The Natural Environment

OneFortyOne’s forests are important for the regional landscape, and are home to an array of native plants and animals.

Within our estate, we manage thousands of hectares of native vegetation areas also known as conservation inliers. These areas provide rich habitats for important native species, while our plantation forests host local and migratory birds. 

AUSTRALIA

We partner with conservation and research organisations such as Nature Glenelg Trust, as well as universities, to understand the impact of forestry practices on the environment and find new ways to protect and promote biodiversity across our estate. 

In 2024, we mapped some of the extraordinary biodiversity in the native wetlands and woodlands of our Green Triangle Forest Estate. 

NEW ZEALAND

Donald Creek Catchment Study 2020-2027

OneFortyOne New Zealand has partnered with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in a $2.7 million sediment study.

The project has established a long-term monitoring program within adjacent catchments in the OneFortyOne New Zealand Ltd (OFO) forest estate, to study the performance of sediment control practices utilised in forest harvesting. The catchments are of similar size-area, geology and topography, located in Pinus radiata plantations of similar age. The aim of the study is to determine the most effective ways of reducing sediment loss resulting from forestry.

This project is in collaboration with Cawthron Institute, Envirolink, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research and independent scientific consultants, with support from Tasman District Council. It is jointly funded by Ministry of Primary Industry and OneFortyOne. Read more Donald Creek Catchment Study 2020-2027 – One Forty One.

Kea research

OneFortyOne New Zealand has invested $100,000 with the Kea Conservation Trust over the past five years.

The funding has enabled research which has helped build valuable knowledge about how forestry operations can work alongside kea habitat while maintaining productive forestry. This understanding helps forestry companies make informed decisions about their operations and contributes to the growing body of knowledge about kea behaviour.

Key findings include:

• Kea regularly visit plantation forests
• Plantation pine forests provide both food resources and nesting opportunities
• The edge habitat between plantation blocks creates diverse feeding zones
• Forestry operations can be modified to protect and enhance kea habitat while maintaining
  productive forestry.

Industry guidelines for kea protection
The forestry industry has taken proactive steps to protect kea through the development and implementation of comprehensive operational guidelines. These guidelines, developed by the Kea Conservation Trust with funding from OneFortyOne, provide a framework for forestry operations in kea habitat and are now used throughout the industry.

The guidelines recognise that kea visiting forestry operations are typically young birds that ‘mob up’ at different times of the year. These juvenile birds, identifiable by their yellow colouring around eyes, nostrils and mandible, are naturally curious and prone to exploring new objects with their beaks.

Key operational protocols include:

• A strict ‘no feeding’ policy to prevent kea becoming dependent on human food.
• Practical measures such as securing food waste.
• Specific protections for nesting sites, including 200 m setbacks from active nests.
• Requirements for reporting kea sightings and monitoring breeding behaviour.
• Clear procedures for managing kea interactions with machinery and equipment, including the requirement to maintain a ‘kea-kit’ with covers and tarpaulins to protect machinery and equipment from damage.

To learn more, read the paper first published in the New Zealand Journal of Forestry, Volume N.Z.J.For. 2025, Issue N.Z.J.For. 69(4) 2025, pp Pages 30-33, Feb 2025.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PAPER: https://cms.onefortyone.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Final_Reeves.pdf.