Author: Wendy

  • Junior Landcare Planting – day 2!

    Junior Landcare Planting – day 2!

    Our second Junior Landcare planting day, delivered in partnership with Wairau Nature Network, brought together 120 students from Wairau Valley, Springlands and Rapaura Schools.

    As well as planting more than 500 native trees, the tamariki enthusiastically took part in a Crazy Yoga session led by Pilates instructor and physiotherapist Miranda Vriend. While the Junior Landcare programme is about creating lasting environmental benefits through planting, it’s also about giving young people tools to support their body, mind and wellbeing, and making nature restoration fun. Miranda’s Crazy Yoga certainly delivered on that front, and it was great to see plenty of adults joining in too!

    It was also wonderful to have the Trees for Marlborough team alongside the tamariki on the day. The plants had been lovingly grown by the team, so it was especially rewarding for them to see the process come full circle, from seed to planting in the ground.

    Huge thanks to NZ Landcare Trust’s Junior Landcare sponsors Bupa Foundation, for enabling this legacy planting to happen.

  • 100 people strong: community comes together for our first planting day

    100 people strong: community comes together for our first planting day

    Our first community planting day was a huge success, with an incredible turnout of around 100 people!

    Alongside the familiar faces who regularly support our projects, we were delighted to welcome a strong contingent from the Chinese migrant community, students from Marlborough Boys’ College, a group of dads from the local playgroup, and many families and individuals eager to get involved. It was fantastic to see experienced and first-time planters working side by side, sharing knowledge and enjoying great conversations throughout the day.

    The planting marked the beginning of our demonstration site at Thomsons Ford Reserve, where we will trial and showcase a range of restoration techniques. This first planting established a “green firebreak“, a mix of low-flammability species designed to slow wildfire.

    A huge thank you to the Bupa Foundation and NZ Landcare Trust for co-hosting this event as part of the Junior Landcare Programme, and to the Blenheim Lions Club for keeping everyone well fed with a delicious BBQ.

    We are incredibly grateful to everyone who came along and contributed to such a positive start. We look forward to seeing this site grow and develop in the years ahead.

  • Profiling our Working Group: Alistair Bull

    Profiling our Working Group: Alistair Bull

    We are incredibly fortunate to have Alistair Bull with us. Alistair is not only a skilled ecologist but also a talented web developer and the creator of our Wairau Information Hub | Tāmata.
    Al, the spotlight is on you!

    What inspired you to become involved in the Wairau Nature Network?

    A lifetime of interest in the outdoors and spending time in nature has made me very aware of the impacts on the environment. The Wairau valley is unique with higher rainfall on the Northbank ranges and drier to the south, offering climates and habitats for a diverse range of species. I’m excited to contribute to a future where the catchment is reconnected with native flora and fauna being able to move freely across the landscape.

    What’s the biggest environmental challenge you think the Wairau catchment faces right now?

    A history of land use change, removing native flora in favour of increased productive land, has led to the loss of much of the birdlife across the catchment, with some species almost disappearing entirely.

    Can you share a project or achievement from the network that you are most proud of?

    The time spent creating an organisation that has a sustainable, long-term future is important. Our goals looking decades into the future align with the timescales of regeneration. The ongoing collation and creation of information resources on our website for landowners and local groups to help with their restoration projects is a great tool.

    I am excited about getting started on planting at our first WNN restoration site at Thomsons Ford Reserve.

    How do you see the role of community partnerships in restoring and protecting local ecosystems?

    No one person or small group is capable of reaching our goals of increasing biodiversity across the entire catchment. Communities working on their local environment and networking with other groups across the catchment to support and share knowledge and resources are critical to the success of the project.

    What is your personal connection to the Wairau area – what makes it so special to you?

    Having lived in the Wairau for 20 years, I have explored many corners of the landscape, from the peaks of the Richmond ranges, the beaches and the Wairau River itself while also spending a lot of time in the Marlborough Sounds. I would love to see the bird life we see in the Sounds encouraged back into the Wairau.

  • To guard or not to guard?

    To guard or not to guard?

    Grow guards can be helpful, sometimes critical, in increasing survival of new planted trees. They help with protecting from dry winds, frosts, rabbits, hares and pukekos, and rank grass. However, if your conditions allow, you can save money by not using them. When planning restoration, also do a cost/benefit analysis of your systems. Mark Lovegrove, from Cloudy Bay Vineyards, finds he can do without them. Watch his 1min video.

