Undoing dairy (C) GREENPEACE / SHAROMOV
Undoing dairy (C) GREENPEACE / SHAROMOV
It was a nippy morning and, coming from Auckland I could feel the difference moving down the island, but the physical labour returning over 1000 beautiful native trees to Papatuanuku warmed our bodies and our hearts.

The prestige mountain Tauhora stood in the distance, reminding me of how great our whenua is and the need to protect it. Just beyond us as we worked the land suddenly turned a destructive brown, with diggers working ignorant to the impacts of their actions, and the bigger picture of how the forest conversion to dairy farming will be on the environment and greenhouse emissions contributing to climate change.

Greenpeace volunteer Juliet Burr in the process of unloading trees as part of the Greenpeace reforestation activity on Landcorp land, near Taupo. Over 30 Greenpeace volunteers replanted over 1000 trees on land cleared for dairy farming. (C) GREENPEACE / SHAROMOV
Greenpeace volunteer Juliet Burr in the process of unloading trees as part of the Greenpeace reforestation activity on Landcorp land, near Taupo. Over 30 Greenpeace volunteers replanted over 1000 trees on land cleared for dairy farming. (C) GREENPEACE / SHAROMOV
Conversations with the Landcorp officers and Police who turned up were handled well, and it was re-enforced that the action was targeting the Government on their agriculture policies. Soon after leaving the site, we were happy to hear that the trees will be donated to a local community group rather than being bulldozed over and destroyed.

We also had a visit from local beef and sheep farmers who supported the action, and it has motivated them to call a public meeting to further raise awareness about the issues in their own backyard. Today felt like a great success, no arrests, media were there to get the issue out to the public and every one walked away in good spirits.

- Tia Taurere

Extreme dairying in Taupo (C) GREENPEACE
Extreme dairying in Taupo (C) GREENPEACE