Our story

Wairarapa Pūkaha to Kawakawa Alliance 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.

It works with conservation and environmental groups, farmers and mana whenua as well as representatives from DOC, the Greater Wellington Regional Council and Wairarapa District Councils.

Our name recognises and includes the whole landscape, whaitua (water systems/catchments) and communities across the whole district. Pūkaha (Mt. Bruce) marks the northern boundary of Wairarapa and Kawakawa (Palliser) the southern.

Our landscape stretches from west to east: ki uta ki tai – from the Tararua Range east to the coast – and is scored by the rivers as they flow to the sea.

What do we do?

WaiP2K is an open network. It brings people  together to make connections, share ideas, integrate activities and maximise activities.

It supports the establishment of new groups, and brokers assistance for them. It will help its members to tell their stories, and to operate with each other on a landscape scale.

Our past and present work includes:

• Helping to set up catchment groups and facilitate meetings
• Building and increasing the stock of resources, knowledge and expertise
• Linking communities and agencies engaged in the Wairarapa such as local and central government and industry bodies
• Providing assistance with funding applications
• Seeking out opportunities which stem from regional and national policies and projects, including the Ruamahanga Whaitua, PF 2050, A Billion Trees and the NPS on Biodiversity
• Communicating the work of WaiP2K and promoting the telling of narratives that connect the Wairarapa and its various communities
• Promoting the collection and accessibility of high-quality data relevant to the work of participating groups.

Our Team

The Alliance is supported by a Trust and a small executive team. (Full bios are here.)

Executive team

Todd Jenkinson – Chair

Esther Dijkstra – General Manager Ops

Erica Jar – Communications  and Admin Coordinator

Ali Mackisack – Storyteller