September 2023 project update

We look at the actions and outputs that have been achieved at Te Hōnonga a Iwi Restoring Rosedale Park across September 2023, what’s coming up and moves for some of our biggest supporters.

- Summerfield Early Learning Centre have joined the Te Hōnonga a Iwi team offering early childhood expertise and a valued opportunity for Te Hõno to work in partnership with local two to five-year-old tamariki as they walk to the restoration site to sow cover crops and offer their unique insights into what is important for them within the restoration and Rosedale Park. We warmly welcome this special group of stakeholders to the project and look forward to working in partnership with the children, whānau, teachers, and managers.

- The new seed whakapapa model that involves youth leader Olivia Li collecting seeds and sowing them in her home nursery, Kristin Year 2 students transplanting small seedlings gifted from Nicholas Mayne and caring for them for the remainder of the school year, and new business Settlers Retirement Village caring for the seedlings across summer until Kristin Year 5 students join with our local older adults and year 2 students to plant them in May- August 2024. At this point we are collecting manuka seeds and transplanting harakeke. We are hugely thankful to all partners in this project and look forward to understanding how we can increase social equity, social connectivity and local biodiversity with this new model that enables us to start producing our own natives.

- We were successful with our application to have specialist support from Hannah at Akina, funded by Foundation North, to help NHHA to realise our socio-ecological impact and look at ways in which the NHHA sustainability model outcomes can be better shared to showcase stakeholders’ investment in the project or NHHA.

- We consulted with Julia Jackman at Kiwibank to understand how we could improve our chances of securing sustainable corporate partnerships.

- Te Hōno continues to attend monthly UWEN meetings to learn from other local restorations and ecology experts. Across September, we have supported UWEN’s strategic review, working together to produce a draft strategy on a page.

- We have applied for $3000 Jim Lewis funding. We will advise stakeholders of the outcome.

- We did not progress in our application for consideration for Sustainability Environmental Innovation with the SBN awards and have asked for feedback on how we can improve for future applications.

- SBN have agreed to do a joint case study on the NHHA sustainability model, and we look forward to working on this piece soon.

- Radio NZ Women and Innovation podcast designer Tina Luke is going to do a podcast on our work and model at Te Hōno.

- Two Kristin Year 10 students, Jenny and Kennedy, approached Te Hōno to ask if they could produce collateral to promote pest free 2050! We were delighted and welcomed their input. The result of their work has been posted on our social media channels.

- We were approached to link in with the Takakpuna Normal Intermediate School service leader who is looking to develop ecological service options for their students. Te Hono has offered the opportunity to welcome TNIS students on site and connected the school with restoration and sustainability peers Lance Cabik, who is working on remarkable regenerative initiatives in the Hauraki rohe, and Anna Harrison, who is all things to all people working in the Sustainable Schools sector in Auckland.

- Te Hono has undertaken a commitment to make contact with the Sustainable Business Council and the Climate Leaders Coalition to benchmark how we can improve our service and outputs.

- Te Hononga a Iwi submitted an Landowner Approval (LOA) to Auckland Council to trial a new regenerative agricultural technique on the steep slopes of the 2024 extension and the use of bees on site. We will keep stakeholders informed regarding the LOA outcome.

- In partnership with the lead teacher at Kristin School, Chris McLeod, and Network Manager at UWEN, we advertised for four new Animal Pest managers. We have filled the positions and welcome Haemish, Eloise, Nate and Daniel to the restoration. We begin teaching the new team in early October with strong support from Les Wootton and Stephen Cammell, and previous pest manager whānau the Haine family also offering a full hand over. Huge thanks to all members of the Animal Pest management team.

- Te Hōno caught its fourth wild cat with support from Phillip, ICB and Karen, Albany Vets. This team has to be immediately responsive to ensure the welfare of the cat and we thank Phillip in particular for ongoing daily investment at the site.

- Troake Construction have kindly agreed to loan Te Hōno the equipment we need to safely traverse the ditch leading to the 2024 extension. Business and community working bees across November and December will help us prepare access for the next planting season. Please diarise coming along for a Christmas staff activity or leaving do on 31 October and Nov 14th 3 30 – 5 pm or on the upcoming community working bees 14 and 21 October.

- The NHHA application for the Business North Harbour Environmental Award was submitted.

- Stormwater 360 returned again to pick up all the inorganic matter on site and recycled it. Thank you so much Stormwater 360. You’re a valued founding business offering international expertise and innovation with cleaning up our waterways!

- Youth leader Ceinwen and her support team, including our Statistician Sarah Hoessler and Soil Specialist Matt Cummings joined Greenhithe ecology lead Nicola Robertson, UWEN Network Manager Rhiannon Leddra and Regeneration specialist Tim Bowater to undertake plant survival and growth rates, using the TTC Advanced methods, for the control piece and the new 2023 restoration extension. Ceinwen will be returning within the next month to measure survival and growth across the 5 2022 sites.

- Matt tried to undertake soil microscopy but had gear issues so will return soon to site to undertake the 2023 soil analysis.

- Te Hōno submitted its application for 1000 native trees for the 2024 season from Trees that Count.

- Four working bees took place across September with 170 volunteers helping on site. Rangitoto College continues to heavily invest in Te Hōno with high numbers of students attending the Saturday working bees and 55 Year 12 IB students finishing off the season by spending six hours planting and sowing the final cover crops on site. Untold respect and thanks to all Rangitoto people, you make it look easy and your work ethic is high. Inspirational youth leadership.

- Finally, two founding Te Hōnonga a Iwi people Dan Marrow, Park Ranger, and Rhiannon Leddra have changed roles this month. Rhiannon has shifted from her UWEN role to Whitebait Connection. We hope that she will still be a part of our place and we thank her for her positive energy, ability to connect us with others and her ideas and leadership. Thank you, Rhiannon, you will continue to make a positive difference to the world you are deeply committed to and the people who work alongside you as well as future generations. Dan is moving to a new Park Ranger role in Rodney and Hibiscus Coast. It is hard to see him go. Without Dan, this project would not have started. He has been one of the top five leaders in this project. His courage, faith, patience, accessibility, and expertise has been instrumental in building our capability to deliver some positive regeneration outcomes. The level of his investment has been high and as such, his spirit is woven into the fabric of who we are and who we will become. It is difficult to put into words how much Dan has meant to us. Arohanui Dan and Rhiannon.