Successful applications

The Hurunui District Landcare Group Incorporated

Leader Pest Control Group - Leader Valley Pest Control Project

 $20,000

Implementing a landscape-scale pest control programme with the primary target being pigs.  There have been historical challenges with feral pigs, goats and deer over the years within the project area.

The Hurunui District Landcare Group Incorporated

Jed River Catchment Project (JRCP)

 $10,234.16

Surface water quality testing for two years at eight sites across the Jed River catchment to provide baseline data for a catchment report. The purpose of this monitoring project is to get a better understanding of which areas are contributing to the known issues (sediment, nitrate, phosphorus) in the catchment for more targeted mitigation.

Satisfy Food Rescue

Reducing food waste, responding to climate change and helping to make our community more food secure

 $15,000

Satisfy Food Rescue redirects edible surplus food that was destined for landfill or animal feed, to where it is needed most in our community. This means collecting surplus food from supermarkets, growers, wholesalers and cafes and redistributing it to food banks, community meal providers and schools.

Christchurch Envirohub Trust

Te Tuna Tāone / Urban Eel - action learning programme

 $8,000

The Te Tuna Tāone ākonga/students take on-the-ground actions to improve the health of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem for urban longfin tuna in their catchment. Their mahi aims to mitigate the impact of climatic changes on longfin tuna, within their community.

Christchurch Envirohub Trust

Capacity building in the local environmental sector and provision of public-facing digital and physical resources

 $20,000

Workshops, events and digital and in-person resources will be provided to enhance the capacity and capability of the local environmental sector and help activate more members of the community to be involved in grassroots solutions to environmental opportunities and challenges.

Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group

ARRG Field Operations project

 Awarded $20,000

Supporting the volunteers (with paid staff) to protect the endangered bird populations on the Ashley Rakahuri River.

Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust

Estuary restoration, protection and enhancement.

 Awarded $20,000

Educate community members of all ages on the values of our estuary and its environs, and through education and participation, protect the estuary's health and biodiversity.

Port Hills Trust Board

Mt Vernon Enhancement project

 Awarded $11,000

Planting of eco-sourced natives on erosion-prone hillsides and flats to reduce sediment into the Ōpawaho-Heathcote River removal of woody weeds. Volunteer placements, education on biodiversity, improving public awareness of biodiversity, and the importance of natural spaces. This project is part of a wider vision to connect the valley floor to the Summit Road through a native corridor of vegetation running along Dry Bush, including fencing the river off from sheep.

Summit Road Society Incorporated

Predator Free Port Hills (PFPH)

 $20,000

PFPH is a backyard and community trapping programme that aims to reduce rats, possums, and mustelids in the Port Hills and Lyttelton Harbour by 2050. The vision is to protect native species and allow their populations to flourish in our neighbourhoods, local parks and reserves, farmland, and bush areas.

Sustainable Otautahi Christchurch Incorporated

Speaking for the Planet (S4P)

 $8,000

S4P is a speech, art, drama, poetry, video/music competition for young people from Year 7 to age 24. The theme for 2025 is Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Life Below Water and aims to highlight the local solutions for climate change.

Conservation Volunteers New Zealand

Whaka-Ora Pest Project (WOPP)

 $15,000

WOPP is a community-based initiative aimed at significantly reducing the impact of animal pests and invasive plant species on the indigenous biodiversity of Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour. WOPP manages a volunteer trapping and pest plant eradication programme in Whakaraupō.

Wainui Residents Association Incorporated

reWild Wainui - Site of Ecological Significance Monitoring and Trapping Programme

 $10,185

reWild Wainui is a community initiative, lending a hand to mother nature by helping to reduce weeds, removing pests, and replanting natives, to bring back the wildlife to our beautiful valley. The current priority is protecting a designated Site of Ecological Significance, valued for its diverse representative, rare, and unique indigenous vegetation communities, as well as its critical habitat for native forest birds, fish, and aquatic invertebrates.

Living Springs Trust Incorporated

Living Springs Eco-Initiative 24-25: Volunteer Coordinator

 $20,000

The Living Springs Eco-Enhancement Initiative is all about bringing our community together to restore native biodiversity, manage pests, and create a thriving eco-sanctuary. With the help of passionate volunteers and strong partnerships, we’re working to protect and nurture our natural environment, ki uta ki tai.

Wairewa Rūnanga Incorporated

Wairewa Mahinga Kai Catchment Group Water Quality Monitoring Plan

 $15,000

Surface water quality monitoring for three years at six sites across Te Roto o Wairewa catchment to inform future on-ground interventions. The monitoring plan aims to supplement data collected by regional and city councils to identify areas within the catchment contributing to known contaminants (phosphorus, sediment, and E. coli), enabling a more targeted mitigation strategy.

Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust

Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust - Farm Biodiversity

 $8,000

Assisting the rural community with farm and catchment-level biodiversity data capture, management and action planning. Measuring and displaying outcomes of land management work for improved planning in future and clear recognition of work completed and its long-term effects on the local ecosystems.

The Fantail Trust

The Fantail Trust (create a native bird and plant sanctuary)

 $5,000

Creating a native bird and plant sanctuary along the Rakaia River in the Rakaia Gorge.

Arthur's Pass Wildlife Trust

Feral cat eradication

 $11,231.90

Ridding the Upper Waimakariri valley and Bealey valley of feral cats by continuing the servicing of our existing traps and the installation of more remotely monitored cat traps throughout our catchment area.

Te Ara Kākāriki Greenway Canterbury Trust

Te Ara Kākāriki Kids Discovery and Community Planting Programme

 $15,000

Te Ara Kākāriki will lead four action-based, educational Kids Discovery Plant-Out Days and one community planting day in 2025. This is an opportunity for participants to both learn about our native ecosystems and make a positive difference to them.

Upper Rangitata Gorge Landcare Group (Incorporated)

Weed control in the Upper Rangitata Riverbed and its tributaries.

