New Zealand is inviting people to plant a tree in the Forest of Hope and start 2021 on a positive note

12-12-2020

In a first, New Zealand wants to inspire the world to welcome 2021 on a positive note. It has partnered with Trees That Count to invite people to plant a tree in the Forest of Hope, which will be a new forest of native trees, representing regrowth and hope for the new year ahead. Referring to this, Sarah Handley, General Manager for Americas and Europe at Tourism New Zealand, said �In New Zealand, the Te Reo M?ori values of manaaki and tiaki have become incredibly relevant today. Manaaki speaks to the importance of having empathy and tiaki inspires us to care for people and place.� She added that while the borders remain closed to international visitors, they want to extend a little manaaki (extending respect and hospitality to others) and encourage a sense of tiaki (to care for people and place) to those who are in need of some optimism for the New Year. New Zealand Tourism has teamed up with Trees That Count, a New Zealand conservation charity, to launch this said Forest of Hope initiative, which will be planting trees in Queenstown and Northland. The conservation charity, founded in November 2016, is on a mission to plant 200 million native trees across New Zealand by creating a community marketplace, where they will connect tree planters and tree funders. Those interested in this program, can donate a tree via Trees That Count website, wherein they will also be able to track their journey online. Those planting trees via the website will receive email notifications once their tree has been planted. Officials from the conservation charity and New Zealand Tourism are of the view that donors will one day be able to visit the trees they�ve helped to plant.