary for endangered seabirds, and built Te Whare Whakatā field station at Farewell Spit for conservation activities and whale rescues with Project Jonah.
HealthPost Chair and passionate conservationist, Peter Butler, dedicates half his time to the Trust, working with conservation experts to facilitate research visits, and with community volunteers and conservation groups, including Predator Free 2050.
In September 2021, the Trust joined in partnership with Manawhenua ki Mohua and Tasman Environmental Trust to lead a wider Onetahua Restoration project for an ambitious $9m pest eradication programme across 12,000Ha of the North-Western side of Golden Bay. If the feasibility study is positive and the project goes ahead it could create up to 50 jobs.
“This is a bold vision, but one we are passionate about, working with the community to bring the birds and other native wildlife back to this special part of the world,” says Peter Butler.
Learn more about our conservation efforts through the HealthPost Nature Trust.