 Awarded $15,000

Control of invasive weeds such as broom, gorse, willow, false tamarisk, lupins and any new weeds encountered. This will reduce cover for predators that prey on the endangered migratory birds that nest in the riverbed.

Staveley Campsite Committee

Staveley Camp Forest Regeneration Project.

 Awarded $20,000

Protecting and regenerating a significant beech-broadleaf swamp forest remnant with a functioning ecology of over 250 species which is at serious risk from invasive weeds. We aim to work together with our community to enhance local bush vitality and connectivity, employing nature-based solutions to respond to the threat of climate change.

Catchment Collective South Canterbury Society Incorporated

Barkers Creek catchment water quality monitoring

 Awarded $7,000

Water quality monitoring in the Barkers Creek catchment, supporting existing work and supplementing community monitoring.

The Peel Forest Outdoor Pursuits Charitable Trust

Peel Forest river corridor trapping project

  Awarded $ 5,000

Continuing pest control within our Ecolodge site on our 22-hectare QEII covenanted land and the adjacent DOC reserve.

Ōhau Conservation Trust

Enhancing predator control at Lake Ōhau - for mistletoe/pikirangi and lake shore biodiversity protection

 $12,924.22

Automating predator trapping in difficult terrain at Lake Ōhau so volunteer effort is focused on more accessible areas where more residents, visitors and school students can contribute and participate. Knowledge and understanding of Lake Ōhau's special biodiversity and its threats is enhanced through this participation in predator trapping.

BRaid

 Awarded $20,000

Enhancing community awareness about protecting and regenerating the biodiversity of braided river ecosystems, and that it is essential to community wellbeing. BRaid Inc, a charitable trust, aims to enable this by promoting and sharing information, research and resources through a central networking hub and outreach to stakeholders.

Te Kōhaka o Tūhaitara Trust

(Received multi-year funding allocation.)

 Awarded $5,000

Tūhaitara Coastal Park rehabilitation – enhancing the native biodiversity in this corridor linking the Waimakariri to the Ashley Rakahuri.

Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust

(Received multi-year funding allocation.)

 Awarded $30,000

Estuary restoration, protection and enhancement – building a better understanding of the values of the estuary, and what action we can take as individuals to enhance the quality of the Estuary, including opportunities to volunteer.

Christchurch Envirohub

(Received multi-year funding allocation.)

 Awarded $24,000

Community-led mapping and directory – a digital geological mapping application to enable users to visually see any environmentally-focused projects or activities occurring within the wider Canterbury region, e.g. planting events, recycling drop points, pest management organisations, river care groups, restoration sites and energy organisations.

Port Hills Trust Board

(Received multi-year funding allocation.)

 Awarded $10,000

Mt Vernon Park Enhancement project – the planting of eco-sourced natives on erosion-prone hillsides and flats reducing sediment into the Ōpāwaho Heathcote, removal of woody weeds, and volunteer opportunities.

Styx Living Laboratory Trust

(Project submitted via the WAI Fund but financed from alternate budgets.)

 Awarded $10,000

Pūharakekenui Awa Freshwater Education & Awareness Project –  raising the profile of the Pūharakekenui awa and communicating freshwater values/advocating for the protection in innovative ways.

Summit Road Society Project

(Received multi-year funding allocation.)

 Awarded $20,000

Predator Free Port Hills – a backyard and community trapping programme which aims to eliminate rats, possums and mustelids from the Port Hills and Lyttelton Harbour by 2050.

Sustainable Ōtautahi Christchurch

 Awarded $10,000

Speak for the Planet – a speech, art, drama, poetry, video/music competition for young people from Year 7 to age 24, based on the World Environment Day theme.

Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust

 Awarded $25,000

Feral Pig Control (Te Waihora Catchments) – a well-managed community-led initiative to continue with feral pig surveillance and control in Prices, Kaituna, Western and McQueen’s Valleys and upper zones immediately to the north of Mt Bradley and Mt Herbert.

Hidden Valley Conservation Trust

(Received multi-year funding allocation.)

 Awarded $8,768

Hidden Valley Conservation Quick Start – seventy-two hectares at Purau, long-recognised for its high natural, cultural and landscape values, with work to accelerate the change from farming to conservation for an immediate benefit to the biodiversity and public recreation, including weed and pest control and monitoring.

Helps Pohatu Conservation Trust

(Received multi-year funding allocation.)

 Awarded $10,000

Kororā (little blue penguin) monitoring at sea – kororā are a key indicator species of the health of the marine environment. Their activities at sea will be monitored using GPS sensors, with the aim of protecting them from population decline

Wairewa Rūnanga Incorporated

 Awarded $20,000

Whenua Ora – Improving water quality and fisheries in Wairewa – providing opportunities and projects in collaboration with our community, local school and Treaty Partners to rehabilitate the bio-diversity values of traditionally significant areas in our takiwā.

Arthur’s Pass Wildlife Trust

(Received multi-year funding allocation.)

 Awarded $12,000

Feral cat eradication – Eradicating all feral cats in the vicinity of Arthur’s Pass Village to help protect native wildlife for future generations to enjoy.

Implementation of the Upper Waimakariri River Weed Control Strategy

 Awarded $24,000

Waimakariri Ecological and Landscape Restoration Alliance – Implementation of the Upper Waimakariri River Weed Control Strategy – a partnership approach to assist in delivering a catchment-wide collaborative approach to the management of weed species in the upper Waimakariri catchment. (NB, wilding pines are not the main focus of this project).

The Fantail Trust

 Awarded $5,000

Trapping and planting in the Rakaia Gorge – To create a native plant and bird sanctuary in the Rakaia Gorge.

Bike Methven

(Received multi-year funding allocation.)

 Awarded $10,000

Mt Hutt Forest Bike Park XC Rejuvenation Project – To eradicate 40.4 hectares of wilding Sycamores and re-plant with natives endemic to the Mt Hutt/Ōpuke Region.

