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When Tasti's Executive Chairman, Simon Hall, wanted to do something to help conserve New Zealand's endangered species, he set about it in a typical Kiwi way: with a can-do attitude and a bit of DIY. Simon took over from his father John as Chairman of the company in 1996. A few years later, he bought a remote block of native forest in Hawkes Bay, intending to use it for rest and recreation. But, as Simon soon discovered, the land was home to a lot more than a few pigs and deer. "We had quite a few rare and endangered species," says Simon. "And if we weren't going to do something, no one was." And so the Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust was born. "It wasn't hard to start doing things in a small way," recalls Simon. "Then it gradually built up and now we are doing more and more."

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A TEAM EFFORT FROM TASTI

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Tasti staff get to help Simon with the project. Not content with releasing Kiwi into the forest he is also unleashing his accountants, marketers and technologists. The Tasti team helps out in many ways, including egg collection and releasing the young birds. It's no cushy trip to the country. Egg collection usually involves waiting in the bush up until 4 a.m. for the Kiwi to get off the nest, before carefully transporting them back to civilisation. Kiwi eggs are very fragile and the team has to act as human shock absorbers on the bumpy car trip back to the hatchery.

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TASTI'S PHILOSOPHY IN ACTION

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The Tasti approach has always been, "If you use the best ingredients, you get the best results", a philosophy that carries through to the trust's work. Simon assembled a team of the best specialists in their fields - Kiwi catchers, project managers, kiwi scientists and hatchery experts - with predictably successful results. The Trust released its 100th chick into the wild on 12 February 2012.

 

To find out more about the work of the Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust please visit www.forestlifeforce.org.nz