Te Awa | The Stream
He Urupā Kirihou Kore | Plastic Free Urupā
Over the last few years, the plastic free movement has taken off. Plastic bags are no longer given out at supermarkets, keep cups are a staple at cafés and plastic cutlery has even been banned across New Zealand and in many other countries. But what about the use of plastic flowers in cemeteries?
In 2019, Terese McLeod (Taranaki Whānui and Bicultural Engagement Lead Ranger at Zealandia) was working in the Kaiwharawhara carrying out a rubbish audit with freshwater scientist Amanda Valois. This involved collecting rubbish from the awa and sorting it into categories to see what it was and where it might have come from. Terese started to notice a trend - there were a number of plastic flowers being found in the stream. It turns out these flowers were all coming from the Karori Cemetery, which is one of the biggest cemeteries in New Zealand and is right alongside the stream. The flowers were blowing off the graves into the waterways and turning up at different parts of the stream’s journey.
This discovery allowed a relationship to form with the representatives that look after that cemetery, as well as conversations about plastic reduction in that space. Terese also began the process of making her own family urupā/cemetery plastic free in Mākara and Taranaki.
There are many alternative options to plastic when it comes to what we can share with those we visit in cemeteries. Terese will bring something personal that doesn’t need to be left behind. For example, she will sometimes read poetry, sing a waiata or share a thought. If you’d prefer to leave something physical, natural materials like driftwood, stones or fresh/wild/dried flowers or petals are all options that avoid leaving plastic to break down and end up in the waterways.
The incredible birdlife that has emerged from Zealandia and is taking up residence across Wellington is a living example of what can be achieved when people come together to create space for nature. Zealandia is on a 500-year journey to create a corner of the world where Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique animals and plants can thrive in healthy, vibrant ecosystems—not just in the forests, but beneath the surface of the water as well.
Prior to 2021, Roto Kawau, the lower lake in the sanctuary, was unhealthy and out of balance. The lake had poor-quality water, suffered an annual algal bloom, and very few native species were able to survive there.
One of the key problems was too many redfin perch (Perca fluviatilis), which are a non-native fish species. There were more than 20,000 swimming in the small reservoir in 2021! These perch altered the food chain in the lake by consuming very large numbers of invertebrates (or zooplankton), which normally eat the algae and prevent algal bloom. Perch are also predators of native fish, so we couldn’t make space for our native wildlife while the perch were around.
To remove them from Zealandia, we carried out a massive project in 2021 which took over six years of preparation and included lowering the water level six metres, relocating our native fish species and treating the water with rotenone, which is the powdered root of a plant, Derris elliptica.
This was a huge undertaking, but we are already seeing the ecosystem bounce back without the perch, with young banded kōkopu being seen in the awa, dragonflies and other invertebrate numbers soaring and less algal blooms occurring than previous years.
Whakaweku i te Kaiwarawhara | Whakaweku in the Kaiwharawhara
Toitoi/common bully are one of the most common freshwater fish species in Aotearoa New Zealand. This small fish species can grow to about 50-60mm in lake populations, are typically dark grey to brown in colour and live for around 1-4 years.
Before 2023, toitoi had disappeared completely from the Kaiwharawhara catchment. Since then, we have worked with Rōpū Tiaki (the co-management group for Parangarahu Lakes consisting of Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika and Greater Wellington Regional Council representatives) to bring hundreds of toitoi from Parangarahu Lakes to Zealandia. This is likely the first time that freshwater fish had been moved within Aotearoa New Zealand solely for restoration reasons.
At Zealandia, we are making sure that we are appropriately drawing on both western science and indigenous knowledge systems when we do our work. In 2024, as part of the translocation we trialled a traditional mātauranga Māori collection method called whakaweku, led by kaimahi Māori/Māori staff and with help from freshwater ecologists from NIWA.
Whakaweku are bundles of rārahu/bracken fern which are submerged into water for a few weeks. While in the water, the bundles act as habitat for ika/fish that live at the bottom of the lake, as well as insects and kōura/crayfish. The beauty of this method, especially when compared to western fishing methods, is that all the ika, kōura and invertebrates that are caught in the whakaweku choose to inhabit this space and can come and go freely until it is pulled out of the water, which makes it less stressful for them.
