Te Motutapu a Taikehu - "The sacred island of Taikehu"
The 50 years Motutapu restoration project was launched in 1992 by Motutapu Conservation Trust as an initiative to work with the community and restore the forest. 450,000 native trees have since then been planted over 100 hectares. It has also become a sanctuary for endangered and rare animal species even since the two islands were declared pest-free in 2011, a safe breeding ground for a small population of native birds- Kiwi and Takahē. Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth Group has been working with Motutapu Restoration Trust to encourage the active involvement from young people in the restoration of vegetation on this beautiful island.
The annual Motutapu Island Tree Planting event began back in 2010 by a group of young and passionate university students. The trip consists of two parts where on the first day the group is guided by John on a hike from Rangitoto Island to Motutapu Island and stayed the night at Outdoor Education Camp. During the walk, you will not only get to meet the cute farm animals, see the spectacular scenery from the Rangitoto summit but also hear about the flora and fauna species on the island, the restoration activities and the history of the island. This is to provide the volunteers an opportunity to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the heritage values and the reasons of the active effort for the restoration project. Second day is main highlight - tree planting. Every year, nearly a hundred volunteers will gather from different places and plant nearly a thousand saplings
We encourage you to join in this meaningful activity. Be active in helping our mother earth and restore the habitats for our cute neighbours on the island. For more information, please email us for event details. |
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