More than 18,000 natives have been planted across two key Waipā restoration sites, Lake Rotopiko and Sainsbury Road Reserve, as community-led restoration efforts gather pace across the district.
A planting day at Lake Rotopiko last week brought together more than 60 participants from four local Waipā Enviroschools, alongside partners Go Eco, the National Wetland Trust and DOC. Across the week, 8000 natives went into the ground as part of three-year programme.
And at Pirongia’s Sainsbury Road Reserve earlier this month, more than 40 people planted 2500 natives, bringing together mana whenua, Pirongia residents and Waipā District Council staff.
Community services manager Brad Ward said the projects reflect strong community ownership. “It is fantastic to see so many people getting stuck in - especially the mix of generations involved,” he said. “This is a real full-circle moment - from community feedback helping shape the reserve management plan, to people now getting their hands dirty and bringing it to life.”
For mana whenua Ngāti Hikairo, the Pirongia planting day carried deep cultural significance. “It is a tradition of kaitiakitanga (guardianship), of rangatiratanga (autonomy), and manaakitanga (generosity),” says Ngāti Hikairo representative Frank Thorne. “And we are continuing that tradition as we collectively attempt to return the land to its original forested state.”
Pūniu River Care prepared the Sainsbury Road site, supplied plants, and completed additional planting.
The restoration is part of the Taiea te Taiao Project, which is reconnecting ecological corridors between Maungatautari and Pirongia maunga, with Sainsbury Road Reserve forming an important entry point into the corridor on the Pirongia side.
Project co-ordinator Bexie Towle said the planting reflects a shared commitment to long-term restoration. “Ecological restoration isn’t the work of one organisation or one generation - it belongs to all of us,” she said. “These efforts mean we will see more birds and biodiversity spilling off Pirongia maunga over the coming years.”
Together, the two projects highlight the scale of community collaboration underway across Waipā to restore biodiversity and strengthen ecological connections across the landscape.