Drawing on mātauranga Māori in this project allowed staff and others involved to strengthen their connections with each other and with the natural world, all of which are especially important to a world in climate and biodiversity crisis.
Toitoi/common bully are one of the most common freshwater fish species in Aotearoa New Zealand. This small fish species can grow to about 50-60mm in lake populations, are typically dark grey to brown in colour and live for around 1-4 years.
Before 2023, toitoi had disappeared completely from the Kaiwharawhara catchment. Since then, we have worked with Rōpū Tiaki (the co-management group for Parangarahu Lakes consisting of Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika and Greater Wellington Regional Council representatives) to bring hundreds of toitoi from Parangarahu Lakes to Zealandia. This is likely the first time that freshwater fish had been moved within Aotearoa New Zealand solely for restoration reasons.
We brought toitoi into Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne as we are working towards whole ecosystem restoration. Each species within an ecosystem plays an important role and makes it a healthier and more resilient place.
Toitoi have a very special relationship with kākahi, the freshwater mussel. Kākahi use toitoi like ‘public transport’, shuttling their kids off to a different part of their freshwater home. Adult kākahi ‘sneeze’ their larvae, called glochidia, into the water. These larvae then attach onto the gills or fins of a nearby fish to catch a ride away from their parents. Along the way, toitoi provide the right environment and conditions for the larvae to change into juvenile kākahi. Once they are big enough, the kākahi drop off the toitoi into a new part of the lake and start the cycle all over again.
Kākahi quietly transform the freshwater ecosystem around them, improving water quality by filter feeding— each kākahi can filter one litre of water per hour! Sadly, they are under threat and declining, due to water pollution and loss of host species, which makes it even more important to establish thriving populations in spaces that are being restored such as Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne.
Te Ngahere | The Forest
Ngā Kaipatu Tarutaru o Pōneke | Wellington’s Weed Busters
We love our gardens, but they can also contain unwanted plant visitors. While not all introduced plants are invasive, those that are have a harmful impact on the wider natural environment and on human and animal health.
Did you know that three-quarters of New Zealand’freas problem weeds are garden escapees or plants that have been dumped at parks, reserves, beaches, lakes and rivers? Many weeds, such as tradescantia (wandering willy), grow from small fragments and are easily spread from dumped piles. Weeds change or destroy habitats, making it difficult for native plants and animals to survive. They reduce the availability of food and breeding sites for animals and either smother or outcompete native plants.
Once weeds get established, they are very expensive and difficult to get rid of entirely. Thankfully, there are amazing community groups in Wellington who are working on removing invasive weeds. For example, Old Man’s Beard (OMB) Free Wellington is a group which is eradicating Old Man’s Beard, a vine that smothers our New Zealand native bush.
As well as clearing the large infestations along the Zealandia fence line, the group works with residents to clear Old Man’s Beard from private properties.
The seeds for Old Man’s Beard last for about 10 years, so repeat visits will be necessary for years to come. The work being undertaken by OMB Free Wellington is yet another example of how we can all play a part in making Wellington a haven for biodiversity.
Nō ngā Paina ki ngā Huarākau Wae | From Pines to Podocarps
Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne is trialling an innovative technique to continue to help the ngahere/forest and the species that live within it thrive. Towering above visitors in the ngahere, the non-native pine trees at Zealandia originally planted as a forestry trial as early as the 1880s.
When the sanctuary was established, some of the pines were not removed because they were an important habitat in the upper canopy for some of our native species like kārearea and kākā and they provided protection to the steep slopes against slipping. We aspire for this ngahere to only have native trees one day and are now looking to remove the pines as they get older and less safe.
This will be a slow process and will likely take 50-60 years for us to remove them all safely! There are manu/birds and tuatara which call the space in and around these trees home so we need to be mindful of them and take our time as we remove the pines to keep them safe.
We have also been trialling something called ‘veteranisation’ as we take down the pines and other non-native trees. This had never been thoroughly researched in Aotearoa before we started testing it out at Zealandia. Veteranisation involves cutting the pines down in a way that creates habitat for many different species. For example, branches are removed so that ragged ends are left which creates hollows for plants, fungi and invertebrates to live.
