Conservation and Island Bay
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Interview with Helen Mechen: Virescent Gardens
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- Welcome to our Q&A with Helen Mechen, the founder of Virescent Gardens, a native plant nursery nestled in Stokes Valley of Wellington.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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Insights from the 2025 Bush Bird Survey
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- We're excited to share the fascinating results of the 2025 Bush Bird Survey, conducted on June 29th and 30th, 2025, at Manawa Karioi! This year's survey provides valuable insights into the birdlife thriving within our cherished reserve.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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Manawa Karioi Bush Bird Survey
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- Join us for a fun, family-friendly afternoon helping count manu as part of the NZ Garden Bird Survey, now in its 18th year! Together, we’ll build a picture of the birds living in and around Manawa Karioi.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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Sealing Up The Edges of the Forest
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- Planting a forest is a fairly complicated process, but once you understand the stages, it's not too daunting.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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A Special Working Bee – Garden Bird Survey at Manawa Karioi
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- Sunday 29 June, 1pm–3pm June’s last Working Bee will be a little different – instead of our usual planting and track maintenance, we’ll be turning our eyes and ears to the sky! Manawa Karioi is taking part in the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey, a nationwide project that helps track bird populations across Aotearoa.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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20 years (on and off) with Manawa Karioi
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- Written by Vanessa Patea When I first moved to Wellington at the start of the millennium, I discovered nestled in the hills of Island Bay, an improbable wooden building called Tapu Te Ranga Marae.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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After the Storm: New Life on the Slopes of Manawa Karioi
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- The big storm that rolled into Wellington in early May caused minor damage at Manawa Karioi.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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From Risk to Resilience: Suncorp Steps Up
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- In recent years a group of over 20 old pine trees at Manawa Karioi were beginning to show signs of collapse and both the Tapu-Te-Ranga Trust and the Manawa Karioi Society had become concerned about the risk that these trees posed to people visiting Manawa Karioi.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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Look out for our Lookouts!
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- We put effort into improving our lookout points.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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What Did We Plant This Year?
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- We started the planting season in June 2024 by planting along Moemoea, the track on the upper slopes that connects us to the Berhampore Golf Course to the north and Tawatawa Reserve to the south.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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New Focus for planting
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- Our June working bees saw a focus on planting around some of our lookout points, with an emphasis on low-growing shrubs to avoid blocking the view.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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Trees, tracks and a demographic shift!
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- There were 5 Sundays this June, which along with some pretty good weather, allowed us to get a lot done.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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E-Waste Recycling Event 18th May
- Island Bay Residents' Association
- The Tip Shop & Island Bay Community Centre are having an E-Waste Recycling event at Island Bay Community Centre on Saturday the 18th of May from 10am – 1pm. Here’s what they we will be taking: They will not be able to accept whiteware, dehumidifiers or screens.
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Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, New Zealand/Aotearoa (OpenStreetMap)
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Nature Trail Opening
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- Press Release - Te Ara o te Wao Nui a Tāne / The Nature Trail - Opening Event We are inviting the community to join the Manawa Karioi committee and Tapu te Ranga Marae trust in celebrating the opening of Te Ara o te Wao Nui a Tāne/The Nature Trail.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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CompassionFest - Honouring Kae Millar
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- CompassionFest seeks to remember and celebrate local heroes, this time focusing on Kae Miller who started the movement to replant native bush along the South Coast in the 1980s, when she herself was in her mid-70's.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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Nick Logan and the Adopt-a-spot scheme
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- After-planting care is important for some sites, especially where our plants can be smothered by fast-growing grass and other weeds.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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Planting Ferns on the Nature Trail
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > The spring-fed stream which attracts the pīwakawaka, and has the perfect conditions for Nikau to flourish. One focus of the Nature Trail is ferns. They are difficult to propagate, which is why we have planted very few of them. But they will establish on their own once sufficient cover is provided as they don't like too much direct sun. Several fern species have established in locations around Manawa Karioi, and fortunately they are easy to transplant. Which is good as a lot tend to grow right on the track, where if left they will block access. Species we will be transplanting along the Nature Trail are: <figure data-test="image-block-v2-outer-wrapper" class=" sqs-block-image-figure image-block-outer-wrapper image-block-v2 design-layout-card combination-animation-none individual-animation-none individual-text-animation-none image-position-left " data-scrolled > Huruhuru Whenua. This is the most common fern around south Pōneke as its' thick glossy leaves can cope with salt-laden winds. They also give it a tropical look. It gets quite large - growing up to 1m high and 1.5m wide. Mamaku The tallest tree fern, Mamaku grows 20m tall, with the fronds being 4m long. It's the most common tree fern in Poneke, and while it thrives in deep, damp gullies, it can grow in quite exposed areas too. <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > The unfurling frond of the Ponga. Ponga The second tallest tree fern, Ponga grows 10m tall. The fronds have a white underside, which have been used for hundreds of years to aid with walking at night as they reflect moonlight - kind of like a torch! Also known as "Silver Fern", the Ponga frond is a common logo, particularly on sports uniforms. People often refer to all tree ferns as "ponga", but there are 8 species of tree fern in total. The trunk of a tree fern is actually an extension of its root system, which is why some species will grow back from sections of cut trunk.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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A welcome Surprise in our Tree Order
