On a crisp winter morning, the Tīnui-Whareama Catchment Group welcomed locals and supporters to Whareama Hall for a community event celebrating recent progress and native planting at Waimimi Bridge. Attendees heard updates on six key projects delivering on the group’s action plan.
The group is leading a range of initiatives to improve catchment health and build community resilience. Water quality and ecosystem monitoring is helping paint a clearer picture of catchment conditions, while pest control plans are underway to protect native biodiversity.
Local farms are supporting dung beetle releases to reduce runoff and boost soil health, and students from Whareama School are investigating īnanga (whitebait) spawning habitats - supported by Mountains to Sea Wellington and Enviroschools.
Following the showcase, volunteers planted 300 grasses and mānuka at Waimimi Bridge to support īnanga habitat and stabilise streambanks - part of a wider restoration effort following cyclone damage and recent upgrades to flood monitoring for better forecasting.
The project is a collaborative effort between the Tīnui-Whareama Catchment Group, Whareama School, and the Whareama Catchment Scheme, with support from Mountains to Sea Wellington, Greater Wellington, and the Wairarapa Catchment Collective.
The event wrapped up with a shared BBQ and plenty of good conversation - celebrating community-led action and a shared vision for a healthy, thriving future.
“Thanks to everyone involved, what a great team of enthusiastic people! It just goes to show what we can achieve together.” - Sue Malcolm, Catchment Group Coordinator
Learn more about the catchment group at wairarapacc.nz/tinui-whareama