Cavities are also cut into the tall standing stumps, with dimensions that allow them to act like nest boxes for manu such as kākā. They have a removable front, allowing access for monitoring.
While we are still testing this technique, it is looking promising. In 2023, during the first breeding season after doing this, kākā were seen investigating the cavities, and one kākā who had never nested in an artificial nest box before used one of these pine cavities and successfully raised three chicks.
In the winter of 2022, there was a lot of consistent heavy rain across Aotearoa New Zealand. Downpours caused more than 160 slips across one weekend in August, including one that had a huge impact on the Kaiwharawhara.
A fifty-metre-wide expanse of earth from the Wilton Park sports ground (amounting to thousands of tons of sediment) slipped down into Ōtari-Wilton's Bush. This blocked the Te Māhanga section of the Kaiwharawhara stream and blanketed the stream downstream with sediment, causing significant environmental harm.
While the rain contributed to the slip, it was also caused by historic infilling of a gully with earth in the 1950s to create the sports field. The steep edge of the field liquefied when it became too wet in the heavy rain.
The community has stepped up to help remedy the impacts of the slip and to take the opportunity to help return native forest to the area devastated by the slip. Between 2022 and 2024, over 2,000 native trees were planted by Ōtari-Wilton's Bush and other Wellington City Council staff, as well as dozens of volunteers. An impressive amount of rubbish that was mixed into the slip material was also cleared. Gradual infill planting will continue, in an effort to keep the hillside as stable as possible.
According to Ōtari-Wilton's Bush Manager Tim Park, this event highlights the importance of good infrastructural planning that works with, rather than against, nature. Tim notes that slips are very rare in the natural parts of Ōtari where the native vegetation and landforms are intact.
Zealandia’s fence allows native species that would normally be gobbled up by grazing mammals to safely grow – in fact the largest stand of kōtukutuku/tree fuchsia south of the Tararua Ranges can be found near the upper dam because possums were controlled before the fence went up to protect what was Wellington’s water supply. But what if the plants can’t grow in the first place? Kohurangi/Kirk’s tree daisy (Brachyglottis kirkii var. kirkii) is a species that is in a lot of trouble in the Wellington region because possums love it.
To understand how this threatened species will survive and reproduce in the wild with limited ongoing intervention, scientists from Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush teamed up with Zealandia in 2017. The Lions Ōtari Native Plant Conservation Laboratory is situated at Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush and provides staff, volunteers, students and external researchers with facilities and equipment to study New Zealand native plant species to inform conservation actions. The lab provides an opportunity for cutting-edge research into seed germination and long-term seed storage using methods such as cryopreservation (in liquid nitrogen) and conventional seed banking (in a freezer).
Growing plants in a nursery or lab can be very different to growing them in a ngahere/forest. Soil is a bit like yoghurt, with bacteria, fungi, viruses, of all kinds interacting with seeds and plants in ways we don’t understand yet. So, replicating this ‘natural yoghurt’ in lab conditions can be tricky.
Since 2017, we have seen some of the restored kohurangi plants produce flowers and seed, but unfortunately most have died with only a few individuals remaining. Although this may not feel like a success, we still learn from this type of work. For example, it helped us to determine the importance of different planting methods to simulate the epiphytic habit of kohurangi including planting into ponga pots and attaching plants onto trees using hessian bags.
Te Tangata | The People
As well as those who call the catchment home, you’ll also find people who work here – in fact there are approximately 130 businesses in the Kaiwharawhara! To help businesses look after the catchment, the Kia Mouriora te Kaiwharawhara collective started an initiative called Te Ohu Kaiwharawhara (previously Every Business Restoring Nature), which supports businesses to take nature-positive steps in their workplace.
We’ve had a range of local businesses take part and do activities such as trapping, planting natives and clearing rubbish, which all improve the mouri of the Kaiwharawhara.
One business owner that got involved is Craig Fair, from Karori Auto Services. While his shop is located just out of the catchment, his dedication to creating a greenspace in his workshop meant it was an obvious choice for him to get involved in Te Ohu Kaiwharawhara.
