Location: 111 Bethells Road
GPS Coordinates: -36.861654, 174.492592
Project Cost: NZD $18750
Cost per Metre: NZD $25
Metres to be planted: 750m
Field Partner: Auckland Council
Project ID: NI19
Project Description:
Hi, thanks for checking out our project!
The Matuku Link is a 37 hectare native forest block in west Auckland’s Bethell’s Valley. The reserve connects several protected areas, including Ark in the Park, Habitat Te Henga, Forrest Ridge and Matuku Reserve. It is home to rare wetland birds, as well as to native bats – New Zealand’s only native land mammal.
Our aim is to enhance the reserve to create a flourishing habitat for these native species. We also want to link people to nature through engagement and education.
Mainly still… occasionally racing… the waters at Matuku Link in the Bethell’s valley West Auckland provide habitat for many bird species. These include frequent visits from kingfisher, black shag and mallard, but on occasion rare birds such as pateke (brown teal), fernbird, shoveller or our resident matuku (bittern).
Already part of an extended predator controlled area, improving the habitat around this part of the Waitakere River will allow these rare birds and other wetland birds known to be nearby to increase.
Innovative bird hide plans designed by the agile minds of Unitech’s architecture students are ready. Now we need the habitats that will ensure good birding!
With your support, we will plant 750 metres (1,500 square metres) of the Waitakere River at Matuku Link with 3,270 native plants and trees.
Planting the riverbanks with locally sourced reeds, sedges, grasses and shrubs will provide shelter and food for birds and fish. Once they mature, the plants will protect the riverbanks from erosion. Larger shrubs and trees will shade and cool the water, not only making it more suitable for native fish and crayfish, but also eliminating exotic water weeds.
We at Matuku Link need your help to enable these hundreds of metres to be planted out. Volunteers will collect native seed from the local area and will grow the plants on site in our very own Waitakere Rivercare nursery.
We will plant the site in 2018 and will continue maintaining the area by weeding and inter-planting where needed for at least three years. We hope to have the whole wetland planted by 2023.
We will plant kahikatea, cabbage tree, kaikomako, putaputaweta and lots of sedges, chief among which to withstand flooding is Carex Lessoniana:
A plant that lessens bank fragility
Lessoniana ensures stability.
Phormium on the other hand
for riverside planting should be banned.
In plainer language, if you need,
flaxes fail but sedge succeed.
We have a busy year ahead! In addition to our restoration planting work, we will start the development of a Wetland Education Centre. Thanks to generous donors like you, we’ve already raised the funds for the conversion of a barn on-site into a Centre. This coming year, Unitech students will help us design the conversion.
In just a few years’ time, people of all ages can stop in to learn about wetland and freshwater ecosystems at the Centre. Then they can take a walk in our restored riverine forest to see the plants and animals of this special habitat firsthand.
We’ve got big ambitions for this site and hope you will help us make it a reality! Funds raised will go towards plants, a coordinator for planting days and working bees, and promotion of the fundraiser. They also include Million Metres’ 15% admin fee.
Donate a metre today!
Keen to follow our work or get engaged? We’d love to hear from you.
Connect with us through our website www.matukulink.org.nz, www.facebook.com/matukulink or drop us a line: matukulink@gmail.com
Donor | Amount | Distance | Date |
---|---|---|---|
Ricoh NZ | $2,500.00 | 100.00m | 12 Apr 2018 |
The Body Shop | $1,240.00 | 49.60m | 29 Mar 2018 |
Holly Gosse | $100.00 | 4.00m | 28 Mar 2018 |
Anonymous | $50.00 | 2.00m | 28 Mar 2018 |
