One for Nature: Empowering the Publicto Hold Polluters Accountable

Too often we see environmental harm andknow it’s not right – muddy streams, estuaries that make us sick, rivers with fewfish, and invasive weeds growing fast – but we have no idea what to do aboutit.

How do we raise the alarm? Who do wecomplain do? What action should we take?

In many cases nothing is done becausepeople don’t know who, or how, to lobby for change. But thanks to experienced environmentalcampaigners who have developed a new app, everyone will soon have the necessarytools at their fingertips.

One for Nature is a charitable trust set upby Angus Robson and Geoff Reid. They have fought for decades to exposeenvironmental harm – from animal welfare breaches to nitrate pollution andindustrial runoff – and have successfully driven accountability and change.

Geoff’s documentary Toitū Te Whenua,funded by BayTrust in 2022, investigated the impacts industrial land-use andpoor rules and regulations were having on our environment and human health. Ittriggered industry-wide reform, with millions then invested in lining effluentponds across the Bay of Plenty to reduce nitrate leaching.

Over the years, their efforts have helpedchange national rules around intensive winter grazing, improved animal welfare,and increased public awareness of environmental mismanagement. Now, with theirOne for Nature app, they’re handing those advocacy tools to the public.

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See It, Pin It

“We’re putting the power into people’shands – the observers who know it’s wrong but don't know how to get accountability,”explains Angus.

The app will allow people to uploadevidence of any environmental problem by pinning photos, drone images or videofootage to a map. Users can then identify which agency is responsible forspecific issues such as regional and district councils, the Ministry for theEnvironment (MfE), and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). It alsoconnects people working on similar concerns so they can collaborate, shareresources, and learn how to take effective action.

“People within a community can organisethemselves, talk to each other and see how everyone else is doing it,” Angussays. “If one person’s written a letter to NZTA about invasive weeds along aroad corridor, you can then share that letter for other people to re-word andre-use. People can say ‘I called this person and got nowhere, but I called thisperson and they were helpful.’ Suddenly, you know who to talk to about yourissue and how to move things forward.”

The app will connect to a wider One forNature platform where Angus and Geoff, along with three part-paid volunteers,will be available online to share advice and help pursue importantenvironmental battles.

“We get lots of calls from people saying, ‘canyou do this, or can you do that?’” explains Angus. “And our answer is, ‘no, wecan’t do everything. But you can.’ This platform shows them how. It connectslike-minded locals so they can form their own groups, find the right contacts,and start solving problems themselves.”

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Getting Results

Geoff says many people don’t realise what adifference effective advocacy can make.

“Public opinion has really put pressure onthe dairy industry and farmers in recent years when it comes to nitrateleaching and run-off into waterways. Things are slowly moving in the rightdirection for our environment and for animals now as a result of our campaignwork.

“The One for Nature app’s basically for anyJoe Blogs to go out and see what they think is wrong and pin it on the map soall the evidence is collated in one area. It will help speed us up and put usin the right direction as a country to start driving accountability.”

Geoff says several councils have alsoexpressed interest in the app. It will help strengthen their compliance andenforcement activities by allowing people to report issues such as sedimentpollution from property development.

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Funding Sought

BayTrust’s continued support – including arecent $16,500 grant – has been vital in getting the app ready to launch andhelping employ the part-paid volunteers needed to run the platform. One forNature is now seeking private donors to cover the final costs and willhopefully go live in early 2026.

“Without BayTrust, we wouldn’t have One forNature,” Angus says. “They’ve been a tremendous supporter.”

Geoff agrees, adding that the backing goesfar beyond financial help. “It’s also the moral support. Knowing that BayTrustbelieves in what we’re doing has given us real drive.”

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