Te Toke Planting and Restoration Project

The Te Toke project area was degraded land on the banks of the Waikato River which was used for rubbish dumping, had multiple weed issues and was relatively inaccessible.  The area also has sites of cultural significance to Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa.

This project has involved three stages of restoration with work focused on weed control, planting of natives, protection of cultural sites, provision of interpretive information and increasing recreational opportunities.

Initial planting of one hectare of land was undertaken in August 2011.  The first community planting day was well attended, including participants from the Te Toke marae, local primary schools, partents, whanau and the college’s first XV rugby team.  Don Scarlet and Michelle Archer also attended on behalf of WCEET. Around 2,400 native plants were planted during this initial planting day.

Further plantings have occurred in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and maintenance of the existing plantings undertaken on an annual basis.  Cultural sites have also been protected during this project and interpretation signage installed. Over 3 hectares of the reserve are now in native plantings. There still remains some work to complete including some fencing, signage and small amount of planting.

The work has been led and implemented by Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa Runanga Trust with funding provided by WCEET and other organisations.

This riverside planting project has reflected how important the Waikato River and its surrounding lands are to the Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa iwi and the community of Reporaoa.