Members of the Wesley Community Action group Ngahere Korowai are measuring the water clarity at the pond. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
The birds are calling in Cannon's Creek reserve, and strands of Raupō flax wave tall fingertips in the breeze.
Members of the Wesley Community Action group Ngahere Korowai are measuring the water clarity at the pond with Mountains to Sea Wellington and Porirua City Council, peering at a blue magnet down a large tube.
The group meets fortnightly, testing water, or helping to plant in the reserve, or up in the western side of Belmont Regional Park.
They want to see another Zealandia nature reserve created in Porirua.
Founding member John Mu. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Founding member John Mu said when Wesley Community Action's Aotearoa Pasifika Men's group visited Zealandia in 2019, they were stunned by what they saw.
"We looked around there and when we came back, we were fascinated by how we saw all the trees up there, beautiful trees, and insects - and we said, why can't we have that out here, and that's how Ngahere Korowai started."
Agencies including Greater Wellington Regional Council and Porirua City Council backed the vision.
Members of Ngahere Korowai and Mountains to Sea Wellington are measuring water clarity in the pond are measuring the water clarity at the pond. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Since 2022, Greater Wellington has planted 120 hectares of land with native plants and trees on the western side of Belmont Regional Park, a spokesperson said.
This past winter, 88,000 plants covering about 35 hectares in the Takapu block were planted, along with 1800 in Waitangirua as infill, and volunteers planted about 5000 plants.
Porirua resident Roger Shore said he was initially sceptical about joining Ngahere Korowai.
"I was actually part of a walking group walking round Aotea Lagoon, and one of the guys there, who'd been part of that walking group for a while, said, well do you want to come and join our mens group?
"Well my picture of a men's group is your usual bunch of old fellas, young fellas, grumpy fellas, grissly fellas, having a hard time fellas."
Porirua resident Roger Shore. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
He said he's discovered a diverse movement involving biodiversity, conservation and pest eradication.
"It's like I walked through a different doorway into a different realm of the society we live in. And all I can say is, before that - my knowledge of what's been going on is probably about, a quarter of an inch."
Riparian operations advisor for Porirua City Council, Dougal Morrison, said there's a wide network of planting going on through the Porirua catchment too, with a goal to restore Porirua harbour.
Morrison said about 167,000 native plants have gone in the ground this winter - work done by contractors and community groups.
He points to some of the planting done by the lake in the reserve.
"So, we'll just come to this area that's just been planted - just about two weeks ago - quite late for our planting, but as you can see it's very very wet here. These are sedge kind of type species, carex, cyperus, there's some flax... just anything that can tolerate the wet ground."
He said the plants provide a filter for pollutants, and are bringing back fish and bird life to the city.
"In Titahi Bay, I was down there a few weeks ago and this older guy pulled up and sort of knocked on the window, and put the window down and said 'it's great what you guys are doing the tuna (eels) are back' - it's really good in terms of the change that's been bought about."
Shore said it's about restoring Porirua's environment for future generations.
"You and I can come with our grandkids for instance and go, we got rid of all that flax for instance, it's a beautiful lake there now, you can paddle boat on it, you can watch the fish and things underneath, and enjoy it."
"And that would be a real plus... if you've got a legacy - money doesn't leave anything, environment does."
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