Set beneath the iconic redwoods of Rotorua, the NZIF Centennial Year Cocktail Celebration will mark the beginning of a year of events commemorating 100 years of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry.
For a century, the Institute has brought together foresters from across New Zealand to share knowledge, advance professional standards, support future generations, and advocate for the sustainable management of our forests. Over those 100 years, forestry has played a vital role in shaping New Zealand’s economy, environment, and communities. This celebration provides an opportunity to reflect on this remarkable journey and recognise the many people whose dedication, expertise, and leadership have contributed to the success of both the Institute and the wider forestry sector.
This special invitation only gathering will bring together past and present leaders, long standing members, industry partners, supporters, and friends of the Institute. It will be a chance to reconnect with colleagues, renew friendships, share stories from across the decades, and celebrate the achievements of those who have helped build the profession we know today.
The setting could not be more fitting. Surrounded by the towering redwoods of Whakarewarewa Forest, guests will gather in one of New Zealand’s most recognised forest landscapes. The redwoods stand as a powerful symbol of endurance, growth, and stewardship, values which have guided generations of New Zealand foresters and continue to underpin the profession today.
While the evening will celebrate the Institute’s proud history, it is equally an opportunity to look forward. Forestry faces new challenges and new opportunities as it contributes to climate change solutions, biodiversity enhancement, renewable materials, regional development, and the sustainable management of our natural resources. The centennial year provides an opportunity to consider how the profession can continue to evolve and lead over the next 100 years.
The Cocktail Celebration is the first event in a programme of activities leading to the NZIF Centennial Conference in Wellington in July 2027. Throughout the centennial year, members and supporters will have opportunities to reflect on the Institute’s history, celebrate key milestones, recognise outstanding contributions to forestry, and help shape the future direction of the profession.
As the Institute enters its second century, this event will honour the generations of foresters who have come before us, celebrate the strength and diversity of today’s profession, and acknowledge the responsibility we all share in leaving New Zealand’s forests in better condition for those who follow.
A century of forestry. A century of people. A century of growing New Zealand’s future.
