Whitireia Park Restoration Group

Whitireia Park Restoration Group is working to restore the naturally occurring flora and is planting species to assist native fauna such as native lizard, bird and fish species. We have a core of 15 people and a large support group who turn up for plantings.

We are actively trapping in the park with DOC 200s and in 2013 started rat control using bait stations.  The Park is possum and hare free but rabbits mustelids, cats, rats and mice are stll present.

The park used to be grazed and so only small remnants of native vegetation remain. We are mainly working in the area around Onehunga Bay where we are carrying out dune and wetland restoration but since a fire in February 2010 destroyed 70ha of gorse and regenerating bush, we are expanding our efforts out into the wider Park area.

Coastal species have replaced marram grass at Onehunga Bay.  These include spinifex (Spinifex sericeus), pingao (Ficinia spiralis), shore spurge (Euphorbia glauca), sand Pimelea (Pimelea villosa), Sand tussock, (Poa billarderei) and NZ iris (Libertia peregrinans).

We are hoping to re-start a penguin project in 2020.

We are lucky to have specialist ecology skills within our group

The area is possum and hare free