Staveley Campsite Committee

 Awarded $30,000

Staveley Camp Forest Regeneration Project – Providing opportunities for learning and connection with nature and a safe and rich habitat for birdlife.

Mackenzie Community Enhancement Board

 Awarded $16,560

Opihi River Revegetation Project – Native vegetation planting alongside the Opihi River, partnering with the Fairlie Lions Club to create a community project that will involve all the schools in the Fairlie District and any interested groups and individuals.

Ngāi Tahu Māori Rock Art Trust

  Awarded $ 10,000

Opihi Ecological Restoration Project – The planting of 6,000 native plants will add a biodiversity corridor connecting the existing plants with the Ōpihi Awa. It will allow greater ongoing protection for long-tailed bats, skinks, moths and butterflies and invertebrates in the area. It will assist with the ongoing protection of the Māori rock art sites and encourage more participation by community groups and iwi. 

Orari River Protection Group Inc Soc.

(Received multi-year funding allocation.)

 Awarded $6,500

Trapping predators and weed eradication – Working in partnership to sustain and improve weed eradication to help provide a safe environment for rare reptiles and other flora and fauna.

Project Peel Society Inc.

 Awarded $21,867

Peel Forest Reserve Exclosure Plots – Construct ungulate (deer, pig, goat and wallaby) exclusion areas in the Peel Forest Reserve alongside public walking tracks at two locations to demonstrate to community and authorities (both regulatory and funding) the biodiversity regeneration benefits following ungulate control.

Sustainable South Canterbury Trust

(Received multi-year funding allocation.)

  Awarded $10,000

Eco Centre Launch and Progression – Eco Centre Launch and Progression – a launch festival, sustainable and healthy food/living displays, and workshops to educate adults and children about actions on waste, energy, climate, land use and water. 

BRaid

 Awarded $20,000

Braided Rivers biodiversity restoration – To enhance community awareness of protecting and regenerating the biodiversity of braided river ecosystems through a central networking hub, and through outreach to stakeholders.

Sea Cleaners Trust

 Awarded $30,000

Sea Cleaners Canterbury crew – Sea Cleaners remove rubbish from the marine environment, whilst engaging coastal community and supporting education though schools and volunteer networks across the regional.

Linking Community and Biodiversity Outcomes (Hurunui Biodiversity Trust)

 Awarded: $20,000

The Hurunui Biodiversity Trust provides education, resources, and networking services to encourage people to value and look after native biodiversity on their properties and in their communities. 2022/23 was a busy, productive year, resulting in a promotional brochure about HBT, and organising multiple community events. These included Seed-collection field workshops, a field trip to Tiromoana Bush, Kate Valley, an iNaturalist and citizen science workshop with Dr Colin Meurk and Dr Tim Kelly, hosting an information stand at the Amberley Show and delivering a presentation at a Hurunui District Landcare Group event. The Hurunui Biodiversity Zones of Action Project was launched on 23 August.

Visit the Hurunui Biodiversity Trust website for more information.

Tūhaitara Coastal Park Rehabilitation (Te Kōhaka o Tūhaitara Trust)*

 Awarded $5,000

The Te Kāhaka o Tūhaitara Trust received funding to continue the establishment of a native species seedbank by planting and maintaining 1000 native plants per year in the Tūhaitara Coastal Park.

The approach taken is to establish a series of 'biota nodes' along the 10.5km length of land owned by the Trust every 250 meters. These biota nodes are a series of small, localised points of native wildlife, which will extend outwards to form a ‘biodiversity skeleton’ stretching the length of the park as they mature.

Each contains a freshwater pond and native plant life that will attract birds, aiding seed transfer for easy and eventual self-maintaining propagation. The Student Volunteer Army established plants purchased by WAI funding at The Pines Wetland.

Find out more about the Tuhaitara Coastal Park | Ngāi Tahu values | Canterbury, New Zealand

Avoca Valley Community Engagement Programme (Summit Road Society) project one**

 Awarded $6,000

This project aims to support local community involvement in the restoration of Avoca Valley, including volunteer planting and citizen science monitoring. A university student was recruited into a 5 week internship and undertook background research on Avoca Valley, consulted with University of Canterbury academics, Summit Road Society volunteers and the local community. The student intern also installed monitoring equipment (including installing photo points, a water level logger, and an automatic rain gauge). A comprehensive monitoring plan was developed for citizen scientists and a bioblitz was conducted in April 2024, with 333 observations and 96 species logged into I-naturalist.

Find out more about the Summit Road Society 

Community Led Mapping and Directory (Christchurch Envirohub - Project one*

 Awarded $24,000.

The purpose of the Christchurch Envirohub is to nurture and support sustainability and environmental organisations in Greater Christchurch. 2022/23 was the second year of funding the Christchurch EnviroHub received to map environmentally focused projects or activities occurring within the wider Canterbury region, plus host networking events.

By July 2023, 345 groups had been listed and mapped, with more in-depth information collected from 24 organisations resulting in 9 impact pieces and 12 video interviews. Two interns assisted with information gathering, contributing 60 volunteer hours. Face-to-face networking events included three Green Drinks events, attended by 160 people.

Estuary Restoration, Protection and Enhancement (Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust) *

 Awarded $30,000

The Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust used WAI funding to support a busy and diverse range of activities, including an AGM highlighting the results of a shellfish survey, a bird photo exhibition, a “Farewell to Godwits” event, and annual Estuary Fest at McCormacks Bay. The Trust also led the organisation of ‘Mother of all Clean Ups’, which collected over two tonnes of rubbish. A record 51 sites representing 56 community groups, plus 8 schools participated. Finally, 75 volunteers planted 1600 native tree seedlings at an annual planting day at Charlesworth Reserve.