Michelle Blanchard | $25.00 | 1.00m | 28 Mar 2018 |
Kimberley Sumich | $100.00 | 4.00m | 28 Mar 2018 |
Anko’s Forest | $250.00 | 10.00m | 28 Mar 2018 |
University Of Auckland ASPIRE Committee. With Thanks And Appreciation To All Our Speakers And Hosts For Contributing To, And Engaging With, The 2018 ASPIRE Conference. | $1,500.00 | 60.00m | 23 Mar 2018 |
Anonymous | $25.00 | 1.00m | 22 Mar 2018 |
Paradigm Associates | $50.00 | 2.00m | 22 Mar 2018 |
Karl Baylis | $75.00 | 3.00m | 19 Mar 2018 |
Eric Van Essen | $50.00 | 2.00m | 17 Mar 2018 |
Alsco | $300.00 | 12.00m | 16 Mar 2018 |
Sue Clearwater | $100.00 | 4.00m | 15 Mar 2018 |
Colleen Pilcher | $50.00 | 2.00m | 15 Mar 2018 |
John Sumich | $50.00 | 2.00m | 13 Mar 2018 |
Saskia Van Hulten | $50.00 | 2.00m | 13 Mar 2018 |
Sustainable Business Network | $400.00 | 16.00m | 13 Mar 2018 |
Jane Lobb | $100.00 | 4.00m | 12 Mar 2018 |
Liz Anstey | $50.00 | 2.00m | 12 Mar 2018 |
Allison Peirse | $25.00 | 1.00m | 12 Mar 2018 |
Anahita Hun | $25.00 | 1.00m | 12 Mar 2018 |
Matthew Sheaff | $25.00 | 1.00m | 11 Mar 2018 |
Phillip Goulter | $50.00 | 2.00m | 11 Mar 2018 |
Steve Redman | $50.00 | 2.00m | 11 Mar 2018 |
Roger Reynolds | $50.00 | 2.00m | 10 Mar 2018 |
Anonymous | $25.00 | 1.00m | 09 Mar 2018 |
Vivien Burgess | $25.00 | 1.00m | 09 Mar 2018 |
YvonneMike VaneveldSiddens | $100.00 | 4.00m | 09 Mar 2018 |
John Stowell | $200.00 | 8.00m | 09 Mar 2018 |
Nynke Van Hurne | $50.00 | 2.00m | 09 Mar 2018 |
Anonymous | $25.00 | 1.00m | 09 Mar 2018 |
Stefan Marks | $50.00 | 2.00m | 08 Mar 2018 |
Sustainable Business Network | $2,842.50 | 113.70m | 06 Mar 2018 |
Alison Chamberlain | $100.00 | 4.00m | 28 Feb 2018 |
Kathleen Meehan | $740.00 | 29.60m | 25 Feb 2018 |
Meridy Boyd-Clark | $50.00 | 2.00m | 03 Feb 2018 |
Lisa Davies | $50.00 | 2.00m | 26 Jan 2018 |
Holly Gosse | $100.00 | 4.00m | 23 Jan 2018 |
Rielle En Leon | $50.00 | 2.00m | 23 Jan 2018 |
Million Metres Christmas Fundraiser | $2,500.00 | 100.00m | 22 Jan 2018 |
Apex Insurance (ecoPortal) | $157.50 | 6.30m | 19 Jan 2018 |
Duffle & Co | $40.00 | 1.60m | 19 Jan 2018 |
Paradigm Associates | $500.00 | 20.00m | 18 Jan 2018 |
Jen Myers | $25.00 | 1.00m | 17 Jan 2018 |
John Staniland | $250.00 | 10.00m | 07 Jan 2018 |
Denise Poyner | $60.00 | 2.40m | 06 Jan 2018 |
Marc En Viola | $200.00 | 8.00m | 04 Jan 2018 |
Marc En Viola | $200.00 | 8.00m | 04 Jan 2018 |
Gavin LEAR | $25.00 | 1.00m | 03 Jan 2018 |
Jackie Reid | $25.00 | 1.00m | 26 Dec 2017 |
Pete & Sha Le Masurier | $25.00 | 1.00m | 26 Dec 2017 |
Geoff Sumich | $100.00 | 4.00m | 24 Dec 2017 |
John Sumich | $250.00 | 10.00m | 24 Dec 2017 |
Gillian Le Masurier | $25.00 | 1.00m | 12 Dec 2017 |
Alistair Campbell | $25.00 | 1.00m | 12 Dec 2017 |
Helen Stott | $25.00 | 1.00m | 12 Dec 2017 |
Philip And Anne Le Masurier's | $50.00 | 2.00m | 12 Dec 2017 |
GARY BRENT | $500.00 | 20.00m | 02 Dec 2017 |
Chris Daniels | $25.00 | 1.00m | 01 Dec 2017 |
Carolyn Cox | $100.00 | 4.00m | 01 Dec 2017 |
Dylan Joffe | $75.00 | 3.00m | 01 Dec 2017 |
Anonymous | $100.00 | 4.00m | 23 Nov 2017 |
Georgina Hart | $25.00 | 1.00m | 22 Nov 2017 |
Doris Sumich | $100.00 | 4.00m | 22 Nov 2017 |
Adam Jarvis | $25.00 | 1.00m | 22 Nov 2017 |
Paul Erceg | $50.00 | 2.00m | 22 Nov 2017 |
Anonymous | $50.00 | 2.00m | 22 Nov 2017 |
Match Funding | $50.00 | 2.00m | 22 Nov 2017 |
Luke Duncalfe | $25.00 | 1.00m | 22 Nov 2017 |
Match Funding | $25.00 | 1.00m | 22 Nov 2017 |
Gillian Rutherford | $100.00 | 4.00m | 21 Nov 2017 |
Match Funding | $100.00 | 4.00m | 21 Nov 2017 |
Alaina Pomeroy | $25.00 | 1.00m | 21 Nov 2017 |
Match Funding | $25.00 | 1.00m | 21 Nov 2017 |
Josh Borthwick | $60.00 | 2.40m | 20 Nov 2017 |
Match Funding | $60.00 | 2.40m | 20 Nov 2017 |
Anko Hanse | $500.00 | 20.00m | 20 Nov 2017 |
Match Funding | $500.00 | 20.00m | 20 Nov 2017 |
Annalily Van Den Broeke | $25.00 | 1.00m | 20 Nov 2017 |
Match Funding | $25.00 | 1.00m | 20 Nov 2017 |