Nga mihi nui to Te Toa Whenua, a project led out of Te Roroa, on their recent win of the Māori Biosecurity Award for 2021.

Te Toa Whenua (TTW) is an initiative by Te Roroa iwi for the ecological restoration of land returned to them as part of the Treaty of Waitangi settlement process. Aiming to restore 900 hectares in the Waipoua Valley in Northland from exotic forestry to a mosaic of sustainable land uses, the project will create an ecological corridor  and protect sites of archeological significance.

The project involves intensive pest plant and pest animal management and indigenous reforestation. There is a native tree nursery, (who are working with us on the Kaipara Moana Remediation project), and they’ve established a food forest.

More information on the mahi can be found on their website, or Facebook page.

*Picture courtesy of Biosecurity New Zealand