In the three years since it was founded, the Ruamahanga Restoration Trust has successfully raised over $160,000 for schools and local community groups to use towards restoration plantings, predator control, water science kits, and a student conservation award prize.
Masterton Trust House continues to provide funding support for our signature project ‘Schools Behind Our River’, allowing us to deliver hands-on learning opportunities for school students to embrace environmental conservation projects that connect local communities with the health of their river catchment, Māori heritage, and sustainable biodiversity goals.
The Ruamahanga Restoration Trust recently teamed up with Mokomoko to sponsor a very special student field trip to the river, organised by Mokomoko CCEM Program Coordinator, Sam Ludden.
The TG Macarthy Trust recently contributed $5000 to provide equipment for the Ruamahanga Restoration Trust's 'Schools Behind our River' project. The Macarthy Trust funds will be used to purchase a complete set of five tracking and trapping predator kits.
Rathkeale College students recently helped plant 1200 manuka plugs alongside the Kiriwhakapa Steam at the Matt and Lynley Wyeth’s Ratanui Farm northwest of Masterton, creating eco-corridors of native plants that will, in turn, provide shade for the streams, healthier habitats for fish and native birds, and cleaner water for those downstream.
“Take a moment to nurture nature” was the theme embraced by Te Kura O Papatuanuku Wairarapa Earth School in Carterton this year for Conservation Week, which the Ruamahanga Restoration Trust supported with a large donation of native seedlings.
Students from the local te reo school, Kura Kaupapa ki Wairarapa, and Mākoura College recently participated in a Mokomoko restoration planting activity alongside Mākoura stream on the outskirts of Masterton, using seedlings supplied by the Ruamahanga Restoration Trust.
The Ruamahanga Restoration Trust is pleased to announce a special partnership with Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre and Enviroschools Wairarapa to distribute predator kits as part of an educational initiative to help school students understand the need and benefit of wildlife monitoring and predator trapping.
Students engaged in water analysis activities gain such a rich learning experience, using Water Analysis Kits to help understand more about the health of the waterways behind their school.
Ruamahanga Restoration Trust supports primary schools across the Wairarapa with native plants for restoration plantings.