We take great pride in being a positive part of the communities we live, work, and play in.

Supporting local communities, being respectful of where we work, and giving back where we can is very important to our team at Summit.

Opening up our forests

Where possible, we try to allow access to our forests so members of the public can enjoy the beauty and benefits of spending time in a forest, such as recreational hunting, walking, horse riding, research, photography, biking, and general recreation. However, in some cases, a permit is required. You can find more information about forest access, permits and who to contact with questions about accessing a forest HERE. 

Getting behind local events

We are the proud headline sponsor of the annual Summit Forest Kaitaia Trail Run/Walk, which entails financial support as well as opening the 18,000-hectare pine Te Hiku Forest to the public, designing the course, preparing for the event and helping with organisation on the day.

A huge thanks to Ngati Kuri, Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa and Ngai Takoto, the landowners of the forest, for generously allowing access to the public for this event, which is enjoyed by hundreds of happy attendees.

Supporting sports teams

The Ngati Porou East Coast rugby team club based in Ruatoria might be small — it’s the smallest union in NZ — but it’s mighty! Summit is proud to support the team club as rugby is as ingrained in the Coast psyche as forestry is!

We were also the uniform sponsor of the 2023 Kaitaia Under 18 Raiders rugby team (pictured below), annual sponsors of the Awanui Rugby Club, and supported the Aupouri Rugby Club with a sizeable donation to their Far North fishing contest to support upkeep of their Te Kao HQ.   

Being good neighbours

Where possible, we like to lend a hand to those in need. In recent times, that’s included:

• Allowing Kerikeri Mountain Bike Club access to Whitehills Forest to build trails and skills courses for club use and secondary school mountain bike competitions
• Sponsoring the 2023 Top Energy Far North Regional Science & Technology Fair
• Providing chainsaw training and free firewood to local community groups
• Supporting the 150-year celebrations of Awanui School
• Sponsoring Life Education Trust Gisborne’s annual duck race for the Gisborne and Wairoa districts
• Donating to support Paparore School’s communication app
• Donations to Movember, Beast Cancer, and MEND
• Sponsoring East Cape & Districts’ school homework books
• Granting permission for occasional weddings at Lake Gem
• Sponsorship for Houhora Coastguard, Houhora Big Game Fishing Club, Houhora Fishing Club Take a Kid Fishing Day, Ngai Takoto Sweetwater Festival, Te Hautaewa 90-Mile Beach Challenge and the Snapper Bonanza at 90 Mile Beach
• Sponsoring Kaitaia Soccer Club, Doubtless Bay Play Group, Waipapakauri Sports Complex and Te ura O Te Kao
• Works at Kenana Marae including retaining of Urupa, tarsealing, maintenance of marae roof and solar panel system
• Works at Aputerewa Marae including water diversion, tarsealing, manuka planting, a new large chiller and a solar power system
• Sport Northland Fun Run series
• Donation towards the Air Training Cadets Unimog
• Supporting Northland Regional Council wild ginger biocontrol research
• Contributing towards Coastal Buffer Zone trials for Tana’s Trees Trust
• Sponsoring an upgrade of accommodation at YMCA Camp Raukawa
• Donating a YMCA scholarship fund for three years
• Funding a local Whanganui secondary student over three years to travel and study in Japan
• Sponsoring a Whanganui Chamber of Commerce Health and Safety Award
• Partnering with the Rangatahi program and allowing access to hunting blocks in our forest to enable students to learn the skills of gathering kai for the community
• And more!

Looking after our environment

Summit is actively involved in reserve maintenance and restoration projects in the areas we work in. For example, our ongoing work with Lake Gem (see more HERE), Kiwis in the Coromandel (see more HERE) and a four-year ecological restoration project in Te Ara To Waka Forest (see more HERE).

Standing behind forestry

Summit actively contributes to research projects and trials to improve the forestry industry. Some of those projects have included:

• Stop Wild Ginger research into potential biological control options by Landcare.
• Research/Manaaki Whenua with Northland Regional Council and a collaboration of stakeholders.
• Coastal buffer zone pilot study exploring practical options to transition failing exotic buffers to resilient permanent indigenous coastal forest species based on an adaptive management approach in conjunction with Tana’s Tree Trust, Sustainable Farming Fund, Northland Regional Council and Natural Solutions.
• Forest Flow Research programme by SCION focused on developing methods to predict and optimise water use and supply in planted forests. Trying to fill the knowledge gaps and how to turn biophysical science into information that is useful to landowners, forestry and councils.

We also sponsored:

• The Eastland Wood Council Forestry Awards 2024
• The Leadership Development Course at the 2023 NZIF conference
• The Northland Wood Council’s 2022 Forestry Awards for the Annual Safety category
• The Wahine in Forestry Conference in 2023
• The 2022 Young Leaders Course at the NZIF Annual Conference
• The 2021 Northland Forestry Awards Health and Safety Excellence category