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What we do
Our vision is to see vibrant, healthy, indigenous ecosystems valued across the Waimakariri District.​
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Since our set-up we have engaged with landowners who want to improve habitat for wildlife as well as organised public lectures across the district from experts in ecological research and hands-on restoration.
We have a vision to help the community to help the district’s biodiversity in many practical and educational ways.
Photo by Ariane
How we can help
If you are a landowner or community group wanting to enhance and protect native biodiversity at your site, we are here to help.
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Expert ecological advice
We can assist in accessing advice from experts in areas such as ecology, hydrology and fish and invertebrate identification for your specific site.
Planting plans and maintenance advice
We can help with a native restoration planting plan for your site, and advise on a manageable maintenance routine to prep your site for planting and give your native plants the best chance of survival.
Funding and permits
We can help with your funding applications and advise on available grants to support your project. We can also provide advice and assist with local and regional permits for your restoration activities.
Our latest projects
Daiken Wetland Restoration Project
The idea for this wetland project on Daiken property came up when the Sefton Saltwater Creek Catchment Group had a site visit to the Daiken factory and surrounding land in November 2022. We were thrilled when the team at Daiken we're interested in taking up the idea of a wetland restoration project on their site and asked us to get involved,
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The vision for this project is to restore a low lying area, on Daiken property, to a wetland habitat and to increase indigenous biodiversity in the area.
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The Saltwater Creek runs adjacent to the wetland area and the aquatic habitat of the creek will be improved through riparian planting, benefiting the whole waterway - from the source to the sea.
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The first planting day in September 2024 for the Daiken Wetland restoration project, and the first planting day for the Waimakariri Biodiversity Trust, was a great success.
Daiken staff and students, teachers and families from the Ashley-Rakahuri School helped to plant a riparian forest alongside the Saltwater Creek which will support the wider wetland restoration project.
The next steps for this project is for the the trust to continue groundwater investigations in order to establish the methodology for restoring wetland water levels.
There will be another planting day on site in 2025 to continue the riparian forest planting and support the wetland habitat.
MainPower Waimakariri Biodiversity Fund
We were thrilled when MainPower invited us to share the management of the MainPower Biodiversity Fund in 2024.
A brand new contestable fund for community groups and landowners, offering up to $5,000 to support local projects that enhance biodiversity in the Waimakariri region.
​In it's first year we were over-subscribed with some excellent proposals and we look forward to the fund re-opening in 2025, hopefully with an increased amount to distribute among successful applicants.
Read about our 2024 recipients projects and keep up to date with application opening dates here.
Waimakariri Native Pocket Plantings
We work with individuals and small groups of landowners and managers to assist them with their own efforts to protect and enhance our native biodiversity and contribute to a corridor of native habitats across the district to support indigenous wildlife.
We donate trees to landowners through our funding partners and help secure funding for other plants and materials to help landowners establish native plantings on their properties.​
Sites can be as large as a single property or as small as a gully or shelterbelt.
We access advice from experts in areas such as ecology, hydrology, fish and invertebrate identification, site planning, plant choice and maintenance then help with preparation of funding applications. Once funding is obtained we help organise planting if that is needed. Finally we support monitoring to ensure that the project is successful.
We currently have 5 native pocket planting projects in action.
Contact us today if you are looking to establish a native planting project on at your site.
Our workshops and seminars
We host a range of talks, seminars, workshops and networking forums to support our community in protecting, restoring and sustainably managing indigenous biodiversity.
Annual Winter Series Talks
Together with the Waimakariri District Council, the Waimakariri Biodiversity Trust has been hosting a series of community talks over the winter months.
These are always well attended and cover topics ranging from the wildlife in our backyards to protecting against wildfires on our properties. For presentations and notes from previous talks, refer to our resources page.
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Keep an eye out for our 2025 Winter Series
Establishment Visioning Workshop
A “Visioning workshop” was held in November 2022 in Kaiapoi with 18 invited ecologists and environmental staff from DOC, Waimakariri District Council, ECan, QEII National Trust, Waimakariri Irrigation Limited, and independents to look at: “what are the gaps in provision of assistance with biodiversity protection and restoration?” and “how can the Trust best fill the gaps?”. The session was facilitated by Garth Nowland-Foreman (from LEAD).
The Workshop generated energetic discussion with 40+ ideas for activities that participants felt that the Trust could undertake listed! The group felt that the independence of the Trust was a bonus, giving it the ability to network and co-ordinate the many people already working on this (often in isolation) in the District, and to bring together ecologists from different organisations.
Garth led the Trustees in a second workshop a week later. There the Trustees and Co-ordinator identified priority actions for 2023-2024 from the larger list developed earlier.
Environmental Networking Forum
The Waimakariri Biodiversity Trust is holding a Waimakariri Environmental Networking Forum on in March 2025 at Mainpower Stadium.
The first forum held by the Waimakariri council back in November 2021 canvassed burning issues for local environmental groups.
The next forum will address four key topics – Waimakariri’s new natural environment strategy adopted by the council a few months ago and funding for environmental and biodiversity good works.
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An update on a district-wide biodiversity mapping pilot project plus work on a
Waimakariri biodiversity protection covenant will also be outlined.
The local covenant is targeted at private landowners wanting to protect their
revegetation work or special biodiversity remnants.