Laura Davison: Firmly planted with Trees for Canterbury
Laura Davison and her supporting colleague Jan Holden stepped into some big boots when the colourful figure of Steve Bush ended his 34 year stint as the manager at Trees for Canterbury Te Waonui o Tane Ki Waitaha earlier this year.
Laura's promotion from nursery coordinator to nursery manager coincides with entering her fifth year with T4C or TFC - as Trees for Canterbury is often shortened to - and signifies a budding career direction that she is now solidly grafted to after previously studying horticulture at Lincoln and being a part of the Jobs for Nature – Mahi mō te Taiao scheme with Waimakariri District Council.
A still of Laura Davison from the video: Behind the Scenes: Growing Native Plants at Trees for Canterbury
"My Jobs for Nature experience opened my eyes to how unique our local ecosystems are, including the remnant trees and bush. In my 20s I'd worked in hospitality but am so glad I kept drifting towards nursery and garden centre work”.
In conversation with LAA about family influences, Laura recalled strong memories of being taught about native flora and fauna at a young age by her grandparents from their extensive knowledge and passions for it.
Now, thanks to T4C's focus on producing in excess of 200,000 native plants each year, across more than 400 species, Laura's own knowledge has expanded to the level of ‘encyclopaedic’.
"Over the past decade there seems to have been a gardener’s shift towards native plants. When you look they're everywhere and perceptions about them, such as being 'too big', have been through a huge shift".
"At T4C we cultivate native plants for community plantings and our own revegetation projects using plant material eco-sourced from local areas, as well as collaborating with other nurseries".
"Everything I've learnt has been learnt on the job, and has benefitted from my time working with Steve Bush”.
The back story to Trees for Canterbury
Now semi-retired at 65, Steve joined T4C in 1992, two years after it was founded under the canopy of the Green Effects Trust by Dr Tim Jenkins, who understood the region did not have enough trees or seedlings.
When Steve started at T4C the nursery was in Opawa Road behind a large Macrocarpa hedge with buildings rebuilt from old upcycled car cases, plants were grown in milk cartons, and on a site that was constantly under water.
As seen on the TFC website's visual history page the nursery, now located at Charlesworth Street, Ferrymead, has gone from strength to strength - both as a retailer and wholesaler - and is gradually but steadily reaching a target of planting or donating 2 million native plants.
When Steve left, an interview in The Press in April emphasised that the social enterprise side of T4C is what he is proudest of. In the Press story he described the physically, intellectually and socially challenged people who volunteer at T4C each week as the “heart blood” of the charity.
“Rather than just work-based training, it's about them gaining self-esteem, a sense of self-worth, a belief that they are part of a bigger group.”
Similarly to Laura, Steve grew his botanical knowledge on the job and learnt to rattle off scientific names like Carmichaelia stevensonii with ease. Also called weeping broom, it is his favourite native tree and is a centrepiece tree at his home.
A bright future ahead!
Reflecting on what makes Trees for Canterbury special, Laura says that everyone at T4C - including long-term customers and tertiary students who undertake a variety of research projects with the not-for-profit organisation - "become your community".
"It's a varied workplace. I love that for myself and others, and that it doesn't stop at the gate."
Further information:
Earlier this year Laura spoke with Green Thumbs In Canterbury programme hosts Ray King and Amy Wilson about Trees for Canterbury on Plains Media - you can listen to this programme here.
To keep up with community updates, events and special milestones, including Tree for Canterbury’s volunteer achievements, LAA recommends visiting their Facebook page. You can also visit and follow their Instagram page here.
Trees for Canterbury is a partner supporting the upcoming Firth NZILA Wānanga 2026 in Ōtautahi Christchurch from 5–6 November under the theme Ka Rū Ka Hā / Awaken the Energy.