Past Wairarapa Moana Community Environment Fund projects

These volunteers used the fund to plant a wetland area in Featherston.  They constructed a stock-proof fence and had a community planting event, where 580 harakeke/flax and ti kouka/cabbage trees were planted.

On Donalds Creek at Harrison Street, the group restored a wet area in a grazed paddock back to a vegetated wetland. This included a fence to exclude sheep, planting of flax and cabbage trees, and maintenance.

On Lake Domain the group replanted an area near the lake’s edge with native wetland species.

Funding allowed this group to hire a specialist to teach them about seed collection and germination. The fund also helped pay for seeds and establish a nursery manager. Later on, they received funding to support this manager long-term.

The Pāpāwai Mangarara Stream Catchment Group were the recipients of the 2022 Wairarapa Moana Environment Community Fund. The 80% spring fed stream has been receiving a lot of love and care from the group who have been conducting stream restorations activities since 2005.

This year the work included:

• Purchasing and planting 2200 plants along the waterway.
• 120 had been planted by Aug 2023 with the rest going into the ground over the coming year.

Not only does this help improve the water quality and help filter sediment, but also provides vital habitat for freshwater species that migrate from the rivers, lakes and oceans.

Pirinoa Primary School worked with Greater Wellington to plant natives and help restore our local waterways. With help from school kids and parents, the school committed to a long-term programme of planting and plant maintenance.

The school helped prevent sediment build-up and replaced weeds with natives. This supported wildlife such as eels, giant kokopu, brown mudfish, and native birds. The project gave students environmental awareness with long-term benefits. Here is an update written by a student during the project:

Friends of Ōnoke Spit held a planting day where they planted 350 natives.

South Wairarapa Biodiversity Group planted 1661 plants at Ōkorewa Lagoon.

2021

This group created a stoat trapping network and an annual event for the Bush Falcon Project. Their work includes:

• Placing new traps, stoat trap line installation, and annual maintenance
• Volunteers checking the traplines
• Trapping workshops with predator free Martinborough
• An Ōkorewa Lagoon planting day.

2015-2016

These volunteers were supported at their July planting event at Ōkorewa lagoon, between Lake Ferry and the beach. The group planted 525 natives. This marked the end of four years of planned restoration work at the lagoon.

The group has continued to maintain the planting, with plans for future planting at different sections around the lagoon. Their goal was to protect and enhance the biodiversity along the dune side of the lagoon.