CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
Toby Chapman
Urban ForestryManager | Christchurch City Council
SPEAKER BIO
Toby Chapman (Urban Forest Manager for Parks)
I am an arborist with over 15 years’ experience working with trees.
I am based at the Botanic Gardens and lead the Councils Arboriculture team within the Parks division.
Since joining the Council in 2016 I have been involved with the writing and adoption of both our Tree Policy and the Urban forest Plan.
Both of these documents involved significant input from the public.
I am also responsible for leading the Urban Forest Tree Planting program that has just reached its third planting season.
TALK TITLE
Engaging with Communities to Implement the Christchurch City Council Parks Planting Program: From Consultation through to getting trees in the ground
ABSTRACT
This presentation focuses on Christchurch City Council’s Urban Forest Tree Planting Programme, a flagship initiative delivering on our Urban Forest Plan, adopted in 2023.
The planting programme is centred on achieving the targets set out in the Plan, including 40% canopy cover across city parks, creating connected native forest patches, and strengthening biodiversity and climate resilience for future generations.
The presentation outlines how Christchurch City Council developed its Urban Forest Plan and supporting Tree Policy, and how these guide where, why, and how trees are planted across the city. It explains the processes used to turn these high-level strategies into practical planting plans within parks.
At its core, the presentation highlights how the planting programme was designed to build stronger connections—between people, place, and nature. This includes developing clear design principles, addressing historic tensions around tree planting, and investing in meaningful community engagement through digital tools and outreach.
Three years on, we reflect on lessons learned: what’s worked, what has changed, and how better communication and technology have helped strengthen trust leading to more community buy in and ultimately more trees being planted.