Kia ora, koutou!
It's been a pretty wet start to the season for some of our community groups, particularly in the Coromandel Peninsula and Waipā and Ōtorohanga districts. Heavy rainfall and extreme weather can cause slips, flooding and trees to fall over, damaging traplines and and track access. We hope these events haven't put too much of a dampener on the amazing restoration efforts underway.
The Natural Heritage Fund funding round for 2026 has closed and we'll report on our successful applicants later in the year. The 2026 rounds of the other two funds that make up our Natural Heritage Partnership Programme will open soon. It's a good time to have a think about projects you're keen to get stuck into and click on the links below to see what can be funded.
- Small Scale Community Initiatives Fund: opens Friday, 1 May; closes Monday, 25 May
- Environmental Initiatives Fund: opens Tuesday, 2 June; closes Wednesday, 24 June.
If you enjoy reading our Biodiversity Partnerships newsletter, please feel free to share it with others and encourage them to subscribe.
Kete Taiao Waikato
We’re getting ready to pilot Kete Taiao Waikato, a new spatial data management tool designed to support community-led biodiversity projects. Kete Taiao Waikato can be used on desktop or mobile to record things like planting, pest control (animals and plants), monitoring and volunteer hours, all in one place. It works in the field and makes it easier to plan activities, track progress, and report on what’s being achieved. Click here to see a short demo of what can be done. If you're interested in being one of the first groups to try Kete Taiao Waikato, we'd love to hear from you. We're looking for groups who are:
- comfortable using technology (or keen to learn)
- willing to actively use the tool and provide feedback
- able to put some time into learning and using the system as part of their project work
- positive about helping test the tool so it works well for community groups.
Please email a brief expression of interest, including your group name, a contact person, and a short description of your project to ketetaiao@waikatoregion.govt.nz.
Environmental restoration projects
We are currently funding 95 individual groups or landowners a total of $2.21 million through our Natural Heritage Partnerships Programme. If you are receiving funding from us and would like to share your environmental restoration project on Waikato Regional Council's story hub and as part of our next Biodiversity Partnerships e-newsletter, please get in contact. Here are the latest groups to have their projects profiled.
Fairfield gully restoration grows environmental education
The Fairfield Project in Hamilton, led by the Kukutaaruhe Education Trust Board, is turning thousands of students into citizen scientists.
Volunteers restore city gully with council help
The Friends of Mangaonua Esplanade Society are restoring a formerly rubbish-strewn gully in Hamilton back to its original biodiversity while also fostering a sense of community engagement and guardianship.
Driving out weeds at Driving Creek
Driving Creek, a thriving tourist attraction and an amazing biodiversity hotspot covered by regenerating native forest north of Coromandel town, is reducing infestations of invasive weeds, including climbing asparagus and Taiwan cherry, with a particular focus on kahili ginger.
Funding brings Mountains to Sea lessons to schools
Friends of Whanganui o Hei Marine Reserve Trust is encouraging young people in the Coromandel Peninsula to connect to and understand their freshwater and marine environment, so they are more likely to advocate for it and protect it into the future.
MEGa Pest Attack protecting precious Coromandel habitat
Moth plant competition
Live in Hamilton and hate pest plants? Check out this awesome competition from our friends over at Hamilton City Council! They're running a contest to help combat moth plant, one of the city’s peskiest pest plants. Moth plant is a fast-growing vine that quickly smothers native vegetation. Often mistaken for choko, it produces large pods filled with thousands of seeds that spread easily once the pods open. Get involved and be in to win awesome prizes by collecting the most moth plant pods and seedlings (with roots attached) from your backyard, local park or gully. Find out how here.
Questions or feedback? Please contact Biodiversity Officer Renee Denby at Waikato Regional Council: renee.denby@waikatoregion.govt.nz
