CUE Haven Native Forest Carbon Project
Te Ngāhere -The Forest
2007
Now
2024
CUE Haven, owned and managed by the CUE Haven Community Trust, is a 24+ hectare former dairy and beef farm that has been restored by the community into native forest and a thriving eco-sanctuary for plant, bird, animal and aquatic life.
The property was primarily kikuyu pastures, degraded wetlands and some native bush remnants. A headwater stream from the property feeds into the Araparera River which flows into the Kaipara Harbour, 2 km from CUE Haven.
Restoration work started in 2008. Initial pioneer plantings consisted largely of manuka, kanuka, karamu and other fast growing native species. Pioneer planting was completed in 2017 and since then enhancement plantings of long lived forest trees (kauri, kahikatea, puriri, rimu, totara, taraire, tanekaha, etc.) have been ongoing.
Since 2008 there has also been extensive pest control with bait stations and various traps throughout the property to control rats, possums and mustelids. Plant and animal pest control is ongoing with the positive results of natural self-seeding of new forest growth and an increase in native bird and invertebrate species
Bird life has returned with permanent populations of kereru, kotare, piwakawaka, riroriro, ruru, and tauhou observed.
The restoration work has also rehabilitated the stream and wetlands with an increase in native fauna such as kokopu and koura and beneficial downstream impact on the Araparera River and Kaipara Harbour.
Te Tāngata -The People
The landowners who started the restoration project became concerned about the effect of grazing and the lack of public reserves in fast expanding Auckland. They decided to discontinue grazing and restore the farm into a native nature reserve for the community to use for education and quiet enjoyment.
Grazing ceased and restoration of the property began in 2008. Since then, over 5,500 volunteers have planted out the entire property with more than 175,000 native trees and built over 3+km of walking tracks and boardwalks so visitors can explore the reserve and get the benefits of being in nature. In 2020 a viewing platform, Te Rite o Taranaki, accessible via the walking track network and overlooking the ngahere and the Kaipara Harbour, was built.
The restoration work has been carried out almost exclusively by volunteers. Local schools, community groups and businesses have been involved with planting, constructing walking tracks and boardwalks, and continue to help with weed and pest control and track and other maintenance work.
In 2017, once the entire property had been planted with pioneer trees, the landowners established the CUE Haven Community Trust, a NZ registered charity, and gifted the restored CUE Haven property to the Trust. A diverse group of community trustees oversee the management and maintenance of CUE Haven. CHCT relies on donations and grants to develop and manage CUE Haven. Proceeds from the sale of carbon credits will be deposited in the CUE Haven Endowment Fund to generate revenue that will fund conservation work into perpetuity.
C-U-E stands for Cultivating Understanding and Enlightenment. CUE Haven's vision is "To be a thriving, self-sustaining, community native forest reserve, where people from diverse backgrounds come together to engage with nature and each other to enjoy, learn about and celebrate New Zealand’s natural, cultural and historical heritage."
Countless individuals and organisations have contributed to creating the CUE Haven community reserve. CUE Haven is an excellent example of individuals, the public and private sectors all working together for the common good, to develop something special and leave a legacy - a community native forest reserve for generations to enjoy. https://cuehaven.com/supporter-archive/
Wāhi - The Location
CUE Haven is in the North Island in Araparera, Auckland – an hour northwest of downtown Auckland, along SH16.
Technical Stuff
The CUE Haven restoration project is being undertaken under the Permanent Forest Category of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. The project issues New Zealand Units (NZUs) based on New Zealand Government rules for carbon sequestration rates by indigenous forest.
Once the NZUs are sold to a carbon offset buyer, they are cancelled in the New Zealand Emissions Trading Registry so they cannot be used by (or sold to) anyone else.
CUE Haven
Project Name
18 ha
Project Area
CUE Haven Community Trust
Project Owner
CUE Haven Community Trust
Project Developer
Araparera, Auckland
Project Location
Cattle grazing, kikuyu pastures with gorse, degraded wetlands.
Baseline Scenario
Permanent native forest protection as well as green space for community to use for education and quiet enjoyment.
Project Scenario
Afforestation/reforestation (A/R): Enhanced natural regeneration
Activity Type
Carbon sequestration; biodiversity conservation; water quality protection; climate resilience freely accessible green space for the community
Project Benefits
175,000+
Trees Planted
1,115 tCO2e
Carbon Credits Issued
New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme - Permanent Forest Category
Carbon Credit Standard
Ministry for Primary Industries
Verifier
Carbon Credit Registry
Whāia Te Pūtea - Follow The Money
Conservation costs money. The main cost elements are:
Establishing a forest. This forest was established by volunteers planting trees with funding assistance from public donations and contestable grants.
Conservation management costs. This includes pest and weed control, enhancement planting, forest monitoring, the administration of the carbon project (carbon returns, registry account management and general administration, maintenance of tracks and other infrastructure to enable safe and free access to visitors.
To ensure financial sustainability, the trustees have established an Endowment Fund. All proceeds from the sale of carbon credits will be deposited in the Endowment Fund. The principal amount of the money in this fund will never be used and only the income derived will be used to pay for the maintenance of CUE Haven.
Proceeds from the sale of carbon credits deposited in the CUE Haven Endowment Fund will continue to generate revenue into perpetuity. This will create the linkage between the ongoing environmental benefits of the carbon sequestration and maintenance of the ngahere. This will also ensure that visitors never have to pay an entry fee to enjoy a well maintained, native nature reserve. A great legacy to leave to our planet and future generations.
Opportunity costs. This is the revenue that the landowner has given up to enable forest conservation to happen.
In this project the previous landowner gave up grazing revenue, restored the land and then gifted the entire property to the community.
The current landowner, the CUE Haven Community Trust, has given up revenue from entry fees to enable the community to enjoy nature and experience the benefits of a thriving eco sanctuary without having to pay an entry fee.
Join the CUE Haven community to leave an enduring legacy by purchasing carbon credits, giving a donation or leaving a bequest to the CUE Haven Endowment Fund. www.cuehaven.com