  • All about Planting workshop, July 2025

    All about Planting workshop, July 2025

    Participants from viticulture, farming, urban and lifestyle blocks came together at Clos Henri vineyard to hear all about planting, starting with a presentation from Wairau Nature Network coordinator Wendy Sullivan on planning, preparation, planting and protection. We then went on a small tour of the restoration efforts of Clos Henri vineyard.

    Clos Henri have been restoring their central valley since 2022, and are a perfect example of incorporating native biodiversity into a productive landscape. Participants then smashed out planting 250 trees in a hour before enjoying a gourmet BBQ and the opportunity to taste Clos Henri’s organic wine.

  • How to run a successful working bee

    How to run a successful working bee

    Working bees are a win–win: you get valuable work done on your land, while participants enjoy a meaningful day outdoors, learning, connecting with others, and contributing to environmental care. To help make your working bee safe, enjoyable, and productive, here are some key things to consider.

    Read more here

  • Upcoming: Community planting day

    Upcoming: Community planting day

    Community Planting Day, 6 June 2026 9:30am -12:30pm

    Thomsons Ford Reserve has been adopted by the Wairau Nature Network as a demonstration site for restoration techniques and educational opportunities.

    We are excited about working with you to plant the first 1000 trees!

    Planting from 9:30-12pm, then join us for a BBQ lovingly cooked by the Lions Club Blenheim. For catering please register here

    Where: Thomsons Ford, junction of O’Dwyers and Thomsons Ford roads

    Bring: warm clothes, gumboots or solid boots, a spade if you have one, and a water bottle

    Postponement: 13th June- registered volunteers will receive email notification, otherwise please check Wairau Nature Network facebook page before 8:30am.

    Any questions, please email wendy.sullivan@landcare.org.nz

    This event is part of Junior Landcare, a nationwide initiative by NZ Landcare Trust and supported by the Bupa Foundation, connecting families to nature through fun, hands-on experiences. The Wairau Nature Network is proud to be the Junior Landcare host for 2026!

  • Marlborough Chinese Community family day

    Marlborough Chinese Community family day

    We had a wonderful afternoon with families from the Marlborough Chinese Community, exploring the Grovetown Lagoon and its forests on a sensory treasure hunt, visiting the bird hide, and enjoying a relaxed picnic in the late afternoon sun.

    It’s always rewarding to help the community connect to nature in their place and we look forward to many more events together.

  • Plants for supporting kererū

    Plants for supporting kererū

    The kererū is vital to the survival of Aotearoa’s native forests. It is the only bird capable of swallowing and dispersing large native fruits (greater than 12mm in diameter) whole. Tree species such as tawa and miro rely on kererū to spread their seeds and regenerate new forest. Without kererū, these trees would struggle to reproduce, and forests would gradually change in composition. For this reason, kererū are considered a keystone species of lowland forests.

    Protecting kererū means safeguarding the ecological processes that sustain our native forests. Through restoring habitat and strengthening ecological corridors, the Wairau Nature Network is working to create landscapes that can support kererū not just seasonally, but year-round.

    Kererū feed on the fruit, leaves, buds and shoots of more than 100 native species, as well as
    around 50 introduced plants. At times, they gorge on ripe fruit – occasionally becoming so
    full that they fall from trees.

    By planting a diverse selection of the listed native trees, you can provide year-round food for kererū.

  • What’s in a name…

    What’s in a name…

    What’s in a name? Quite a lot, as it turns out.

    We knew our new “mapping app” didn’t adequately describe the kaupapa or the significance of this new tool. It’s not just about displaying sites on a map – it’s about strengthening restoration across the Wairau catchment and supporting long-term ecological connection. After much brainstorming, we settled on Wairau EcoMap.

    Wanting a name in te reo Māori that carried the depth, care and intent behind the work, we approached Te Matahiapo Safari Hynds, of Rangitāne o Wairau. He loved the mahi we were undertaking and generously offered to gift a name. After spending time with our mapping tool and website, he proposed two complementary names:

    Tāmata — meaning to revitalise — is the Wairau Information Hub. It provides a shared platform for knowledge, practical guidance, tools, and restoration stories to support informed action- wairaunaturenetwork.org.nz

    Haumi — meaning to work together in collaboration — is the Wairau EcoMap: an interactive mapping platform designed to visualise restoration activity, identify opportunities for ecological corridors, and support coordination across properties and projects – wairaunaturenetwork.maphq.co.nz

    Together, Wairau Information Hub | Tāmata and Wairau EcoMap | Haumi reflect both purpose and practice – integrating information and collaboration to strengthen ecological and social connectivity across the Wairau catchment. Ka pai Te Matahiapo!