Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust

19/06/2026

This May, we brought Pacific whānau and community members together at Lake Waikare, Kai Iwi Lakes for a meaningful day on the roto with waka ama, sailing, and connection to this special place.

Our tai tamariki and community got to experience the joy of being out on the water while learning kōrero about the lakes and their unique ecosystems.

A huge mihi to Whakato te Kakano for leading our sailing activities and Te Hikuwai o Kaipara Waka Ama Club for ensuring everyone was safe and well looked after on the waka ama. Your mahi made the day🙏

Thank you also to Northland Regional Council for bringing their biosecurity booth and sharing the importance of protecting these taonga environments, and to Kaipara District Council for their support for the event �

This mahi is made possible with the generous support of Foundation North. Ngā mihi!

17/06/2026

What’s brown and sticky? A stick. Or is it a caddisfly?

Woody-cased or “stick” caddisflies are one of the trickier invertebrates to identify, but when we do, we feel very encouraged!

Why does this little creature encourage us? Because of what it says about our streams.

Each invertebrate that lives in Aotearoa’s streams has a certain tolerance for pollution, sedimentation or other damaging effects to stream health. Some, like freshwater snails and flatworms, can tolerate a lot of damage before they disappear. Others are much more sensitive and rely on healthy water, including mayflies, stoneflies and yes, you guessed it, caddisflies.

Fun facts:
🍂 The larvae eat decomposing leaves and algae off rocky surfaces, helping improve water quality
🐟 They are an important part of the freshwater food chain, providing good for fish and birds
🪵 They also build their stick cases out of debris they come across in their streams
💎 When deprived of natural debris, they will use the next best thing they are given, including pieces of gold or jewels!

17/06/2026

Thank you to those who joined us this Mother’s Day, giving back to Mother Earth by removing 70kg of litter from one of Auckland’s biggest urban streams! 💧

Despite an Autumnal rain shower, 37 locals joined us on kayaks this May to explore the Whau River and give back by removing rubbish, including multiple planks of wood, a jet ski seat, and plastic packaging, polystyrene and cans.

On land, we were treated to some amazing workshops by Ahi, Deahne, Catherine and Chez, learning about raranga (weaving), nature art, Te Whau Pathway Project, and freshwater monitoring. We were chuffed with feedback from participants saying they enjoyed these workshops just as much as the kayaking!

A massive thank you to our collaborators Te Whau Pathway Project, Whau the People, EcoMatters Environment Trust, and Auckland Sea Kayaks, and to our generous funders at Auckland Council and Foundation North. Thank you also to our amazing facilitators who took time out of their Mother's Day to share their knowledge with everyone.

17/06/2026

12/06/2026

Congratulations to our World Fish Migration Day Colouring Competition winners! 🎉

A huge thank you to everyone who entered. We were impressed by the creativity, attention to detail, and the identification of īnanga life stages, threats, and actions we can all take to help protect these fish.

A big thank you to the Department of Conservation for generously sponsoring the prizes.

🏆 5 years and under
🥇 1st – Supyee Liang
🥈 2nd – Imogen Bennett
🥉 3rd – Oaklee Olorenshaw

🏆 Ages 5–8
🥇 1st – Hudson Bennett
🥈 2nd – Maia Timoko
🥉 3rd – Issy Clayton

🏆 Ages 9–12
🥇 1st – Madeleine Bush
🥈 2nd – Emma Golding
🥉 3rd – Maanvir

🏆 Ages 13+
🥇 1st – Aaron Bennett
🥈 2nd – Ella-Rose Bennett
🥉 3rd – Ole Hegh

🌟 Special Judges' Choice Awards
✨ Gabriel Gicole
✨ Emery Rabanal

Congratulations to all of our winners, and thank you again to everyone who took part in helping celebrate World Fish Migration Day and raise awareness of our precious īnanga.

We'll be in touch with the winners over the next few days to arrange posting out your prizes.

Check out the winning entries from each age category!

11/06/2026

Our friend at Mountains to Sea Wellington have been running a seaweed restoration programme in their rohe. What have they learned? Can we do this in other regions around Aotearoa? Check out the info below for the upcoming webinar!

Join us online next Wednesday, 17th June. 6-7pm to hear from our Love Rimurimu project team.

The first session of the winter webinars is kicking off with the students of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Mokopuna, who have been a part of Love Rimurimu from the very beginning.

We're talking about Creating Connections across a project like ours - and you'll hear from Jorge Jimenez and Zoe Studd from the Love Rimurimu team, Renee Campbell and the students from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Mokopuna and Te Atawhai Kumar from Te Aho Tu Roa.

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10/06/2026

09/06/2026

On Saturday, 2 May, we teamed up with Te Ahiwaru Trust and Auckland Sea Kayaks to get the local community out exploring the wai at Oruarangi Creek, Māngere 🚣

Participants paddled around the coastline, looking out to Te Motu a Hiaroa (Puketutu Island) and the Manukau Heads. While paddling around the surrounding mangroves, we spotted kōtare/kingfishers, kāruhiruhi/pied shags, and jumping kanae/mullet flashing in the sunlight.

On land, we explored the coastal trail, identifying plants, insects, and birds along the way. Te Ahiwaru kaimahi Pania gave a wonderful kōrero, sharing stories and history of the surrounding area and showing the community some of the pest trapping, weeding, and planting work being done to restore the area. Te Ahiwaru also generously provided kai (BBQ sausages, snacks and drinks) for everyone to enjoy 😋

“I feel more connected to the local Māori culture and history. Thank you!” - Lillian

Ngā mihi nui to our funders Foundation North and Auckland Council for helping us make this event happen!

04/06/2026

The hard part about taking conservationists to the ngāhere is getting them to leave again. We spotted shortfin tuna, banded kōkopu, wētā, BIG spiders, leaf slugs, and a lot of other creatures you'll find in a thriving taiao. Ngā mihi to CUE Haven for having us. Featuring our colleagues from He Awa Ora, He Tai Ora, Healthy Rivers, Living Sea, Mountains to Sea Wellington, Auckland Council, The Forest Bridge Trust, Wild for Taranaki.

03/06/2026

Staff spotlight: introducing Nicholas Naysmith, National Īnanga Spawning Programe (NĪSP) Lead!🐟

Nic holds an MSc in Marine Science, and an MSc in Osteopathy. After a number of science-related roles, working as an osteopath, and a stint in sales, Nic began to feel that his “cup wasn’t being filled adequately” in his work life. That was when he came across a job advert with Mountains to Sea. With a lifetime passion for the environment and a background studying sciences, he thought the opportunity seemed a good fit.

And so did Kim! Nic started as a catchment coordinator, assisting Mountains to Sea Poutokomanawa Kim Jones with her īnanga research on the Ruakākā awa, alongside delivering the Whitebait Connection programme in Northland schools. This slowly progressed to leading the (now completed) Northland Īnanga Spawning Habitat Restoration Project (NĪSHRP) and, lately, NĪSP.

These days, Nic can be found delivering training around the country to Department of Conservation and regional council staff, regional providers, community, and hapū and iwi, guiding a collaborative nationwide effort to identify, monitor, protect, and restore īnanga spawning habitat across Aotearoa New Zealand. Nic says his passion for this work comes from his childhood experiences exploring a stream that flowed along the boundary of his parent’s property, and of endless holidays at Lake Taupō.

Fun fact: Nic has never eaten a whitebait fritter, so maybe īnanga conservation was always on his cards! His favourite marine animal is paua, which he is always excited to find while pursuing his free diving hobby, and his favourite freshwater fish is the longfin tuna.