“If we’re to get on top of environmental challenges, we need to get a better appreciation of what we are working with”
ANDREW CUMMINS - DIRECTOR
ABOUT US
Our Founders and Journey.
For Andrew, it all started as a boy watching the drill on the back of the tractor as the barley in spring was sown into the ground. Meanwhile, Michelle’s journey was born from a childhood refusal to believe that the pollution of the river was necessary in order that the industry of the town succeed.
Our journey together has been one of curiosity and innovation, through the pioneering beginnings of the restoration movement in 2000, until today at the leading edge of direct native seeding technology.
Listening to Nature’s Secrets
Nature, the ultimate regenerator, holds many wisdoms. Our personal inquiries and observations have been rewarded as we’ve uncovered some of nature’s intelligence, developing and applying it to remediate ecologies like the earthquake affected lands of Christchurch and Kaikoura as well as wetlands, riparian margins and regional parks across the country.
The future seems poised for a collective journey as we all confront the changing climate, guided by human intelligence, technology and nature’s regenerative power.
Track Record
Having planted and hundreds of thousands of native plants over the past 20 years, we are now building upon the success of known and tested native restoration methods, with ongoing field research and industry innovation.
A Pivotal Development
In June 2017, Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) entrusted us with the native plantings in the post-quake Christchurch Port Hills Red Zone.
Compacted substrates and exposed gradients presented a considerable challenge to plant survival, compelling us to pioneer the Enviroblanket direct seeding of native species and compost-based revegetation technologies.
Key developments in our journey.
Proven Scalability
Our systems have been proven to effectively scale with increasingly larger projects successfully delivered year on year. From 100m2 restoration projects in 2017 to 1000m2 projects in 2018, 10,000m2 projects in 2019 to 100,000m2 restoration projects in 2020.
Pioneering ecological restoration for:
20+ years
Natives traditionally planted:
600,000+
Plastic waste saved by direct seeding and our plant pot recycling programme:
8.5+ tonnes
Enviroblanket®
direct seeding installed:
30+ hectares
Projects completed:
Nationwide
Our leadership team
Michelle Cummins
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Michelle is Red Tree’s CEO and has led the company’s vision from day one. She has a strong connection to nature which allows her to understand native ecology and the sensitive interactivity humans share with it. Michelle has 20+ years’ experience in horticultural and native ecological designs along with a passion for connecting communities to the native ecology they live in.
Contact Michelle
michelle@redtree.co.nz
Andrew Cummins
Horticultural Director
Andrew Cummins is Red Tree’s Horticultural Director and a leading Ecological Restoration Specialist with 20+ years experience. Andrew’s extensive research and development throughout his life led him to develop the Enviroblanket® direct seeding methodology.
Andrew is continually undertaking research and development in biomimicry, native seed psychology and the refinement of Enviroblanket® application, maintenance and monitoring.
Contact Andrew
021 775 468
andrew@redtree.co.nz
David Rothe
Contract Manager / Ecological Engineer
David Rothe is Red Tree’s Contract Manager, specialising in geotechnical, ecological, and natural resources engineering. David manages contractual obligations, client relations, planning, and reporting. As well as working closely with clients such as Christchurch City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council to provide innovative environmental solutions, David is our Chief Drone Pilot and manages all drone operations within the company.
Contact David
021 058 4338
david@redtree.co.nz
Morgan Fox
CHRISTCHURCH Operations Manager
Morgan is Red Tree’s Operations Manager at our Christchurch base. He looks after the mahi on the ground; managing our team, overseeing all health and safety, coordinating our volunteers, and collaborating with contractors to make things happen. With a Diploma of Natural Resources in Environment and Ecology, Morgan applies his management experience and love for nature to keep the Red Tree wheels turning.
Contact Morgan
021 223 3363
morgan@redtree.co.nz
David Knight
Wellington Operations Manager
David is Red Tree’s Wellington Operations Manager. Coming from a science and education background, he focuses on strategic planning to create efficiencies in operational plans.
He monitors plant health and maintenance requirements across Wellington regional projects and communicates effectively with client representatives. Additionally, David leads the native seed collection team for eco-sourcing in the Wellington region.
Contact David
027 350 4388
david.knight@redtree.co.nz