Rooted in community.
Growing wild for good.
Fourteen years of shovels, science and stubborn hope — meet the people restoring the wild, one hillside at a time.
One shovel, three friends, a hillside that had lost everything.
Wildrealm Trust began in 2011 with a borrowed pickup truck, a case of native saplings and a steep, fire-scarred slope that nobody else wanted.
That first planting weekend brought forty neighbours. The second brought eighty. Within three years we had become a registered conservation charity with a small staff, a big nursery and a simple promise: every tree we plant is geotagged and cared for until it can stand alone.
Today our work spans three bioregions — forest, wetland and coast — always in partnership with the people who live closest to the land.
- Community-first, science-led restoration
- Every hectare tracked with open data
- Indigenous knowledge at the heart of our plans
What the wild taught us
Four principles that have guided every planting, patrol and partnership since day one.
Community first
Land restores fastest when the people who live on it lead. We hire local, listen first and act together.
Science led
Native diversity, not quick green. Every site starts with soil, water and species assessments.
Patience
A forest is a fifty-year project. We measure in decades, and we don't rush the roots.
Radical transparency
Open budgets, geotagged trees, published audits. Donors see exactly where every dollar lands.
Fourteen years of growing wild
The milestones that turned a hillside project into a nationwide movement.
The first 1,000 trees
Forty neighbours plant a fire-scarred slope above Mistwater. Every single tree survives the summer.
Wildrealm Trust becomes a charity
A full-time team of five takes over, and the first dedicated native nursery opens its doors.
Wetlands join the mission
Riverbank restoration begins at Fernwood Creek, bringing beavers — and their dams — back home.
One millionth tree
A community celebration at Elderpine Reserve marks the millionth sapling planted by Wildrealm hands.
34 reserves and counting
1.2M trees in the ground, 2,600 hectares restored and a volunteer family 8,400 members strong.