Ngai Tahu is praising Te Ara Kakariki Greenway Canterbury Trust - which has received a high-profile Green Ribbon Award for helping to return native wildlife to the Canterbury plains.
Green Ribbon Awards celebrate outstanding work in protecting and enhancing New Zealand's environment.
Trust members are creating a network of habitats from the mountains to the sea, between the Waimakariri and Rakaia rivers.
They have planted almost 10,000 plants in the last three years, with 4500 planted over just two days at its Canterbury Plantout Weekend in September 2011.
Ngai Tahu kaiwhakahaere, Mark Solomon, says a number of Ngai Tahu whanau and Te Runanga staff are involved with the trust as volunteers - and Craig Pauling and Jason Arnold hold positions as trustees.
Environment Minister Amy Adams presented the community leadership award to the the trust's chair, Malcolm Lyall, in a ceremony at Parliament on 5 June.
