Our story
The seed of The Forest Bridge Trust was planted when founders Kevin and Gill Adshead— who reintroduced kiwi to their family farm at Glorit in 2013— discovered that for the new residents to spread their flightless wings and thrive, they would need 10,000 hectares of predator-controlled habitat. This would be a challenge in itself, but they had an even bigger dream that one day, these west coast kiwis could safely roam and eventually meet up with their cousins over in Tāwharanui Regional Park. It was clear, to make the dream a reality, a team was needed to work with farmers and other landowners and the wider community to connect the landscape through fencing and planting and to improve the habitat by controlling pests and predators.
Gill and Kevin sought out other like-minded people with similar aspirations and in 2014 a farmer-initiated environment trust, The Forest Bridge Trust (TFBT) was created. The vision and mission of the trust were developed by farmers, other landowners, and local groups working to protect and enhance the environment where they live. Since those early days it has been recognised that more specialised people and many more resources were needed to turn the dream into reality. From a largely voluntary base of a few people with a big dream, the trust is now a substantially resourced and effective organisation actively achieving the vision of connecting, protecting and enhancing the landscape from coast to coast.
Kia Ora from Ana
As we navigate through this year’s planting season, I am pleased to share the latest updates and accomplishments from The Forest Bridge Trust... Read more »
In the news
Local Kiwi Population on the Rise: Join the Effort to Protect Them
Local Kiwi Population on the RiseJoin the Effort to Protect Them We are excited to share that local kiwi populations are continuing to grow! Ecologist Dr Virginia Moreno from The Forest Bridge Trust...
Wetlands Workshop Success Inspires Action in Northern Rodney
Wetlands Workshop Success Inspires Action in Northern Rodney It was fantastic to see more than 80 landowners and locals gather at the Whangaripo Valley Hall, just outside Matakana, to learn about...
Spring Sparks Community Conservation Across Rodney and Kaipara
Spring Sparks Community Conservation Across Rodney and KaiparaTFBT Events Spring 2024 Spring has been a fantastic opportunity for The Forest Bridge Trust to engage more people in local conservation...
Northland Kiwi Hui: Insights from The Forest Bridge Trust’s Team
Northland Kiwi HuiInsights from The Forest Bridge Trust’s Team Michelle, Charlie, and Virginia recently attended the Northland Kiwi Hui in Kaikohe, representing The Forest Bridge Trust. Centred...
Possum Control Update – August 2024
Possum Control UpdateAugust 2024 We’re pleased to provide an update on our local possum control project, made possible thanks to generous funding from Rodney Local Board. To date, 120 landowners in...
Our priority – building a Bridge
Our focus is working to achieve a predator controlled corridor of land from west to east. This is an area of 54,000 hectares connecting the existing wildlife sanctuaries at Mataia Restoration Project in the west to Tawharanui Regional Park in the east.
How we will build the Bridge
Our activities connect the landscape and people in the North Rodney region through focused activities:
Community Liaison
Ecology
Predator Control
Fencing and Riparian Planting
Education
We welcome your help
Your Support makes a big difference
getting involved