Stories from our network

Lessons Learned from the Native Planting Masterclass Just over 20 participants were engrossed in the discussion facilitated by David Tripp at his home in Longbush on Saturday 27th April 2024.  The expert panel included Trevor Thompson (QEII National Trust), Rachel...

  Article courtesy of  LUCY COOPER, Reporter. Wairarapa Times Age 7th December 2023 "Katie Abbott, Communications Coordinator at Wairarapa Pūkaha to Kawakawa Alliance [WaiP2K] is "confident a Predator Free group in Greytown is not far away" after a well-attended...

It’s a new initiative for Masterton and a brand new role, yet the territory is familiar ground for Niki Jones, the newly-appointed Community Engagement Coordinator for Predator Free Masterton. Niki’s love for our native biodiversity can be traced back to a childhood...

What’s over your back fence? Is there a little spot nearby that could do with a little bit of love? A hop, skip and a jump from the Philps family home is a small, special place where a little bit of love has made a whole lot of difference. A little creek which forms...

Jane Lenting from the South Wairarapa Biodiversity Group (SWBG) understands the importance of small things.  The tiny stems of the native pīngao sand sedge plant which are sprouting on her potting bench are one example.  The short traplines administered by Predator...

“New Zealand falcons fly through this valley,” says Alison Dye, her eyes lifting to the grassy hillside which forms one edge of the lower part of the valley. “Bats fly through this valley. All sorts of native species use this valley as a corridor. What we want, is to...

We had the perfect weather window to kick off our first pest plant field trip hosted by WaiP2K and facilitated by the incredibly knowledgeable Peter Russell from Aotearoa Biodiversity Conservation (ABC Ltd). We visited three sites that demonstrated a variety of...

Beyond the fence which local landowners donated to protect the nesting grounds, and behind the “please stay on the track” signs, the wheel marks of a vehicle form overlapping loops in the sand. They crisscross the archaeological remains of midden and fire pit site,...

Karyn Burgess and Nadia McRae sharing the story of Project Awatotara  Photo: Lucy Cooper Story by Lucy Cooper  A community garden and stream restoration tour has marked the beginning of Neighbour’s Month for one Masterton location.  The Meet the Street event in...

The Awatotara Project is about a stream – a little urban stream that’s been modified and overlooked over the years, but has quietly carried on doing what it does – carrying water from the golf course precinct of Masteron, into the Waipoua River. But it’s also about...

Lisa Stevenson and her husband John believe it’s important for farmers to have a say on environmental regulations which have significant impacts on farming families and livelihoods. This is the main reason they became involved with setting up the Parkvale Catchment...

“You don’t know what you don’t know,” says Lynsey Parkes, Coordinator for the Wakamoekau Catchment group. And before the farmers and lifestylers of Matahiwi Rd near Masterton came together as a catchment group, they didn’t know nearly as much about the waterway that...

You might have heard about the “circle of influence” or the “circle of control” – ideas made popular by author Stephen R. Covey. They refer to the things we worry about that we can actually have an impact on or control over. So while John Argue knows that he can’t...

“We have to start somewhere,” says Michael Birch, staring down at the muddy water gushing under the bridge. “So we may as well start right here.” “Right here” is the Taueru River which flows from northeast of Masterton and joins the Ruamahanga River at Gladstone....

Take a moment to take action for nature this Conservation Week, 5 – 11 September 2022. Conservation Week is an opportunity for you to take action and show your support for nature. Taking action benefits nature, and our personal wellbeing. Ka ora te whenua, ka ora te...

Become a Backyard Conservation Hero! Learn how you can create a backyard wildlife haven and trap those pesky predators to help our native wildlife thrive. Wairarapa Pūkaha to Kawakawa has teamed up with the Department of Conservation, Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre...

Jane Lenting would be stoked if you contacted her to say you’d been dive-bombed by a kārearea/New Zealand falcon. While it may have been an unsettling experience for you, it would be welcome evidence of where kārearea are breeding in the Wairarapa. Kārearea are...

The Parkvale Catchment Charitable Trust has been in full swing over recent months, kicking off with a field day held at Wiltons Road Dairy in April. This was a well-attended day with over 70 people attending the event. The day involved a social get-together with BBQ...

Restoration Day 2022 left attendees feeling inspired about how we can connect people with nature, celebrate our environment’s significance and restore the mana of Wairarapa Moana. From tiny bullies flicking in and out of the torchlight, to the plans in place for...

Ko Wairarapa te moana. Wairarapa is my ocean. Ko Maungarake te maunga. Maungarake is my mountain. Ko Ruamahanga te awa. Ruamahanga is my river. Ko Kurahaupō rāua ko Tākitimu ngā waka. Kurahaupō and Tākitimu are my ancestral canoes. Ko Te Poho o Tutawake rāua ko...

We can’t make any more water. Whether it’s pumping through our bloodstream, trickling down a creek, flushing down a toilet or crashing as a wave onto a beach, there’s always the same amount of water for Planet Earth, endlessly recycling through the water cycle. To...

The Wairarapa Pūkaha to Kawakawa Alliance (WaiP2K) is a community-led network. It brings many different groups together to increase the health of Wairarapa ecosystems, biodiversity, water and the resilience of its communities and to respond to climate change. Included...

Greater Wellington is asking those interested in restoring the environment to register for Restoration Day. Held on Saturday 28 May, the annual event is thanking local environmental restoration groups for their efforts. Taking place in Wairarapa, it’s run by Greater...

by Ali Mackisack She’s been spending her days looking at tiny pictures of sounds. The sounds reveal themselves as lines of varying lengths and shades, yet many many times, the picture frames on her computer screen are simply blank. But when a sound picture appears,...

by Ali Mackisack Outside the hall, there’s a 3 litre diesel ute parked next to a tiny electric car. The variety in the vehicles parked in the paddock-cum-carpark reflects the variance in the kinds of people inside the hall, where large-station owners sit alongside...

by Ali Mackisack Kate Wyeth had a whole list of things she wanted to do in Masterton – a long list of “town jobs” to tick off before being interviewed about the plan she’s helped develop to grow and support farmer-led Catchment Communities across the Wairarapa....