Refresh is committed to making a difference

In March 2018, we became supporters of the Million Metres Streams project. Their mission is to restore the banks of New Zealand’s Waterways one plant at a time. As the name suggests, the plan is to plant one million metres of native trees and plants along the compromised waterways of New Zealand.
This initiative was brought about due to the deteriorating state of our country’s waterways. Forestry, farming, and human habitation activities have cleared the plant life which is necessary to prevent erosion and keep our waterbeds shaded and cool. These changes have disrupted the natural activity of our streams and rivers, and recent statistics show that 62% of our lowland rivers have more pathogens than are safe to swim in. Planting native trees and plants will create shade over lowland waterways which will reverse the process eutrophication and allow our rivers to stay clean, cool, and support an abundance of natural wildlife.
We’ve had an exciting update of the progress so far: As a result of members efforts and donations, the Million Metres project has since planted 5,600 native trees and helped restore 760 meters of New Zealand Waterways in 10 New Zealand Rivers!

The projects that members helped so far include:

• Rangihoua Wetland, Waiheke Island
• Otara Creek, South Auckland
• Silver Stream, Christchurch
• Waipuka Stream, Hawke’s Bay
• Te Onetea Stream, Hamilton
• Big Bay Pond, Awhitu Peninsula
• Wairoa River, Clevedon
• Matuku Link Wetland, Waitakere
• Bullock Creek, Wanaka
• A tributary of the Selwyn River, Christchurch Refresh Renovations is a strong advocate of a sustainable future and will continue to support this worthwhile cause. You too can support a planting project at millionmetres.org.nz.