Piroa Conservation Trust

Piroa Conservation Trust Piroa Conservation Trust supports community-led conservation from the Brynderwyn ranges to Bream Bay.

About Piroa Conservation Trust....Piroa is the traditional name for the Brynderwyns as recognised by local iwi Patuharakeke and Te Uri o Hau and is used in this plan. It is a 23,000ha area encircling the Piroa Brynderwyns ranges down to Waipu, Bream Tail and Mangawhai has been identified as having high conservation values. Northland brown Kiwi are breeding successfully in the hills having been translocated during 2013-15, and other rare birds, such as the Fairy Tern, make this area their home. A 5 year management plan, approved and endorsed by Northland Regional Council, is available at kiwicoast.org.nz

MORE RANGATAHI FUN! THANKS FOR COMING!What a fabulous three days of our school holiday programme, engaging in hands-on l...
08/10/2026

MORE RANGATAHI FUN! THANKS FOR COMING!
What a fabulous three days of our school holiday programme, engaging in hands-on learning about the role of nurseries in conservation, habitat restoration and management, indigenous biodiversity and predator control.

We loved working alongside you all, supporting rangatahi to share and build their knowledge as kaitiaki of our environment for future generations - and new learning for adults too!

Special thanks to all parents, caregivers, siblings, grandparents and friends who supported our mahi, and a huge thanks to Alex and Susan for leading the programme and to Clare for bringing together such an awesome team.

Thank you to all who shared their expertise from Piroa Conservation Trust and community nursery, Shorebirds Trust, Te Uri o Hau, Patuharakeke, Department of Conservation, Waipu MenzShed, Project Bellbird and Mountains To Sea Conservation Trust. Ka rawe tō mahi! And a special thank you also to the New Zealand Landcare Trust (NZLT) and the Bupa Foundation for providing funding.

We’d love to stay in touch to see how the trapping is going and we’ll also let you know of any other events or projects coming up. In the meantime you can follow the Piroa Conservation Trust, Te Uri o Hau and Shorebirds Trust pages and checkout https://landcare.org.nz/our-resources/junior-landcare-resource/ and https://www.piroaconservation.org.nz/

🐦 FREE BIRD ID WORKSHOP!Curious about the birds you see and hear around you? Come along for a fun, friendly, hands-on ev...
07/10/2026

🐦 FREE BIRD ID WORKSHOP!

Curious about the birds you see and hear around you? Come along for a fun, friendly, hands-on evening learning about common and native birds, their calls, and easy identification tips. And its FREE!

Whether you’re a complete beginner or a keen bird nerd, everyone is welcome — no experience needed!

Waipu: Monday 19th October 6-8pm at Celtic Barn
Mangawhai: Tuesday 20th October 6-8pm at Mangawhai Hall (same building as the library)
Or email:

📩 [email protected]

RANGATAHI HAVING FUN!Students from across Bream Bay created a new īnanga nursery this week as part of the Rangatahi scho...
02/10/2026

RANGATAHI HAVING FUN!
Students from across Bream Bay created a new īnanga nursery this week as part of the Rangatahi school holiday programme run by Piroa Conservation Trust in conjunction with Mountains to Sea, the Shorebirds Trust and Patuharakeke. Īnanga, our most common whitebait species, are endangered mainly due to spawning habitat loss – they lay eggs every autumn on riverbanks in the intertidal zone during a king tide, with the freshly hatched larvae washing out to sea a month later on the next high-water tide. In a few years, these plants on Vince Mrsich’s farm alongside the Waionehu River will have grown enough to give the tiny fish a place to lay their eggs and boost their chance of survival. Thanks to NZ Landcare Trust and the Bupa Foundation for making the funding available for our schools holiday programme. Stand by for more photos and stories.

HAPPY WORLD RIVERS DAY!Rivers (awa) are the veins, and water the blood of Papatūānuku, the earth mother, connecting peop...
26/09/2026

HAPPY WORLD RIVERS DAY!
Rivers (awa) are the veins, and water the blood of Papatūānuku, the earth mother, connecting people (tangata), to the land (whenua), to the mountains (maunga), and to the sea (moana). World Rivers Day is a celebration of the world’s waterways, highlighting the many values of rivers and encouraging the improved stewardship of rivers around the world.
The Ruakaka River (pictured) is significant for its cultural heritage to local Māori and its ecological value as a wildlife habitat. Piroa Conservation Trust works alongside hapū Patuharakeke and local landowners to improve freshwater quality, restore native habitats and protect local taonga species in the river catchment.

🥝 Rangiora’s on the move! 🌿Our recently translocated male kiwi has had a shiny new transmitter fitted and is now explori...
24/09/2026

🥝 Rangiora’s on the move! 🌿

Our recently translocated male kiwi has had a shiny new transmitter fitted and is now exploring his new patch in the Piroa Brynderwyns bush.

Huge thanks to our awesome Kiwi Handlers Dave, Katie and Steve for their expert care and kiwi know-how. 🙌

A special thank you to KiwiCoast and Todd Hamilton for their mentoring and support. 💚

And a massive shout-out to Manulife Forest Management for generously donating transmitters for all our translocated kiwi. Their support helps us keep tabs on these special birds as they settle into their new homes.

Go well, Rangiora — enjoy the bush! 🥝🌿

When Associate Agriculture Minister Hon Mike Butterick was in town this month, we caught him up on our work improving lo...
21/09/2026

When Associate Agriculture Minister Hon Mike Butterick was in town this month, we caught him up on our work improving local catchment health.

Mr Butterick, whose responsibilities include catchment groups, was keen to learn more about local projects related to his portfolio.

Our catchment coordinator Graham Matthews and trustee Carl Gordon highlighted our work with local iwi and farmers on improving water quality, flood resilience, and biodiversity, and current and future projects.

They emphasised the need for continued investment in catchment restoration, and the value of catchment groups for collaboration, sharing knowledge and showcasing innovation. “Farmers are pragmatic, they know improving water quality is the right thing to do,” Carl says. “But they want to see the data…So if we can show them what works, it’s really useful.”

Pictured: The Assoc Minister and officials meet with our team, and a pic from the Field Day in November where farmers got to see best practice wetland construction up close.

Naturally there were a few ruffled feathers in our ops team but conservation was the winner on the day. Photo: Oscar Tho...
21/09/2026

Naturally there were a few ruffled feathers in our ops team but conservation was the winner on the day. Photo: Oscar Thomas

THIS IS TOMORROW!Volunteers are invited to meet at the park’s Bowling Club entrance. Bring gardening gloves, shears or g...
19/09/2026

THIS IS TOMORROW!
Volunteers are invited to meet at the park’s Bowling Club entrance. Bring gardening gloves, shears or garden scissors. Some gear will be available on site. Parking is behind the club near the pétanque court.

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The Brynderwyn Ranges
Mangawhai
0505

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