Across Hawke’s Bay, we’ve lost 98% of our wetlands and 89% of our native forests. Those figures are hard to ignore – and they’re exactly why we get up in the morning.
At Sustainable HB, we’re out in the field every day, backing local communities to plan and deliver restoration projects that bring biodiversity back to life. But let’s be honest: if we’re going to turn things around, we need to go further – and faster.
That’s why we’re stoked to announce that thanks to support from the Air New Zealand Every Corner Project, we’ve secured funding to launch something big – Hawke’s Bay’s very first Biodiversity Restoration Tool Library.
So… what’s a tool library?
Think of it like your local library, but instead of books, it’s stocked with tools and equipment designed to power up planting days, clean-ups, and weeding missions. It’ll be available to community groups, schools, marae, churches – anyone working to restore our whenua.
Borrow what you need, get stuck in, return it when you’re done. Simple.
Over the coming months, we’ll be busy purchasing tools and building a digital platform to make borrowing easy and efficient. And this is just the beginning. In time, we’d love to see the library grow to include predator control traps, DIY gear, and other essentials that support Hawke’s Bay’s move towards a circular, community-led shareconomy.
Let’s gear up and get to work – because restoring our natural spaces is a job best done together.
A huge thanks to Air New Zealand who have made this possible with their Every Corner Project funding helping us get this off the ground: https://www.airnewzealandnewsroom.com/press-release-2025-air-new-zealand-launches-million-dollar-every-corner-project-to-support-community-nature-projects