Visit the Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust website for more information

Ngā Puna Wai – Restoring the Mauri of Urban Freshwater Springs (Ōpawahō-Heathcote River Network)

  $29,980

The Ōpawaho Heathcote River Network used funds to develop a programme to restoring the mauri of urban freshwater springs. A project team included representatives from the Opawaho Heathcote River Network, mana whenua, local government and science advisors. The team delivered a community based spring monitoring plan, educational resources on ground water/spring interactions, and a script intended for a video about the significance of local springs to mana whenua. A particularly useful tool was a visual Project Journey map assisted with communicating the project overall through the wider community.

Find more information on the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River Network – A voice for the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River website

Mount Vernon Park Enhancement (Port Hills Park Trust Board)*

 Awarded $10,000

The Port Hills Trust Board received funds to purchase and plant 1500 eco-sourced natives on erosion-prone hillsides and flats, with the aim to reduce sediment flow into the Ōpawaho-Heathcote river. Weed control and planting occurred at the top of a steep fan and expanded a native plant footprint building on six years of volunteer time to achieve a plantable state. The board organized five public planting, education and maintenance days, which 239 people attended and donated 1,100 hours of volunteer time, including weed control and maintenance of plantings.

Visit the Mt Vernon Park website for more information.

Ōtamahua/Quail Island Planting (Ōtamahua/Quail Island Ecological Restoration Trust)

  $5000

The Ōtamahua/Quail Island Ecological Restoration Trust used WAI funds to plant a 0.34ha basin to link with areas previously planted out. The purpose of this planting is to provide a corridor to a dam and expand habitat for native birds and reptiles.

Visit the Otamahua | Quail Island Ecological Restoration Trust website for more information.

Predator Free Port Hills (Summit Road Society) - Project two

 Awarded $20,000

The Summit Road Society is a backyard and community trapping programme which aims to eliminate rats, possums and mustelids from the Port Hills and Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour. The Society received funds for a Coordinator to support the growth of this multi-year project including working with schools and reserve groups. As of June 2023, a total of 1581 households had been recruited to trap in their backyards. 200 children from Halswell School built tracking tunnels, undertook monitoring at the school, and built traps for the school grounds. Over 100 trappers attended a workshop in collaboration with Predator Free NZ Trust, plus had the opportunity to engage in practical trap-building days. Building community awareness was continued through regular communications via e-newsletter and multiple social media posts

Visit the Predator Free Port Hills website for more information.

Pūharakekenui Awa Freshwater Education and Awareness Project (Styx Living Laboratory Trust)**

 Awarded $20,000

Pūharakekenui Awa Freshwater Education and Awareness Project – raising the profile of the Pūharakekenui awa and communicating freshwater values/advocating for the protection in innovative ways.

Visit the Styx Living Laboratory Trust website for more information.

Speak for the Planet (Sustainable Ōtautahi Christchurch)**

 Awarded $5,000

WAI funds supported the annual 2022-23 Sustainable Ōtautahi Christchurch (SOC) Speak for the Planet event. SOC facilitated three workshops to help students prepare for the competition, which included three categories; a prepared speech, a spoken word poem, and an impromptu drama. 48 students participated in the latter and 17 students from 15 schools participated in a final exhibition for the visual art category. The 2022/23 ECan chair Jenny Hughey and Cr. Craig Pauling acted as judges.

Visit the Speaking 4 the Planet 2022 - Sustainable Ōtautahi Christchurch website for more information.

Riverlution Evo Park Rain Gardens (Richmond Community Garden Trust)

 Awarded $11,100

The Richmond Community Garden rose to the challenge of designing and constructing a demonstration rain garden. This included engaging consultants to design it, recruiting local community members to assist with constructing it, and developing educational materials including signage to promote urban rain gardens. Over 100 people participated in workshops on stormwater catchment and rain garden installation.

Visit the Stormwater Catchment & Rain Garden | Richmond Community Garden website for more information.

Te Tuna Tāone (Christchurch Envirohub) - Project two*

 Awarded $20,000

The purpose of Te Tuna Tāone is to deliver an action learning programme for tamariki to learn about the Aotearoa's unique endangered eel species (longfin tuna), and determine what actions they could deliver to improve habitat for urban longfin tuna. A total of nine kura were involved in Te Tuna Tāone (TTT) in 2023. Eight kura received an in-school education presentation and six received the Tuna-Awa day at the stream. Approximately 350 ākonga/students ranging in ages from 5 to 12 participated. Some of the actions ākonga carried out to help improve the health of the awa and tuna included staging a wearable art competition promoting tuna in community settings, rubbish pick ups, art works, posters, videos, and riparian planting.

Visit the Te Tuna Tāone - Christchurch Envirohub website for more information.

Feral Pig Control (Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust)

 Awarded $30,000

WAI co-funded a significant feral pig control project over an area of approximately 20,000 Ha on Banks Peninsula. Deliverables included a map of infestation area, a network of trail cams, and development of methodologies for suppression of feral pigs over large areas. Methodologies included smart trapping, ground based thermal shooting and team hunting with indicator and bailing dogs. 700 pigs were removed between April and September 2023. This, plus trapping from August 2021 has resulted in a total of 1600 pigs removed and 70% suppression of the known population. This was supported by engaging 150 landowners within the area through meetings, news letters and media articles.

Visit the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust website for more information.

Living Springs Fire Break (Living Springs Trust)

 Awarded $14,850

Living Springs Trust successfully planted out three native firebreak treatments using a Firebreak Design Planting plan Provided by Boffa Miskell. 1,200 eco-sourced seedlings chosen for their fire retardant properties were planted out by volunteers and staff. Assessment of these areas will be ongoing and the results will be shared with Banks Peninsula residents to encourage more living natural firebreaks within the local landscape.

Visit the Living Springs website for more information.

Hidden Valley Conservation Quick Start (Hidden Valley Conservation Trust)

 Awarded $9,695

The Hidden Valley Conservation Trust was funded to implement actions to increase the biodiversity of the area by protecting existing indigenous flora, planting, and controlling predators and weeds. These activities also helped to increase awareness about Hidden Valley within communities local to the valley. A trapping programme was established, with over 500 kills recorded. 70 ha of land was securely fenced from stock animals, and 700 plants enhanced existing vegetation. The Trust held an open day in November 2022, attended by 90 participants who donated three days of volunteer time. Public engagement was also supported by development of a website and pamphlets.

