About The Waipoua Forest Trust

About the Trust

Trustees - Objectives - Achievements - Te Iwi o te Roroa - Sponsors

The Waipoua Forest Trust is a bicultural partnership between conservationists and Te Iwi O Te Roroa whose vision is to protect, restore, interpret and promote the internationally significant natural heritage at Waipoua.

The Waipoua Forest Trust (WFT) is independent, but as a partnership it acts as an arm for Te Roroa and the New Zealand Native Forests Restoration Trust (NZNFRT), putting into practice common restoration and education visions. As the eyes and feet on the ground, the WFT, on a day by day basis, helps to manage the NZNFRT McGregor Reserves as they are a vital and integral part of the Waipoua Forest. The original McGregor Reserve was the first land purchase by the NZNFRT, which is NZ's leading community organisation that purchases land for forest restoration.

Trustees

Alex Nathan
Founding Trustee, Chairman
Researcher, Te Roroa kaumatua (elder)

Stephen King
Founding Trustee
Forest ecologist,
Project Manager

Rev. Daniel Ambler
Trustee
Farmer, priest,
Te Roroa kaumatua

Janice Brenstrum
Secretary and Treasurer
Farmer, businesswoman

Objectives

Recognising the special value that the natural taonga (treasure) of Waipoua has to all New Zealanders, the Trust was established as a bicultural partnership in 1998 to: "protect, restore, interpret and promote the internationally significant natural heritage at Waipoua for the scientific, educational and spiritual benefit of New Zealand", and:

To establish a millennial Kauri Forest to commemorate the second millennium and to celebrate the third millennium since the birth of Christ;
To protect and restore the native fauna at Waipoua with particular emphasis on Kiwi, Kokako and reginally rare or regionally extinct species including Kaka, Kakariki and Korimako;
To foster understanding of Kauri Forest and associated ecosystems through education and research, participation and management or other means, with special but not exclusive focus on the education of young people and Maori;
To provide an advocacy role for the protection and restoration of Kauri and related forest ecosystems within New Zealand;
To support the people known as Te Iwi O Te Roroa in their guardianship role for the protection of Waipoua Forest;
To promote and protect Wahi Tapu and archaeological sites in accordance with Tikanga Maori;
To assist and co-operate with others in New Zealand sharing similar aims.

Achievements

The Waipoua Forest Trust was founded in November 1998. Here follows a brief list of some of the achievements of the Trust in the past three years:

Funds raised to purchase four separate properties over 140ha and establish the Millennium Kauri Forest (thanks go to the Lottery GrantsBoard)
Kaipara District Council donation of 16ha broadleaf-podocarp forest - designated by the Trust as its "outdoor classroom", where students of the bush can go to the original textbooks: the trees
Secured a 10 year contract for vegetation maintenance on Transit NZ's award-winning Waipoua heritage highway (State Highway 12) - in this capacity the Trust is able to protect the forest from the threat of weeds
Has played a key role in trying to improve permitting procedures of the Department of Conservation in terms of consultation with local iwi.
Hosted University of Auckland field trips of both undergraduate and graduate levels, focusing on Maori resource management and forest ecology.
Raised funds for kiwi predator control programme (Northland Regional Council)
During the planting seasons from 2000-2004, a total of 6,000 kauri, over 50,000 manuka seedlings and 800 million (!) manuka seed have been planted/sown onto the Millennium Kauri Forest (all restoration was achieved through community/iwi/volunteer support during many hours of hard, rewarding work)
Trialling/refining of new ground preparation techniques for direct sowing and planting of manuka.

Te Iwi o te Roroa

Consistent with customary practice where special attributes, events or circumstances were frequently commemorated by a change in the name of the iwi (tribe) or hapu (sub-tribe), this pepeha (proverb) was composed at the tangi (funeral) of Manumanu II, a renowned toa (warrior) and tupuna (ancestor) of Te Roroa. Prior to this the iwi was known as Ngai Tamatea.

Introduction - by Alex Nathan

Te Iwi o Te Roroa, whose rohe (territory) extends from Hokianga in the north to Dargaville in the south, are the manawhenua (customary authority) and kaitiaki (guardians) within this area. Tikanga (custom) requires the Iwi (tribal group) to discharge its responsibilities to Papatuanuku (Mother Earth) here. The relationship between the Waipoua Forest Trust and Te Iwi O Te Roroa is that of a partnership. The kaupapa (protocol) of the Trust is consistent with the obligations of the Iwi as kaitiaki. The Trust specifically provides an opportunity for members of the general community and Maori together to participate in and contribute to the restoration and rehabilitation of the ngahere (forest) on the southern margins of the Waipoua Forest.

For more information, please link to the Waitangi Tribunal pages on Te Roroa.