AWADS x Sustainable Business Network
A Partnership To Counteract Our Carbon Emissions
In April 2019, Auckland Whale and Dolphin Safari partnered with Million Metres. An initiative of the Sustainable Business Network, Million Metres aimed to raise the funds to restore one million metres of New Zealand’s waterways with native plants and trees.
The Million Metres programme has been redeveloped into a new programme, Connect for Nature. While restorative waterway planting remains important, the new programme supports projects that have a more diverse range of environmental and social outcomes. We are continuing to support this programme as we believe that restoring land, river and stream ecosystems has a positive impact on our precious moana.
The Facts About New Zealand’s Waterways
- 82% of rivers in farming areas and 94% of waterways in urban areas are unsafe for swimming
- In farming areas, water pollution affects almost all rivers and aquifers, with high levels of nutrients, sediment and pathogens
- Urban waterways contain many of the same pollutants but typically at even higher levels and in addition contain other pollutants such as heavy metals
- 76% of freshwater fish species are now classified as ‘at risk’ of extinction
Why support land restoration?
Planting native plants and trees along the banks of our streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands is a great way to improve water quality and enhance native biodiversity.
Planting the banks of our waterways has the following benefits:
- Helps prevent stream bank erosion and therefore reducing sediment entering the water
- Helps stop phosphorus and industrial contaminants from entering the water
- Shades the water, which lowers water temperatures and improves habitat for native fish
- Increases habitat for native birds and insects
- Takes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
Why this programme?
We have decided to promote Connect for Nature as we believe that it is important to restore New Zealand’s waterways as well providing an option for passengers to counteract some of their carbon emissions.
There’s no denying that our tours operate on board a 20-metre catamaran which runs on fuel. We acknowledge that this causes carbon emissions, which contributes to the global carbon emission problem.
Oceans and trees are two of the main carbon sinks around the world. We work to help protect the oceans every day through our marine research programmes. One of the other ways we’re all able to protect the ocean is by supporting the restoration New Zealand’s waterways. By promoting the Connect for Nature programme we are supporting local land-based regeneration projects.
And of course streams and rivers lead to the ocean – so by supporting projects that restore our local waterways, we’re also helping protect and preserve our precious Hauraki Gulf/Tikapa Moana Marine Park.
What happens to your donation?
Where: SBN are partnered with several local Auckland nature projects. See the full list of projects here.
Minimum donation: $10. Your donation will contributes to essential parts of these projects including, plants, education, administration, and other overhead costs.
How: You can add a donation while you’re booking your safari, or talk to our friendly crew while you’re on board.
When: Fundraising occurs year-round.
Previous Projects
Auckland Whale and Dolphin Safari passengers have helped fund the following projects to date:
- ‘Love Omaru Stream’ project (East Auckland)
- ‘More Love For Rangihoua’ project (Waiheke Island)
- ‘Love our Wetlands, Waiheke’ project (Waiheke Island)
Between April 2019 and August 2025 our passengers donated nearly $17,000 which contributed to the planting of over 1 million native plants and trees across 70 projects.