Visit the Hidden Valley Conservation Trust website for more information.

Korora (Little Blue Penguin) Monitoring at Sea (Helps Pōhatu Conservation Trust)

 Awarded $30,000

The Helps Pōhatu Conservation Trust has multi year funding to monitor a Korora (Little Blue Penguins) colony at Pōhatu Bay, Banks Peninsula, and to study up to 30 birds at sea for two years. The purpose of this monitoring programme is to protect kororā from ongoing population declines. A subset of the colony was monitored for two days a week. From September 2022 to April 2023 just over 211 nest boxes were monitored, which identified that chicks were dying from lack of food. Chicks were given supplementary feeding, resulting 80 chicks recovering and successfully fledging. Transponders were fitted to 15 adult kororā who were tracked at sea to better understand their foraging behaviour. The Trust also hosted a Penguin Party in Akaroa for Seaweek 2023, which included an exhibition of the research work, penguin-related children’s activities, and talks by research scientists.

Visit the Pōhatu Conservation Trust website for more information.

Le Bons Bay Inanga Restoration Project (Le Bons Bay Environmental Conservation Trust)

 Awarded $6,000

The Le Bons Bay Environmental Conservation Trust received funding to fence and plant inanga/whitebait habitat on a tributary of the Le Bons Bay stream. A fencer erected a 7-wire fence around the project area and 150 eco-sourced trees, shrubs and grasses purchased from Living Streams Nursery in Little River were planted by 20 residents from Le Bons bay in June 2023. Landowner contribution included preparing the site and releasing the young plants from weeds to ensure best conditions for growth.

Learn more about Our Vision | Le Bons Bay Conservation Trust.

Rewild Wainui (Wainui Residents Association)

 Awarded $14,496

Rewild Wainui is a community initiative which is working to restore a Site of Ecological Significance in Wainui, Banks Peninsula. The project started with trialling automated monitoring to understand pest populations across 50 sites, plus benchmarking birdsong using an automatic bird monitor. Pests trapped include mustelids, cats, hedgehogs, rats, and significant numbers of possums (200) and hares (170). The team have learned valuable lessons on how to make pest control and ecological monitoring more efficient in steep terrain, and are using these lessons to plan the expansion of the trap network and monitoring overall.

Visit the Rewild Wainui website for more information.

Improving Water Quality and Fisheries in Wairewa Lake (Wairewa Runanga)

 Awarded $30,000

The Wairewa Rūnanga was funded to organize and host planting and educational days for Tamariki at three sites in the Wairewa catchment. Between 30 to 40 people attended planting days at Awa Te Kaio (2000 plants), Mā Kara/Magnet Bay (1400 plants), and Te Oka Pā (1000 plants). Mahuta Contractors have provided support through spot preparation and release work. Pest control is ongoing and University of Canterbury students also conducted beach clean ups.

Visit the Wairewa website for more information.

Whakaora Pest Project (Conservation Volunteers New Zealand)

 Awarded $30,000

Conservation Volunteers New Zealand engaged 383 volunteers to deliver 212 days (at six hours per day) in the Whakaora/Lyttelton Harbour. This included activities such as establishing and checking trap lines, monitoring, and removing weeds from the Unamau Reserve. Volunteer hours also included attending 7 community events focusing on youth education and general education for local communities. Pest control was conducted over an area of 193 Ha using 12 lines in five different areas. 232 pests were trapped, including possums (27), hedgehogs (19), rats (118), mustelids (13), and mice (110).

Visit the Conservation Volunteers New Zealand website for more information.

Arthur’s Pass Wildlife Trust Feral Cat Eradication (Arthur’s Pass Wildlife Trust:)

 Awarded $12,000

The Arthur’s Pass Wildlife Trust (APWT) aims to eradicate all feral cats in the vicinity of Arthur’s Pass Village, to help protect native wildlife for future generations to enjoy. WAI funding assisted with purchasing cat traps and monitoring catch-rates plus gather information that could help other groups to establish a similar programme. APWT now have in operation 4 remote hubs, 4 masts, 30 remotely monitored traps, and 9 manually monitored traps all within several km of SH73 from the top of Arthur’s Pass. Volunteers have donated many hours to set up and test the communication towers. In addition contractors often only claim for half of the work they actually do. At the time of reporting, 24 possums, 26 cats and 6 hedgehogs had been caught in total.

Visit the Arthur's Pass Wildlife Trust website. 

Monitoring Project (Craigieburn Trapping Alliance)

 Awarded $2,586

The Craigieburn Trapping Alliance (CTA) ran a very successful one day training workshop on Trapping and Monitoring, delivered by trainers from DOC. Held in September at Castle Hill Village Community Hall, it was attended by 25 participants which included current members of the CTA, other trapping groups in the region and interested members of the Castle Hill community. One CTA member received training through the NMIT/DOC Predator Trapping Methods course. CTA also hosted 5 Minute Bird Count Course with NMIT and purchased equipment to set up tunnel monitoring tracks. As a result of these activities, an ongoing relationship has been established with two accredited commercial trappers who have also become voluntary members of the CTA and offered to assist with designing a monitoring program.

Visit the Craigieburn Trapping Alliance | Trap website for more information. 

Trapping and Planting in the Rakaia Gorge (The Fantail Trust)

 Awarded $5,250

The Fantail Trust was granted funds to investigate the regeneration of native forest in areas where active sycamore control is occurring on the Rakaia gorge, plus install additional predator and pest control traps to close gaps in the existing network.

Visit the Fantail trust website for more information. 

