Cattle Flat Station Forever Forest

An aerial view of native forest on hillsides with a river running through

Southland high-country farm embraces their native forest regeneration alongside farmland

Cattle Flat Station is a vast high-country farm located in northern Southland with extensive native vegetation amongst pasture and farmed areas.

Native regeneration has been facilitated for decades due to a natural seed source coming from neighbouring DOC land spreading into hard-to-reach areas on the farm. Furthermore, extensive pest eradication to limit predation on establishing seedlings and management of natural forested areas created a protected environment for regeneration to take place.

Currently, there are over 400 hectares of native regenerating forest which will be promoted and protected.
Regenerating areas of natives on the farm now help diversify the landowner's income while restoring the land to its former vegetation cover.

Bush country on the station covers rugged mountain landscapes and follows along the Matarua River. Facilitating this natural regeneration will promote plant and animal biodiversity, limit erosion on hillslopes, and contribute to clean waterways within the surrounding area.