One Visit, One Tree Planted
As part of Nature Keeps Score, I donated funds to plant 56 native trees through Trees That Count, 24 trees in recognition of student participation at Napier Girls’ High School, and 32 trees for contributions at MDS. These planted trees are a living extension of the project a small but lasting outcome rooted in community involvement and care. Over time, these 56 trees could:
Remove 12.4 tonnes of CO₂e - the equivalent of a return flight between Auckland and London
Restore 162 m² of land - about half a tennis court
Support biodiversity - helping create habitat for kererū, tūī, geckos, and other native species
A collective record of climate emotions, participants stamped, wrote, and shared their reflections in the Nature Keeps Score participation book.
What We Choose Matters
Action isn’t only about what we support, it’s also about what we consciously reject. We vote with our time, our energy, and our choices. Disinvestment is a form of action. Choosing better over business-as-usual is how real shifts take root.
A small takeaway for participant, pressed seed paper paired with a Trees That Count postcard, symbolising both reflection and regeneration. Trees That Count is a New Zealand initiative that supports the planting of native trees to restore biodiversity and combat climate change.
“A heartfelt thank you to both groups for taking part, for your time, energy, and willingness to engage. Your voices and creative input became something lasting, and this project is stronger because of you.”
A resource prototype created to offer gentle guidance and support. Designed with a trauma-informed approach, the booklet shares climate emotion insights and reflections in a format that’s approachable, personal, and made with care, a way of handling these complex subjects with the sensitivity they deserve.
Materials:
Gouache and acrylic paint on plywood. Hand-painted type. Radial layout inspired by tree rings and Nightingale diagrams.
Sources:
Project Drawdown, IPCC, UNEP, Ministry for the Environment (NZ), He Pou a Rangi, and other global and local innovators.
Each action is grounded in science, culture, or proven climate practice because every level of change matters.
Booklet:
A printed booklet beside this piece offers more: reflections from the project, emotional coping strategies, and simple climate actions.
It’s a working prototype, still evolving and open to revision, feedback, and peer review.