Waimakariri Ecological and Landscape Restoration Alliance (WELRA)

 Awarded $24,000

Implementation of the Upper Waimakariri River Weed Control Strategy – a partnership approach to assist in delivering a catchment-wide collaborative approach to the management of weed species in the upper Waimakariri catchment. (NB, wilding pines are not the main focus of this project).

Wilding Sycamore Control (Methven Bike Park)

 Awarded $20,000

Methven Bike Park aims to eradicate 40 hectares of wilding sycamores and replant with natives endemic to Mt Hutt/Ōpuke region. Over 2022/23, a professional contractor conducted eight days of pest control. Whilst the work is slow going, a good start was made to remove main areas of sycamores that had the most potential to spread. Volunteers grew 1000 locally sourced seedlings in preparation for replanting in winter 2023.

Visit the Bike Methven | Mt Hutt Bike Park | Canterbury website for more information.

Staveley Camp Forest Regeneration (Staveley Campsite Committee)

 Awarded $30,000

Staveley Camp Forest is a very rare remnant of the once extensive Alford Forest which is at risk from invasive exotic species. What are the values?) The aim of this project is to ensure the protection and regeneration of this ecosystem which has at least 200 different species.

Visit the Staveley Camp|Remnant Native Forest website for more information. 

Opihi River Revegetation Project (Mackenzie Community Enhancement Board)

Awarded $16,560

The Mackenzie Community Enhancement Board is working to restore 11 Ha of native vegetation alongside the Opihi river in partnership with schools in the Fairlie District and the Fairlie Lions Club. 33 representatives including students from Mackenzie College, home-schoolers, kindergarten mums and kids, and Lions Clubs members planted 2075 grown by local nurseries and the local community garden. The plantings were established in multiple cleared areas within the designated area.

Trapping Predators and Weed Eradication (Orari River Protection Group)

 Awarded $6,500

The most significant outcome from 2022/23 Waitaha funding has been the purchase and introduction of automated possum, rat and mice traps, including 38 AT220’s into existing trap lines. There has been a significant increase in kill rate, with less time spent in the field by volunteers. From July 22–August 23, pest and predator control catches resulted in approximately 160 possums, 77 hedgehogs, 90 rats, and 32 mustelids. Volunteers have contributed 510 trapping hours and 480 hours controlling weeds on five different sites, including nesting sites.

Peel Forest Rangitata River Corridor Trapping Project (Peel Forest Outdoor Pursuits Charitable Trust)

Awarded $6,500

The Peel Forest Outdoor Pursuits Charitable Trust used WAI funding to establish trap lines with the aim to control predators on within the Peel Forest Eco Lodge on a 22 ha site situated in Clark’s Flat Peel Forest. The Trust has been working with the Department of Conservation, Geraldine Men’s Shed, and Boffa Miskell to trial establish the lines. Clients staying at the lodge are offered a learning experience about the need for predator control and predator control methods.

Visit the Peel Forest Outdoor Centre | Challenge, Educate, Inspire website for more information.

Raising Awareness of Wilding Conifer Risk (Mackenzie Basin Wilding Trees Trust)

 Awarded $10,000

Achievements in 22/23 included six volunteer days, with 413 hours of volunteer labour removing wilding pine trees in 103ha, including protected areas for indigenous vegetation, such as the Ben Dhu Scientific Reserve. Three wilding conifer management community workshops were held, supported by a range of print resources.

Students (aged 11-17 year olds) from Twizel Area School and Waihi School participated in wilding control activities, supported by education materials prepared by MPI.

The Trust also released a video about the importance of wilding pine control which featured well-known personalities including Nadia Lim, Graeme Sydney, and Al Brown explaining the importance of wilding pine control.

Alongside the Waitaha Action to Impact Fund, key donor partners for this project include the Community Trust of Mid and South Canterbury (CTMSC) and Land Information New Zealand (LINZ).

Visit the Mackenzie Basin Wilding Tree Trust website for more information.

Eco Centre Launch and Progression (Sustainable South Canterbury Trust)

 Awarded $10,000

The Sustainable South Canterbury Trust received funding to initiate and support activities run out of their brand-new Centre which opened in late 2022. Events focused on raising the profile of the Centre by bringing participants into the Centre for educational events. WAI funding supported hosting learning sessions for 6 schools (primary and high school) on topics including recycling, stormwater, Waitarakao Lagoon, Long Tailed Bats, Predator Free NZ, and a Raptor experience. The Centre developed in-situ displays to support these topics. Pre-schoolers also visited the centre during school holidays, along with pupils from Deaf Education. The Trust continues to build a network of local groups who are sustainably minded.

Visit the South Canterbury Eco Centre, Educate and inform for a sustainable future website for more information.

Community Native Nursery, Biodiversity Education and River Protection (Hakataramea Sustainability Collective)

 Awarded $30,000

WAI funds resourced the development and implementation of a strategic plan for weed and pest control along the lower reaches of the Hakataramea river. This was supported by engagement with the local school (preschools, Waitaki Valley Schools, Waitaki Boys and Girls) and running a Community Native Nursery. The Collective also hosted community propagation, and biosecurity (plant pest) workshops. Hands get dirty through community volunteer days where volunteers control willow, broom, and gorse, eco source and plant seedlings. The local community is kept in touch with the Hakataramea Sustainability Collective through articles in the local newspaper, school newsletters, social media and fact sheets.

Visit the Hakataramea Sustainability Collective | HSC | Hakataramea Valley website for more information.

Braided River Biodiversity Restoration

 Awarded $24,000

BRaid functions as an umbrella group with the aim, to protect, enhance and restore braided river ecosystems. WAI fund supports this work by resourcing BRaid to provide up to date information about research and management of Braided rivers, writing and distributing a newsletter, and creating other communications tools such as maps. Another key deliverable is a free annual seminar, which is the largest gathering of interested parties (agency, private consultants and community organisation) for braided rivers in the South Island. The annual event drew 188 participants representing more than 20 organisations.

Ten organisations delivered a diversity of presentations, which are freely available to the public on the BRaid website.

