Rangitikei Environment Group is committed to protecting our natural environment for the enjoyment of future generations.
Our key areas of focus are the control and eradication of Old Man’s Beard, other invasive pest plants, and supporting cleaner waterways and local biodiversity through riparian planting. We also support the efforts of other organisations working to protect our natural environment and control the pests that threaten it.
For over 20 years, the Rangitikei Environment Group has been addressing pest plant problems across our region with an initial focus on Old Man’s Beard.
We work in collaboration with local councils and other community groups such as Rangitikei Rivers Catchment Collective, Horizons Regional Council, Forest & Bird, Department of Conservation, Rangitikei District Council and Friends of Taihape. Notable projects and worksites include the Kotiata Wetland Restoration Project, the five Forest & Bird reserves in the Rangitikei, Papakai Reserve, Mount Stewart, Greystoke Reserve, Paegaroa Reserve at Mataroa, Memorial Park, Taihape Reserves, Boshers Bush Taihape, Ngawaka Bush.
Our team and scope have continued to evolve to include larger biodiversity projects and environmental restoration such as riparian planting which has become another major focus in recent years. Planted Sites include Porotiana Stream: Springvale Station, Waiwhakapoua Stream & Pokopoko Stream: Mangaohane, Owhakaora Stream: Erewhon, Namunui Stream Mataroa and Wetland retirement lower Kawhatau
As a not-for-profit organisation, we’ve grown a lot in recent years and now a team of five we would like to keep the momentum up and continue to expand our efforts and educating the wider public about pest plant control.
Over 300 plant species are recognised as pests by our regional council and without proactive pest plant control, these invasive species would take over our natural spaces, becoming an eye sore and threatening our native flora and fauna (more than they already are).
Much of the Rangitikei District’s native biodiversity is contained and owned privately, and is often not supported by publicly funded environmental protection programmes.
Our work isn’t a one-time project, pest control requires ongoing maintenance to keep weeds under control and ensure one weed doesn’t jump in to fill the place of another.
We also want to encourage and inspire the next generation to get involved in our work, we’re doing this for them and want to promote careers in the environmental space and be able to offer roles to local youth to gain experience in the field.
In 2022 our team worked on a large project planting over 18,000 riparian plants along streams headed for the Hautapu and Rangitikei Rivers in late 2022. This included flaxes, Manuka, ribbon woods, pittosporums, Kowhai, and more.
In addition to our funded work on public reserves and high biodiversity sites, we’ve visited 40 private properties helping landowners with pest control measures.
We’re currently seeking funding to support and expand our environmental work across the Rangitikei. Additional funding would help us:
⁃ Expand our efforts to educate the wider public about pest plant control.
⁃ Increase support and collaboration with other environmental organisations.
⁃ Ensure correct maintenance is carried out on an annual basis on sites we’ve worked on previously to ensure weeds remain under control.
⁃ Subsidise work on privately held land to support and encourage farmers and other landowners to be more proactive in pest control.
⁃ Retain staff who have joined us from WINZ beyond their initial subsidy period and support the pursuit of a career in environmental work.
⁃ Provide employment and training opportunities for new environmental science graduates to retain talent in our community and expand our expertise and skillset.
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