Maintaining the Gains
Working with QEII National Trust, Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Otago Regional Council, we aim to target invasive pest plant species, and regenerate native varieties across 1400 hectares of QEII Covenanted land around Coastal Dunedin over the next three years.
Since the project was launched at the start of 2023, our team have been systematically working with land owners with visible results.
The project is funded by DOC through the Jobs for Nature programme - designed to create jobs while enhancing te taiao. We currently have a team of three full-time rangers with future scope for growth.
Whiria te Waitaki
The focus of Whiria te Waitaki is to enhance māhika kai in the Waitaki Valley, with an emphasis on improving the health of the Waitaki River. The biosecurity and biodiversity objectives are designed with the aim of delivering positive eco-cultural outcomes.
Led by Te Rūnanga o Moeraki, this project is not just about environmental restoration. It is also restoring mana whenua presence in their takiwā with the visibility of whānau kaimahi out in the community and the whenua.
Work is taking place on Crown land in the Waitaki region across two culturally significant sites. Kaiaka taiao (indegenious rangers) undertake pest control and monitoring, and flora and fauna restoration. The project enables employment and training with positive benefits for the environment and whānau.
The project name Whiria Te Waitaki, means braid together the Waitaki. It is a play on words, and a reference not just to the distinctive braids of the awa, but also the way the project brings together the linked elements of water, land and people.
We’re proud to support Te Rūnanga o Moeraki acting as administrators for this project, with Toitū Te Whenua – Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) as funding partners through the Jobs for Nature programme.
Since the project was launched at the start of 2023, our team have been systematically working with land owners with visible results.
The project is funded by DOC through the Jobs for Nature programme - designed to create jobs while enhancing te taiao. We currently have a team of three fulltime rangers with future scope for growth.