Sea Cleaners Lyttelton Activation: (Sea Cleaners Trust)

 Awarded $30,000

Sea Cleaners Lyttelton Activation for all of Canterbury-focused shoreline and waterway clean-up in advance of the SailGP event in Lyttelton in March 2023.

Visit the Sea Cleaners | We remove rubbish from the Sea, Harbours and Oceans website for more information.

Hutton's Shearwater Charitable Trust

 Awarded $2,000

The Kaikōura Community Conservation Kete (KCCK) is a “go anywhere” kit of diverse, multi-functional, educational and promotional resources for conservation groups of Kaikōura to enable recruitment and succession of volunteers, and to promote Kaikōura conservation.

The trust successfully produced print resources highlighting local species, including their namesake the Kaikōura tītī/Hutton’s shearwater, and have also purchased a gazebo which has been put to good use at public events. The kete even includes a set of taxidermized predators used to educate the public about local pests. Sourcing good specimens turned out to be a challenge, but the trust has achieved the full set: feral cat, possum, ferret, stoat, weasel, hedgehog, black rat, and Norway rat.

Volunteers planting at Tūhaitara Coastal Park

Te Kōhaka o Tūhaitara Trust

 Awarded $5,000

A project to enhance the native biodiversity of Tūhaitara Coastal Park, which spans from the Waimakariri River to Waikuku Beach.

Over 2,700 native plants including tauhinu, toe toe, tī kōuka, and harakeke have been planted in the area, through the hard work of community volunteers, Corrections teams, and people from Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga Group and St Joseph’s School in Rangiora.

Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust

 Awarded $25,000

The trust is focused on the restoration, protection and enhancement of Te Ihutai/Avon-Heathcote Estuary. They aim to promote a better understanding of the values of the estuary and provide opportunities to volunteer across five wetland restoration projects.

The trust has worked to raise the profile of the estuary and educate the local community through public meetings and their AGM. They were also co-organisers of the Mother of All Clean Ups, with 650 volunteers representing 43 community groups coming together to collect 1.9 tonnes of litter. At the Charlesworth Reserve annual planting day, 75 people planted 1400 tree seedlings. This trust has also encouraged local businesses to commit to clearing litter regularly and provided opportunities for high school students to volunteer.

Avon Ōtākaro Network Inc

 Awarded $5,000

On World Rivers Day in September 2022 this group launched a massive river clean-up project, which aimed to bring together multiple groups to undertake river clean-ups and riparian planting in their respective locations.

Over the course of many clean-up sessions, this group collected nearly 2 tonnes of rubbish. Tamariki from local schools learnt how to weigh rubbish and collect rubbish data, and a corporate clean up saw the Avon Loop get a spring clean.

3000 native plants have been planted along Dudley Stream with help from the local community, Pareawa School, Hohepa homes and corporate groups – more than 500 participants helped out. The Avon Ōtākaro Network has also developed a rongoā (Māori natural medicine) map and series of rongoā workshops to bring the Ōtākaro community together.

Volunteer Kate sorts rubbish

Christchurch Envirohub

 Awarded $24,000.

This community-led mapping and directory project was funded to create a digital mapping application that displays environmentally focused projects or activities occurring within the wider Canterbury region, including planting events, recycling drop points, pest management organisations, river care groups, restoration sites and energy organisations.

Both the community directory and the map are now available online. The directory holds over 300 listings that include key contact information, images and links. The interactive map is searchable by projects type and location.

Port Hills Trust Board

 Awarded $10,000

The Mt Vernon Park Enhancement project aims to plant eco-sourced native plants on erosion prone hillsides and flats reducing sediment into the Ōpāwaho Heathcote, removing woody weeds, and providing volunteer opportunities.

In 2021/22, this project saw around 1,500 native plants planted by more than 80 local volunteers. The new plantings are providing a significant increase to the biodiversity of the catchment and helping to reducing sediment flow into the river, which flows into the Heathcote. A tuna/eel was found for the first time since the 2011 earthquake and inanga/whitebait were also present upstream. Some of the trees planted in previous years, including māhoe, are now fruiting, providing additional benefit to native lizards and birds.

Styx Living Laboratory Trust

 Awarded $10,050

The Pūharakekenui Work Programme supports community-led mahi to help create a ‘living laboratory’ for research and learning. A working group was formed by the trust in collaboration with Environment Canterbury, Christchurch City Council and local experts to investigate how to best manage sediment in the Pūharakekenui/Styx River catchment. This project has also run a citizen science event introducing forest monitoring to participants, and two well-attended tours of the catchment.

Summit Road Society

 Awarded $20,000

Predator Free Port Hills (PFPH) is a backyard and community trapping programme which aims to eliminate rats, possums and mustelids from the Port Hills and Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour by 2050. PFPH volunteers have distributed traps to local communities and spread the word about the benefits of the area becoming free of predators. In 2022, 351 households joined the programme, receiving a trap and advice on how to operate it.

PFPH has also worked with several schools and pre-schools and held a predator free kids’ workshop in partnership with Envirokids. Students from Christ College and Hornby High and volunteers from Conservation Volunteers NZ and Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust have all worked with PFPH to prepare materials for their eight trap building days. Along with these, the group has run four workshops.

Sustainable Ōtautahi Christchurch

 Awarded $6,000

Speak for the Planet is a creative arts competition for young people from year 7 to age 24. This event was held in the TSB Space at Tūranga Library, with the theme of ‘ecosystem restoration’, on Friday 1 July 2022, supported by Christchurch City Libraries staff, with the art exhibition touring a library network after competition day. 65 students participated, across speech and spoken word, impromptu drama, short video and visual art categories.

Helps Pōhatu Conservation Trust

 Awarded $10,000

Volunteers checking kororā nesting boxes

This project aims to protect kororā (little blue penguins) from ongoing population decline by monitoring their breeding success and tracking their activities at sea using GPS sensors.