Craig has planted native plants across the property and has also adjusted some of his business practices to look after te taiao/the environment. For example, he installed a sump that prevents run-off from the workshop floor from going straight into the stormwater drain, impacting the awa where native fish live. Craig has also created a lizard garden at the front of his workshop and has been rewarded with native lizards moving into the space.
“What would I say to other businesses? Come on board please. The more the merrier. The more people who partake in something like this, the better our environment is going to be.” – Craig on his experience with Te Ohu Kaiwharawhara.
Another business which is involved is Woods Waste. Located at the estuary end of the catchment, where the awa faces many big challenges, the staff at Woods Waste have chosen to focus on a challenge they can control – predator trapping.
Thanks to Predator Free Khandallah, they have been trained to set and monitor Victor traps and now have responsibility over the trap lines along School Road behind their building and between Old Hutt Road and the train tracks.
Their trapping efforts will help to keep mammalian predator numbers down in this area and help protect at risk species in this section of the awa.
They also provided two skip bins to help Zealandia and Wellington City Council staff remove invasive wattle trees from the estuary and then mulched these trees for free which saved the Kia Mouriora te Kaiwharawhara collective thousands of dollars!
“Would I recommend [Te Ohu Kaiwharawhara] to other businesses? The easy answer is don’t hesitate. It’s a great thing to be a part of. Everyone’s talked about how prideful they are of being involved right at the beginning. It’s been great getting to meet other businesses in the area. And we’ve seen a lot of benefits, not only in the stream but how our people interact with it. It’s great.” - Jonathon Wilde, Woods Waste
CentrePort
CentrePort is Wellington’s port, a critical connector for the region and for Aotearoa New Zealand with the rest of the world. It’s a role CentrePort has carried out for a long time, evolving into a full service port and logistics business that supports Wellington’s needs – from logs, cars and containers to ferries, fuel and cruise ships.
But it serves a purpose beyond simply being a port with a strong focus on safeguarding the harbour and working with communities to protect and enhance our environment.
CentrePort has been part of the Kia Mouriora te Kaiwharawhara Sanctuary to Sea whānau for many years now. Our partnership with them continues to grow and strengthen; a partnership based on shared connections – we are both situated within the Kaiwharawhara catchment, with Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne standing at the headwaters and CentrePort at the estuary mouth.
We are literally Sanctuary to Sea.
As an important member of our Kia Mouriora te Kaiwharawhara strategy group and member of Te Ohu Kaiwharawhara working group, they have demonstrated their commitment to the Kaiwharawhara by generously helping to fund these stories.
“We are proud to be involved with Kia Mouriora te Kaiwharawhara Sanctuary to Sea, appreciating that we have a responsibility to protect and enhance our environment for all those who use and need it now and everyone else that will come after us. It’s our role as a leader and caretaker and aligns with our value of working as one team.” — Anthony Delaney, CE CentrePort
GHD
We are grateful for the continued support and expertise of our partner GHD.
GHD is a global, professional services company, who work to deliver infrastructure solutions in the water, energy, environment, property and buildings, and transportation markets. They are committed to a vision of making communities sustainable for generations to come.
GHD have been strategic partners on the Kia Mouriora te Kaiwharawhara Sanctuary to Sea project since 2022, which gives this catchment global support and is helping us find opportunities to protect the Kaiwharawhara.
As a partner of the Kia Mouriora te Kaiwharawhara project, their young professionals volunteered with the local community for a Karori Cemetery clean up in 2024. Plastic flowers left at graves in the nearby cemetery often get picked up by the wind and end up in the stream which has been identified as a major source of plastic pollution in the Kaiwharawhara catchment. Over the course of their volunteering, GHD’s young professionals collected this debris and other rubbish, successfully stopping it reaching the waterway and eventually the sea.
A group of GHD’s leadership team also traded their pens and keyboards for black bags and shears to tame some weeds in the sanctuary.
“What better way to develop teamwork than to dig out blackberry, definitely not a one-person job, and help to protect the precious native wildlife that call Zealandia home.” — Norman Whittaker, Wellington Office Lead
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Visit the Kia Mouriora te Kaiwharawhara Sanctuary to Sea in the Zealandia Visitor Centre Foyer next time you visit.