June 2026 project update

The highlight this month was receiving the incredible news that Wilson Students were successful in their request for Disability-Led funding support to grow tomatoes and chillies fortnightly at the Mara Kai.

This is an outstanding achievement for the student leaders. GAP and Council representatives Áine, Paul, Nicola and Carolyn came to the restoration to share the outstanding news and celebrate with the Wilson Team. Wilson and Takapuna Grammar Students work hard to take climate action each fortnight during the school term. We are delighted that their vision can be realised and their voices heard. We look forward to sharing these amazing youth leaders’ accomplishments across the next two years.

It seems fitting that Ronan, Te Hōnonga a Iwi Student Leader from Wilson School, was awarded the values pin this month. His skills and knowledge with building, sawing, lifting, painting, managing the Beetle Hotel, planting, growing vege and native seedlings, weeding, biocontrol, soil health and composting offer strong leadership across all facets of the restoration.

The way in which Ronan works is transformative, always encouraging his peers, patient, kind and insightful. He is a highly valued leader at Te Hōnonga a Iwi and a worthy recipient of the pin. Congratulations Ronan and all Wilson Students!

We are thrilled to share that Te Hōnonga a Iwi team delivered 12,000 volunteer hours across 2025/26. Stakeholders have invested $436, 525 integrated (in kind) value at the restoration across the year. An extraordinary achievement that tips total integrated investment since inception across the one million mark at $1,236,525 as we enter our 4th year. Untold congratulations to one and all.

We look forward to continuing developing catchment wide socio-ecological action to increase biodiversity, reduce pollution and carbon footprints and continue to green the Albany Basin.

Recent funding will allow us to embed five new traplines and four new waste biomass hubs across the catchment to manage pest animals and divert up to 40 more tonnes of organic waste from fill to turn into high quality compost to grow native seedlings and plant them locally.

At the same time, we have cleared 1,100m2 of land that had seven-metre-high stands of Eleagnus infiltrating the 4,000m2 apex. Having the expertise of a regenerative specialist, Matt Cummings, enabled us to mulch all the pest trees, plants and weeds in the cleared space. Seven more tonnes of compost will be harvested across the next quarter to enable soil health to regenerate in this untouched, weed infested space.

Finally, we thank UWEN and Auckland Council for $48k funding support to deliver activation and working bee coordination on the ground across the coming year.

Download the full report for June 2026.