Te Aroha native forest restoration and pest control

The current conservation efforts of Ngāti Tumutumu are based around habitat connectivity and eco-system resilience through removing pest plants and through native restoration planting on Mt Te Aroha, and the ongoing management and maintenance of this. Our long-term goal is to restore the ngahere to what it previously was, with a flourishing native plant and bird life. This conservation project is based on the western face of Mt Te Aroha and includes the walking tracks south towards Waiorongomai Valley and across the summit. Te Aroha maunga is sacred to not only the people of Ngāti Tumutumu but many surrounding iwi as well. The maunga is an important part of the community as a whole and the team feel it’s important to acknowledge this in the work that they do. Providing an opportunity for whānau to return home and work on the maunga is an important goal of Tumutumu Kaitiaki Taiao. This chance to have a lasting impact on the ngahere is not lost on us and we want to be able to create something sustainable for all our future generations. Because the project has high visibility on Te Aroha maunga, the biodiversity we create serves as a public demonstration, educating the community on what a healthy eco-system can look like, with the return of flourishing native flora and fauna. Our pest plant control and management work on the western side of Te Aroha Maunga will focus on the continued removal of invasive pest plants and the ongoing maintenance of addressed areas, alongside native restoration planting on cleared and degraded sites through assisted native regeneration. This work aims to restore the ngahere over time, supporting healthy native vegetation and improving habitat for indigenous bird life. Pest plant control occurs across the whole of the maunga, including along tracks, roads, and accessible margins, where invasive species are actively managed to prevent further spread and allow native plants to re-establish.