Environment & Conservation

Environment

The home of Rupert Red Deer is South Canterbury, New Zealand. We are privileged to farm 600ha across 3 properties, which range from rolling downs in the foothills through to flat land on the plains. Each farm is unique, with its own variations in soil types, climate and biodiversity values, which are recognized and managed using Farm Environment Plans.

We take our responsibilities as stewards of the land seriously. Our business depends on the longterm protection, conservation and replenishment of precious natural resources, and a balance of our farming activities with our greater environment. Our ideals match with the philosophy of kaitiakitanga in Maori culture, eloquently captured by the proverb “Ko ahau te awa, ko te awa ahau” (I am the river, the river is me). People are part of the environment, not superior to it.

To date, over 30ha has been retired from farming. A QEII covenant covers an original remnant of low-land native beech forest, which has important cultural significance to local iwi and provides valuable genetic material for eco-sourced plantings. Other areas include 7ha of mature kanuka, a valuable resource for local beekeepers and habitat for an array of native birds.

Our goal is to build on these small remnants that have persisted until present day, by expanding and connecting them through riparian and shelter plantings. We plant around 2000 native plants each year, with a growing proportion of trees propagated from seeds sourced on-farm. Eco sourcing helps to safeguard the evolutionary gains that have allowed plants to grow and thrive in our unique microenvironments and maintains biodiversity. These plantings will provide corridors for native fauna to travel throughout our farms and into the wider environment beyond.