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- This year we got a surprise when Wellington City Council's Berhampore plans nursery supplied 10 large Northern Rata (Meterosideros robusta) with our usual order of 500 plants.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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Free Community Event: City Nature Challenge Guided Walk
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > The City Nature Challenge Guided Walk - The 3 Southern Reserves.Sunday April 30th, 10.30am - 12.30pmBring sturdy shoes, water and a picnic lunch.The City Nature Challenge is a great chance to help people connect with their backyards, natural environments, parks and reserves. As part of this city-wide event we are hosting a 2-hour walk through 3 of our southern restoration reserves. If you would like to make wildlife observations as part of the City Nature Challenge, please bring your smart phone to take photos. You can sign up on the iNaturalist website and use the iNaturalist app to record any wildlife observations, this is of course optional otherwise you can just enjoy the walk and meet some great people! <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > The City Nature Challenge Guided WalkThe 3 Southern Reserves - The Walk Rundown Sunday April 30th, 10.30am The meeting point for the walk is at 10.30am at 46a Derwent street in Island Bay at the entrance of Paekawakawa Reserve. Please be on time so we can set off as a group.The walk will begin at the entrance of Paekawakawa reserve on Derwent Street and head up the valley passing by streams, and through restored native bush in the Paekawakawa reserve. You will be treated to unique vantages of Tapu te Ranga Island and Raukawa Moana (the Cook Strait).We will then enter the oldest restoration project in Pōneke, Manawa Karioi on Tapu te Ranga Marae land and hike along part of the loop track called Te Ahi Kā with amazing views over Island Bay Valley and back to the city.We will depart Manawa Karioi on the ridge line and enter into Tawatawa reserve, we will past the reservoir on the City to Sea track stopping for a break at the Lizard Garden with views over Hawkins Hill and the Dog Park.We will then head back down the hill and there is a picnic spot at the starting point for those who would like to have a picnic lunch.We are looking forward to meeting you all and sharing our enthusiasm for our Southern reserves. We will have a few spots where we stop to tell you about the 3 reserves. Feel free to bring your dog (and a lead) and any keen children.Please RSVP with names and contact emails to manawakarioisociety@gmail.com so we can keep track of numbers and incase of cancellation due to weather.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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Kāpiti Marine Reserve 30 years on...
- Friends of Taputeranga Marine Reserve
- Stephanie Brenssell, 2022 recipient of the Kevin Smith Memorial scholarship, investigates how have attitudes and connections to the reserve changed over the past three decades?
- Submitted by tonytw1
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Kapiti Marine Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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From the big blue sea to the BBC!
- Friends of Taputeranga Marine Reserve
- We’re all drawn to the sea to find a sense of peace and improve our wellbeing. Taputeranga Marine Reserve is a great place to get close to nature…
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Taputeranga Marine Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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2022 Planting Session - Landslips and Feeding the Birds
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- Another planting season has finished and what a wet one it has been! While a wet winter means lots of moisture in the soil (allowing for good plant growth during spring and summer) it can also bring some challenges.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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Glass collections to resume
- Island Bay Residents' Association
- From WCC: After a two-week break due to the impacts of COVID-19, glass collections will resume on Monday 11 July. Collections are fortnightly, so please check the recycling calendar for your next collection date. There may be a backlog of glass as people have been stockpiling. Please put it out in stages, only in glass crates, soContinue reading "Glass collections to resume"
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Glass recycling collection on hold
- Island Bay Residents' Association
- Kia ora, Unfortunately, our waste collection contractors are once again operating at reduced capacity due to COVID-19.
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Trapping Update - May 2022
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- Trapping Update from Manawa Karioi.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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Weed Action Workshop
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- On a sunny Sunday morning in April, members of the South Wellington Weed Action Coalition (SWWAC!) met in the Voglemorn Community Centre for an exciting morning of weed work.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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Seaweeds of the South Coast...
- Friends of Taputeranga Marine Reserve
- Katherine Marsh, 2021 recipient of the Kevin Smith Memorial scholarship, investigates how seaweed inorganic carbon physiology differs in various intertidal environments along Wellington’s South Coast.
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Taputeranga Marine Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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30th Anniversary Celebration and Pub Quiz
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- Manawa Karioi – 30th Anniversary Celebration and Pub Quiz After a postponement due to Covid, a very successful 30th anniversary celebration and fund-raising pub quiz for Manawa Karioi was held at the Parrotdog Bar in Island Bay on 19 October 2021.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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Lockdown Weed Eradication - We would love your help!
- Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project
- We hope you are all doing well during Level 4 lockdown.
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Te Ahi Ka - Loop Track, Island Bay, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6023, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
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