Boots on the Ground: Experiencing the Full Circle of Carbon Projects
Emma Crane at forest site.
Author: Emma Crane, Carbon Analyst, Ekos
I had my high-vis and my hiking boots on - excited to be on the ground doing fieldwork and seeing the whole system in action—from collecting field data to selling offsets to clients.
I started working for Ekos as a carbon analyst, helping clients measure their carbon footprint, reduce emissions, and offset the rest. I love this work—it feels meaningful and impactful - but I’d always been curious about the other side of the team: the nature-based solutions (NBS) crew. How do they know how many credits each project can generate? How is this measured? And what does it take to get a project started?
On July 15th, I had the opportunity to join Aimee, Ekos’ NBS team leader, for fieldwork at a site near Invercargill called Orepuki. First of all, it just felt amazing to be out of the office and back on the land. Meeting the people involved at the heart of making this all happen, made the work feel even more real. That first afternoon, after walking the site and talking through landmarks, we began looking under gorse for native seedlings. Coming from Colorado, I had no idea what I was looking for—but with Aimee’s guidance, I spotted my very first baby wineberry. “Aimee! Aimee! Is this one?” Sure enough, it was. I was over the moon.
Identifying native species is a critical part of this work, because they are what count towards the project’s eligibility in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Every seedling found represents the potential for the forest to regenerate, locking away more carbon and restoring biodiversity. It’s the foundation of proving that a project is genuinely delivering climate and ecological benefits.
The next morning, it was an early start—no rolling out of bed with a coffee and laptop this time. By 7 a.m., I was back in my soggy hiking boots, grabbing a classic cheese toastie and coffee from a tiny NZ café before heading out. The whole day was spent trekking from waypoint to waypoint, assessing different types of land: pre-1990 forest, thick gorse, and boggy wetlands. At each point, we recorded which native species we found, measured their height, and took photos. By midday, my feet were soaked, but thankfully Aimee had thought ahead and brought gumboots for me—a lifesaver!
That evening, we warmed up with a cosy dinner nearby, and the next day we went back out to finish the remaining waypoints. This time, I took the lead on the GPS while Aimee recorded the data. Navigating to each point felt like a scavenger hunt, and with every native species we identified, I could see more clearly how this work builds the backbone of a carbon project.
By the time we wrapped up and said goodbye to people on site, I felt like I had experienced the full circle of Ekos’ work—from gathering data in the field, to building projects, to delivering carbon credits to clients. The experience was unforgettable, and I’m so grateful for the chance to be part of it. I can’t wait for the next field trip!
Aimee Hyland (left) and Emma Crane (right) holding native seedlings - about to be planted.