Project Title: Pongaroa Station @ Whangawehi

Project Description:

Pongaroa Station is an enthusiastic partner in the Whangawehi Catchment restoration, and joins other landowners, local authorities, community groups, Te Mahia School and the local marae as kaitiaki of the land and water, to leave a sustainable legacy for the next generation. Our dream is to protect the Awa to improve its biodiversity, restore customary freshwater fisheries, and protect the kaimoana beds at sea. Ours and the Taharoa/Grandy Lake Forest’s projects are both riparian restorations that are working towards this goal.

Pongaroa Station is a sheep and beef farm located around the lower reaches of the Whangawehi stream. As such it is a priority for native fish habitat (whitebait and the endangered long fin eel). Aware of the environmental values of the stream, we have fenced 3.6 km of stream on the true right side in 2013. With financial assistance from the Whangawehi Catchment Management Group, we built a fence in March 2015 which allowed the complete retirement of the stream. The goal is to plant a minimum of 80000 native trees by 2018. The first plantings will take place winter 2015 with the establishment of 30000 trees along 1.2 km of stream (2.4 km on both side). Your support will be critical to sustain such a large scale project.