We urgently need your help
Your support today will help us raise $1.725 million urgently required to purchase and restore Hutiwai Forest – a unique area of 434 hectares of nationally important native forest and land in need of restoration in North Taranaki. With your support, we can save Hutiwai Forest and safeguard the future of its wildlife – such as critically endangered kiwi, yellow-crowned parakeet and a wealth of other native bird life.
Hutiwai Forest is a very special place
Hutiwai borders the DOC owned Hutiwai and Mohakatino Conservation Areas and is part of the headwaters of the Rapanui and Mangahutiwai catchments in Tongaporutu, North Taranaki. It consists of areas of native bush and some recently felled pine plantation with huge restoration potential including many of the valley floor wetland areas. It's a very special place that desperately needs our help and it's home to an amazingly diverse range of wildlife.
The map above shows the Hutiwai property (shaded in light blue) and its relation to DOC land and the coast.
You can help protect Kiwi
Hutiwai is home to several rare and endangered species, including the much-loved North Island Brown Kiwi. The widespread clearing of forests in the past and the introduction of predators has decimated our kiwi population and places like Hutiwai, properly managed, are now essential to their survival. By purchasing Hutiwai we'll restore the forest to create more habitat for kiwi and introduce predator control to keep them safe.
You can help protect other threatened birds
Yellow-crowned Parakeet are also present at Hutiwai. Like kiwi these birds were once common in New Zealand but populations rapidly declined due to habitat loss and the introduction of predator pests. Now rare and endangered, yellow-crowned parakeets are highly vulnerable to predators. With Hutiwai under Trust management we will be able to control predators and help these delightful birds thrive once again.
Without your help we could lose Hutiwai Forest for ever
Part of the property is designated as a Significant Natural Area (SNA) - this means it is nationally recognised as an area where rare or threatened plants or animals are found. However, in March of this year the government suspended Councils requirement to form new SNA’s under the National Policy Statement on Biodiversity. Although as an existing SNA this doesn't directly affect Hutiwai it underlines how quickly legislation can change and the importance of securing protection through Trust ownership, enabling it to be restored and protected for all New Zealanders to enjoy for ever.
Help restore Hutiwai Forest to its former glory
Property values in New Zealand are at an all-time high and we need to raise over $1.7 million to secure Hutiwai - just under $4,000 per hectare. For a small organisation like NFRT this is a huge amount of money to raise and we know it will take us some time. Fortunately, the current owners of Hutiwai have been very flexible and are prepared to give us time to raise the funds - however, the sooner we raise the funds the sooner we can gain access to protect the wildlife and start restoring the forest and wetland areas.
