Spaceships Caring for the Environment

Hire a Spaceship now and plant a tree for free!

Space Travellers now have the chance to plant a tree for free to help offset their own emissions when they stay at Spaceships' camping ground ‘The Barn' in Marahau, on the edge of the Abel Tasman National Park. They can also enjoy camping and secure parking for FREE at this amazing spot.

On an even larger scale we have continued with our planting initiative in Children's Bay in Akaroa (south-east of Christchurch) with over 35,000 trees and plants being planted over the last four years (see full details below). For every Spaceship hire starting after 1 June 2009 the company will plant a tree on the customer's behalf in this area.

Spaceships New Zealand has undertaken a huge initiative in the fight against climate change. Our major shareholder has planted over 35,000 trees and plants since the Company's launch in late 2004. Throughout the research and development prior to Spaceships' launch our team were aware that building a fleet of rental vehicles would have an impact on the environment so it was decided by the Company's main shareholder to do our best to minimise our impact and balance out the carbon emissions of Spaceship hires. Three months after Spaceships opened their doors, we started putting together ideas for a large scale native planting scheme to take place in Akaroa (only 1 hour from Christchurch).

Plants were researched and selected for their hardiness, quick growth rate and good seed rate so native birds would be attracted back to the area and help disperse the seeds. All the plants selected were endemic to Akaroa and locally sourced.

The aims of the project are to enhance the small pockets of native bush and establish new areas of native vegetation especially in the gullies and on land that is prone to erosion. We hope to achieve this through continuous year by year planting. This would help promote the native vegetative corridors needed for indigenous birds and fauna. In turn these birds will disperse seed helping with the revegetation process.

The creek below was also enhanced by forming ponds and waterways creating a natural wetland for birds and indigenous fish. This has given the public a peaceful backdrop to enjoy at the Childrens Bay car park area.

Ecologically appropriate plants adapted to different soil conditions depending on and robustness were chosen. They also needed to be endemic to the Akaroa district. Mainly quick growing tough species were chosen to compete with pasture, weeds and pests. Phormiums were also chosen for their abundance of nectar in the hope that the Tui may one day return to the peninsula and these will be a great food source for them.

Planting and maintenance will continue to be a regular yearly cycle to achieve an area of ecological importance.

Specific area planting and plant species used.

7-11 June 2005: Planting Area 2
Total Plants 4487
Phormium tenax, Griselinia littoralis,Griselinia lucida, Coprosma robusta and Pseudopanax arboreus, Coprosma, Corokia cotoneaster and Melicope

18-23 August 2005: Replant Jute Mats and maintenance Area 2
2300 plants.

16-24 Oct 2005: Planting and Rock work Pond Area
Planting around Pond with 12 large grade Totara.
Placed rocks around ponds to create water falls in winter when there is more water.

7-11 March 2006 Spot spraying Areas 1, 3 and 4.
Area 1 - 3250 Spots
Area 3 - 4200 Spots
Area 4 - 600 Spots

9-23 April 2006 Planting Areas 1, 3, 4 Bund and Driveway
Area 1 Total Plants 3760
Area 3 Total Plants 4140
Bund and Driveway Total plants 4715

27 Aug - 3 Sept 2006 Oak Block
Planted and put wooden cages around 30 Scarlet Oaks.
Planted 600 Poa cita on bund and on front bank.

Oct 2006
Order plants for 2007. Area 5

16 - 21st July Planting Area 5
Big setback, cattle managed to get through fence on the boundary and proceeded to chew back any plant in sight. Most plants suffering browsing but didn’t touch Podocarpus totara or Ngaio, Phormium chewed slightly .

18th aprox 1300 trees planted.
19th Planted aprox 1100 trees.
20th planting aprox 1500 plants

Shifted to Area 4 where we replanted and planted more of Area 4.
21st assessed cattle damage and Planted another 700 plants in Area 4.