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.
\n\n\n\nThe 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.
\n\n\n\nPlanting 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.
\n\n\n\nPlanting the banks of our waterways has the following benefits:
\n\n\n\nWe 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.
\n\n\n\nThere’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.
\n\n\n\nOceans 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.
\n\n\n\nAnd 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.
\n\n\n\nWhere: SBN are partnered with several local Auckland nature projects. See the full list of projects here.
\n\n\n\nMinimum donation: $10. Your donation will contributes to essential parts of these projects including, plants, education, administration, and other overhead costs.
\n\n\n\nHow: You can add a donation while you’re booking your safari, or talk to our friendly crew while you’re on board.
\n\n\n\nWhen: Fundraising occurs year-round.
\n\n\n\nAuckland Whale and Dolphin Safari passengers have helped fund the following projects to date:
\n\n\n\nBetween 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.
\n","excerpt":"Info about our support of the Connect for Nature programme, helping offset our carbon emissions
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