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The Green Toolbox Species Selector - a Decision Support Tool for Resource Managers

The Green Toolbox is a free Windows-based software package to help users choose and evaluate plants for a variety of land management applications, throughout New Zealand. It has been developed by Landcare Research in collaboration with HortResearch, AgResearch, and Eagle Technology Ltd, in conjunction with a steering group of regional council land management advisers, and agricultural and resource management consultants.

Note: This software has been prepared in good faith from a number of sources that are believed to be reliable. However, the CRI partners (Landcare Research, AgResearch, and HortResearch) do not give any warranty that all information contained is accurate, or that all advice given will be appropriate for all circumstances. The partners will not be liable to anyone in respect of any damages suffered as a result of their reliance on the information contained in this software. The software is currenlty being updated (as at April 2007). An alternative method for listing plants suitable for your propery is avaialble on www.bush.org.nz/planterguide.

The Green Toolbox has been developed through a contract with the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, to address a perceived lack of information on the range of plants that may be suitable for use in North Island hill country, and which may form the basis for more sustainable land use and management practices.

Intended users are land management advisers, agricultural and resource management consultants, landscape architects, farmers, restoration practitioners, and rural or urban community groups. The tool is intended primarily as an aid for consultants who possess some knowledge in the field, but is also useful for non-professional users, who should always seek additional advice.

The Green Toolbox consists of eight modules, for Case Database Management, Site Characterisation, Species Selection, Planning and Financial Evaluation, Pasture Impacts, Erosion, Species Data Management (for expert users), and Documentation. A subset of these modules is available for general use at any time, depending on the level of testing of each module.

New Zealand Native Plants interactive webtool

The submodule for choosing native plants has been web-enabled, and is available here free-of-charge. It can be used to create a plant species list for your particular land management or landscaping application.

Obtaining The Green Toolbox

The software is available at no charge, and is available in four options. Downloading may take some time depending on your Internet connection, so the software is available on CD if you prefer by contacting Philip Talain (Email

). There will be a small charge for providing it on CD.