Participation in landcare in the northern Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay Region of New Zealand: activities contributing to the conservation of native forest on private land

Abstract

Landcare groups have been steadily emerging throughout New Zealand over the past decade. However, there has been little empirical research in New Zealand on farming, situational and attitudinal factors which may influence the participation of rural landowners in landcare. The ongoing success of the landcare movement depends to a large extent on its continual adoption by rural communities. Therefore, the extent to which landcare and non-landcare participants share key farming, situational, and attitudinal factors may indicate the degree to which the movement is acceptable to the rural community. A survey of landcare and non-landcare participants in the northern Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay region of New Zealand revealed significant farming and situational differences between landcare and non-landcare participants, associated with the level of income derived from farming activities, length of farming experience, stock density, farm topography, and expectations for intergenerational transfer. The survey also investigated the extent to which farmers were involved in conservation activities in areas of native forest and their attitudes towards native forest conservation, where these areas remained on their property. Although landcare and non-landcare participants shared similar attitudes towards the conservation of native forest on private land, indicating a similar "ethic of stewardship," landcare participants were significantly more inclined to undertake active conservation management activities in areas of native forest and to seek off-farm assistance when pursuing these activities, and were more favourably disposed to the use of voluntary methods to protect native forest on private land as opposed to the use of financial incentives. These findings indicated that other factors besides attitude was influencing the behaviour of landcare participants, which may be related to resource availability, assessment of risk, and the influence of other landcare participants.