Toreparu wetland restoration project
“He kahu ka kē i te waru, kei te mātuku e hū ana i te repo.”
A hawk screaming in the eight month, a bittern booming in the marsh.
(From the ancient lament “Whakarongo e te rau”)
Located along the Waikato west coast between the mountain of Karioi and Aotea harbour is the Toreparu wetland.
It covers an area of 223 hectares which is fed by numerous tributaries the principle ones being the Waimaori, Waitomotomo and Matahaehaea streams.
Toreparu wetland restoration project is working with hapū (Ngāti Whakamarurangi/Tainui)
who have longstanding connections with Toreparu and its catchment. Ngāti Whakamarurangi/Tainui representatives work with surrounding landowners as well as Waikato District Council, the Department of Conservation, Waikato Regional Council, Waikato Tainui Taiao, Landcare Research and other community groups working in and around Karioi.
This restoration project has been led by Māhuru Wilcox and supported by Ngāti
Whakamarurangi/Tainui. Using mātauranga and western science methodologies, a vision
for restoration has been developed for the future.
“He whā tāwhara ki uta, he kiko tāmure ki tai”
“The flowering bracts of kiekie on shore, the flesh of the snapper at sea.”
Our vision is contained within the above proverb. It encapsulates uniqueness and coalescence and reflects our natural resources at their most dynamic. The usage rights to such resources were held by generations of families who in turn were obligated to sustain the resource through strategic harvest and ritual. Today that task falls to Ngāti Whakamarurangi/Tainui and statutory groups, landowners and community groups who wish to work collaboratively to re-create, restore and rejuvenate this magnificent wetland. In doing so, we will create a protected habitat that will enable indigenous bird, plant and fish species to grow and thrive.