Friends of Te Tātua a Riukiuta / Big King is a volunteer group passionate about protecting and enhancing the maunga for everyone who uses it, now and into the future. We share a love for this special place and are committed to helping restore its native biodiversity.
We know that the pest plants and animals threatening our native wildlife don’t recognise property boundaries. If left unmanaged, they will continue to spread across the landscape. That’s why we’re working to remove them from both the maunga and the surrounding public and private spaces, creating a protective “halo” around it.
By extending conservation efforts beyond the maunga itself, we can help native birds, insects, and plants thrive and support the return of native species to the area. We are doing the following in the halo area:
- Weeding bees during the week (targeting the top 10 worst weeds)
- Trapping in public parks
- Giving out free rat traps (in a pet and child safe tunnel) to those who wish to catch rats on their property (in exchange for you logging your checks with us).
- If you aren’t keen on trapping yourself but wouldn’t mind someone else coming to check a trap in your back yard for you we can do that too!
- Door knocking (to raise awareness of weeds, predator control and the volunteer mahi happening in the area)
No experience is necessary - we’ll teach you as you go, and everyone is welcome. We’d love to have you join us - flick us an email if any of this sounds interesting or if you’d be keen to help lead any of these activities.