Koia te mouri tū, te mouri tapu, te mouri ora o te Kaiwharawhara, tātou e tau nei, hui e, taiki e!

Here, the life essence stands, the sacred essence of life, of life's vitality within the Kaiwharawhara, amongst all of us here, gathered, united!

The Kaiwharawhara whaitua/catchment is unique in Wellington City: it is the largest stream system and only catchment with an open estuary on the Wellington harbour. A catchment is an area of land where water collects when it rains. The Kaiwharawhara catchment begins at Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne and flows through Wilton, Crofton Downs and Ngaio and down to the estuary, near Spotlight. The catchment has many special values – a rich cultural history, numerous species of native fish, and the sanctuary which provides a source of dispersal for unique New Zealand wildlife.

The project came about in 2017 when Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne began looking beyond the predator exclusion fence with our mana whenua partners to explore what we could do to enhance the benefits for biodiversity and the people of our region. Work on freshwater within the sanctuary, and the connection to the wider landscape through the ika/fish and manu/birds that leave and enter, seemed a natural place to start. This catchment-based approach was a springboard from the efforts of a previous initiative, Project Kaiwharawhara, which had been active many years before. 

What we do

For more information about this unique catchment and kaupapa, take a look at The Sanctuary to Sea Kia Mouriora te Kaiwharawhara Strategy 2018-2028. Check out the the Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne blog to read more stories about the project.     

Examples of key initiatives and high impact work include:

• Reintroduction of threatened taonga species to the upper waterbodies of the catchment (Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne) through mana whenua partnerships; one example is the translocation of toitoi/common bully into Roto Māhanga. Toitoi are a significant addition for us to introduce to Roto Māhanga/upper reservoir because of their relationship with kākahi, the freshwater mussel. Toitoi play an important role in the dispersal of juvenile kākahi. 
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• The removal of introduced perch from Roto Kawau in Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne; this project removed a major predator of native freshwater species and will over time improve water quality of the catchment.
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• Supporting mana whenua in their aspirations for the catchment; e.g. the establishment of Te Tini o Hākuturi (cultural monitoring kaitiaki group); the ambitious project to achieve legal personhood for the Kaiwharawhara.
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• Our Te Ohu Kaiwharawhara | Every Business Restoring Nature project, which grew from recognizing the connection and impact that our business community has in the catchment. This project presents an exciting opportunity to collaborate with businesses to create innovative nature positive actions that restore the catchment and support them to share this with their sectors on a national scale.

Who we work with 

The project is led by Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne, in partnership with mana whenua Taranaki Whānui Te Ūpoko o Te Ika, and has strategic leadership from CentrePort, Wellington City Council, Department of Conservation, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Morphum Environmental Ltd and GHD. The wider Kaiwharawhara community are key stakeholders and drivers of our collective effort, and researchers support our work. We consider this whole-community approach as the only option for reversing the loss of biodiversity in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Today, Kia Mouriora te Kaiwharawhara Sanctuary to Sea exists thanks to the work of many passionate community members who have been focused on the restoration of the catchment for decades. This project exemplifies where we are heading as an organisation. Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne has a 500-year vision of restoration - sustainability is at our heart. Our theory of change for a better environmental future is to push the boundaries, learn from what we do, share our knowledge, and inspire action.

How to get involved 

Our vision to restore the mouri/vitality to the Kaiwharawhara catchment can only be achieved if we work together.