Habitat Restoration

Restoring Hawke's Bay's native plants and waterways is a critical step in the Cape to City project. Our goal is to improve land and water quality and establish habitat connections between nature reserves, farms and urban backyards so that our native species can safely return.

Check out what's been accomplished so far:

• The Maraetotara River, which runs through the heart of the Cape to City footprint, is a major focus of our habitat restoration work. We've partnered with the Maraetotara Tree Trust to return 215,000 native plants to the riverbanks over the course of the project, with a long-term goal of establishing suitable habitat for whio (blue duck) reintroductions.
  
  
• Community plantings with Hohepa Homes and the Clifton County Cricket Club have helped restore native species to wetlands and streams in the area, as well as provide habitat corridors for birds to spread outwards from nearby Cape Sanctuary.
  
  
• Waimārama Marae has begun planting natives such as flaxes and kōwhai along the Waingōngoro River, which was returned to its original course next to the marae in late 2015. These plantings will benefit the whitebait populations that spawn along this section of the river.

Native species such as whitebait and whio rely on clean and free-flowing water in order to thrive. Our vision is to transform Hawke's Bay into a place where these species are a regular part of the landscape – and our lives.

Everyone has a role to play! If you're a landowner or community group in the Cape to City footprint and you're keen to get involved with our habitat restoration programme, fill in the Contact Us form and we'll be in touch.