Local Landscape – Joining forces for eco-restoration

Restore Rodney East (RRE) as an idea formed during “Pestival” held in the Warkworth Town Hall in 2019. Around a hundred participants got together to discuss, share, hear and learn about the challenges we face as a community to rehabilitate our stunning local landscape. I remember in the 1960s the days when breaking-in our land at Takatū was still a major farming focus, and the visual and physical evidence of sediment in our local estuaries and harbours was not in our consciousness. Night shooting of possums was just part of growing up and the occasional ferret we found was a serious novelty.

But now in the 21st Century we have a far different reality. The pest mammals and plants that have engulfed our region, combined with the loss of vibrancy in our local rivers and waters, are all too evident. A raft of motivated volunteers, professionals, farmers, community groups, iwi, schools, networks and agencies are now working (literally) day and night to restore our eco-systems.

Between Te Ārai and Pūhoi there are more than 45 local community groups, initiatives and projects, big and small, working toward environmental restoration goals – be they related to estuaries, rivers, wetlands, forests, weeds, pest animals or insects. The turnaround is evident and the results are clear. The evidence is in the growing abundance of birds we are all enjoying.

But the opportunity exists to drive even harder toward our restoration goals and objectives as a region/rohe, which is where RRE comes in. The potential for our initiatives to work together more holistically, collaborating and supporting each other to resolve common issues and barriers is significant. The discussions around what the opportunities were and how they could be addressed started in earnest in early 2021. The formation of steering and working groups that followed gave rise to the foundation stones on which RRE is now building.

Over the next few months, our efforts will focus on understanding, problem solving and acting to help break down those barriers that hold back our separate initiatives from reaching their full potential. We will be talking to and listening to every initiative in Rodney East and creating support plans in response. One of the most gratifying aspects of being involved in this initiative, from my personal perspective, has been learning more about how our schools are setting out their own curricula for learning and involvement in environmental restoration. This is where our scientists, leaders and volunteers are emerging from, already equipped with the knowledge and commitment to take on the challenges we face.

Please do get involved and get in touch with RRE if you have issues, opportunities or questions.

Email, Sarah Churchouse, facilitator@rre.org.nz.