Wairarapa conservation groups

Listed below are some volunteer based groups that you can get involved with. You'll learn new skills, meet like-minded people, contribute to conservation, and increase your connection to your local community and natural spaces.

For more conservation volunteer opportunities volunteer for a DOC project.

Aorangi Restoration Trust

Aim: The trust is a charitable conservation trust aiming to protect and restore the Aorangi Range, surrounding land and coastline in the Southern Wairarapa to its former glory. It consists of many sub-projects including 'Project Penguin', which aims to protect and enhance the historical breeding grounds of the Little Blue Penguin with pest control and education. These projects will be highly dependent on achieving funding and a ready supply of dedicated volunteers.

Ducks Unlimited

Aim: This wetlands and waterfowl conservation group works to save wetlands throughout New Zealand, including the Wairio Wetland at Lake Wairarapa, through protection, funding, technical aid and education. 

Ducks Unlimited website

Featherston Walkways and Reserves Trust

Aim: To promote Featherston as the gateway to the Wairarapa. The trust maintains the Otauira, Dorset Square, and Barr-Brown bush reserves and Featherston Domain. The trust is also working with the South Wairarapa Tramping Club to connect Featherston to the Tararua Forest Park tramping network via the Buck's Road campsite, and is promoting a new mountain bike track and improved walking access to Wairarapa Moana.

Featherston Walkways and Reserves Trust website

Friends of Onoke Spit

Aim:  To restore and preserve the native flora and fauna of Onoke Spit. The group has beach cleanups, planting and weeding restoration days and have a pest control programme where traps are regularly checked.

Friends of the ANZAC Memorial Bridge - Kaiparoro Inc

Aim: The main aim is to preserve and honour the memory of the nine people from the Tararua District who are commemorated on the ANZAC Memorial Bridge. Along with completing the restoration of the fabric of the bridge other volunteer work has included removing shrub and debris, nursing native plants, keeping the walkway in good order, improving the signage at the bridge, compiling and publishing an historic record and holding an ANZAC Day Service.

Contact: Kay Flavell newpacificstudio@xtra.co.nz or +64 6 375 8441

Holdsworth Restoration Trust

Aim: We work in an area of about 1,200 ha around Donnelly Flat at the Holdsworth road end. Using self resetting traps we control rats, stoats and mice with the aim of enabling current bird species in the area to breed safely. Ultimately we aim to introduce other native species not currently in the area.

Volunteers who are comfortable on rough tracks are needed to help with 6-monthly trap re-baiting, monitoring. and putting out new traps.

Contact: See our website www.holdsworthrestorationtrust.org. 

Mangatarere Restoration Society

Aim: This streamcare group is working to improve the health of the Mangatarere Stream in the Carterton district. Volunteers are from the community, farming, local industry and iwi.

South Wairarapa Biodiversity Group

Aim: To enhance the ecology of the area with specific focus on potential educational, recreational, cultural and tourism opportunities available at Lake Onoke. The group have many events including working bees and planting and restoration days.