Waiheke Island Atawhai-
Whenua Reserve Revegetation Project
If you are interested in Nature, revegetation, wetlands, botany and birdlife, there is a great experience to be had by taking the Ferry from Auckland to Waiheke Island, There you will also find some great island walking, beaches, cafe, accommodation, tours, vineyards and much more to make a great day out.
As
you approach the Waiheke ferry wharf
at Matiatia, look to the hillside overlooking the bay on the right. You will
see the Atawhai- Whenua Reserve a revegetation project that was the dream
and work ( still continuing) of the late Don Chapple.
If you are walking to the commercial centre of Waiheke Island don't take the road, instead when you leave the wharf turn right and follow the path around the waters edge to the footbridge at the entrance to the reserve.
Here
you will find a map showing the maze of paths you can take through the reserve
leading to an exit at the top of the hill back onto the Road to the rest of
the island.
The
transformation of this reserve from eroding farmland cliffs is remarkable.
It is an ongoing project being carried out by The Forest and Bird Protection Society
Your koha can be help on the reserve or with money
Don Chapple - New Zealand's own "The Man who planted trees"
This is
an area that was once unproductive eroding farmland that has been re vegetated
in native plants and transformed by the efforts of Waiheke's own "The
Man who planted Trees" Don Chapple
Books and Koha for continuing Don's work
If you are
interested in re vegetating your garden or any other areas with native NZ
plants, you can purchase books Don and others have produced. “Greening our
Gulf Islands”