During the 2022/23 breeding season, the trust marked 102 adults and 78 chicks with passive integrated transponders (PIT tags). Population data was collected, including the number of chicks hatched and fledged. Using GPS, the group successfully obtained 22 daily foraging trip paths of 13 adult kororā with chicks.

Pōhatu Penguins also runs outreach and education programs, such as Pōhatu Conservation Club, and have welcomed schools and groups to Pōhatu wanting to learn about wildlife, marine reserves, forest restoration and penguin conservation.

Hidden Valley Conservation Trust

 Awarded $8,000

The Hidden Valley Conservation Quick Start protects and restores seventy-two hectares at Purau, recognised for its high natural, cultural and landscape values. The goal is to accelerate the transition from farming to conservation, with an immediate benefit to biodiversity and public recreation.

The trust is in regular communication with mana whenua Ngāti Wheke and Koukourārata rūnanga (and other rūnanga on Banks Peninsula) with a focus on the Hidden Valley link in the Whakaraupō catchment.
The trust has made a lot of progress to control predators in the area, with work including fence maintenance, trapping, and the use of trail cameras to monitor pest animals. Volunteer effort has also gone into finding and removing weeds including gorse, elderberry, hawthorn, European broom, spur valerian, pigs’ ear and heather.

Rod Donald Banks Peninsula Trust

 Awarded $10,000

Te Ahu Patiki Park Ecological Survey and Stocktake to determine what indigenous biodiversity is onsite in this highly modified environment and how to best convert the land from farming back into a more natural state by integrating mātauranga Māori into their approach. Their vision is to secure enduring public access, uphold Ngāi Tahu cultural values and protect and restore native biodiversity.

In this funding period, the total land area was divided into eco-zones and the trust’s ecologists identified key indicator species and weeds. Their research was complemented by existing information sources, including previous surveys in the 1990s by Hugh Wilson et al. The research generated has contributed to a long-term management plan for the park.

Arthur’s Pass Wildlife Trust

 Awarded $8,000

Arthur’s Pass Wildlife Trust aims to eradicate all feral cats in the vicinity of Arthur’s Pass Village to help protect native wildlife for future generations to enjoy.

This project has successfully installed 35 remotely monitored cat traps in the field, which automatically update a telemetered tracking system every time they are triggered. Contractors then travel to the trap to deal with what has been caught.

Waimakariri Ecological and Landscape Restoration Alliance (WELRA)

 Awarded $20,000

Upper Waimakariri Community Wilding Conifer Control is a project aimed at galvanising the local community in the fight against wilding conifer spread in the upper Waimakariri catchment.

All WELRA activities are coordinated with the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme and landowner approval is obtained prior to all operations. In 2021/22, nine volunteer days were held for pine removal, with more than 500 volunteer hours donated. WELRA successfully delivered its plot monitoring programme and annual monitoring report. The group has also diversified from wilding conifer operations to address other plant pest species.

Bike Methven

 Awarded $10,000

The Mt Hutt Forest Bike Park XC Rejuvenation Project was launched with the goal of eradicating wilding sycamores on a family-friendly bike track and replanting with natives endemic to the Mt Hutt/Ōpuke Region.

During the funding period, the areas of sycamores that had the most potential to spread have been killed, and over a thousand locally sourced native plant seedlings have been grown in preparation for replanting. Volunteers and local businesses work to maintain the bike track and native vegetation in the surrounding area.

Native tree planting by the Ōpihi River Revegetation Project team

Mackenzie Community Enhancement Board

 Awarded $4,560

The Ōpihi River Revegetation Project team partnered with the Fairlie Lions Club to create a community programme for schools in the Fairlie District (along with any interested groups and individuals), to plant native vegetation along the Ōpihi River.

The project has seen 900 seedlings planted with guards added, with help from 34 people over four planting days. The group has reported, "There has been a swell of interest as many locals walk along the Ōpihi River for exercise and relaxation have noted the changes and commented positively."

Peel Forest Outdoor Pursuits Charitable Trust

  Awarded $11,080

The Peel Forest river corridor trapping project is focused on pest animal control, utilising technical expertise from biosecurity specialists. They also engage the local community in restoration activities to provide riparian habitat protection to promote local flora and fauna recovery in the wider landscape. Their trapping program aims to control predators on the trust’s ecolodge site of 22ha and educate the school groups that utilise the Peel Forest Outdoor Education Centre about the importance of trapping and protection of our native birds.

This group works in collaboration with Boffa Miskell, who provide technical and hands on resources, and the Geraldine Department of Conservation office, who manages the scenic reserve bordering the trust land.

Orari River Protection Group Inc Soc.

 Awarded $6,500

Setting traps in the Orari River catchment

The focus of this project is predator trapping and weed eradication in the upper and lower catchments of the Orari River. By controlling mustelids, rats, possums, cats, hedgehogs, and mice, this project is improving the prospects of rare and endangered taonga birds including nesting tarāpuka/black billed gulls and tarapiroe/black fronted terns, as well as rare reptiles that live in the close margins of the river and adjoining berm/vegetation. The Orari River Protection Group is also helping farmers and the community by decreasing the number of pests and therefore the probability of spread of tuberculosis by pest species.

With this funding, the group purchased 9 AT220 automatic possum and rat traps which have proven to perform spectacularly. The traps are set, moved and cleared by an active team of 11 volunteers.

Sustainable South Canterbury Trust

 Awarded $10,000 (also covers the Orari Temuka Ōpihi Pareora Zone)

The trust was funded to launch an eco-centre to enable workshops to educate adults and children on environmental practices, covering waste, energy, climate, land use and water.

Te Pokapū taiao o Aoraki/South Canterbury Eco Centre was officially opened on Saturday 19 November 2022, somewhat delayed due to covid interruptions. The trust has employed a coordinator who runs the schools’ programme. Alongside this the centre has hosted an open day, run events with the Raptor Trust and INaturalist, and held waste-free and climate change workshops, along with business community workdays and a community gardening day.