World Wetlands Day is observed on February 2 every year to raise awareness of the plight of wetlands around the world. This day serves to recognise the influence and positive production that Wetlands have had on the environment, and the work that needs to be done to restore them.

This year the theme of World Wetlands Day is ‘Wetlands action for people and nature’, for the Kaipara Moana Remediation Programme it’s about doing the mahi, and starting the step by step generational change to restore the Kaipara harbour for all of New Zealand, this ties in with our kaupapa to restore the mauri of the Kaipara.

Functioning, healthy and connected wetlands are a crucial component of our landscape. Wetlands are often referred to as the kidneys of the land, and without them the landscape has lost its ability to hold, slow and filter the water coming off the land. Fast moving water, like in floods, increases stream bank erosion, and well managed and maintained wetlands can help alter that.

The Kaipara Moana Remediation programme is action focused, it’s about growing trees while growing people. Through restoring wetlands, planting and fencing we can collectively improve biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation and improve our rivers, harbours and wai we need to live. We’ve got a lot to do, with only about 10% of New Zealand’s original wetlands remaining[1]

This World Wetlands day, think about how you can help contribute, take part in a local planting effort, if you’ve got land, think about how you could fence or restore a wetland to better improve water quality levels, and take part in the mahi we’re doing.

For more information about the programme send us an email, or fill out the Landowner Expression of Interest form.

[1] Forest and Bird, February 2022