A Rocha’s Local Groups are communities of A Rocha supporters who live in a particular city, town or region, who meet together regularly to give local expression to the mission and vision of ARANZ. Local Groups tend to have practical conservation project(s) as a major focus but they also explore ways to give expression to all five of A Rocha’s Commitments:
– and to one or more of ARANZ’s focus areas:
Our Local Groups’ involvement in practical conservation and sustainability projects offer opportunities for volunteer participation across the country. The types of practical community conservation initiatives include wetland, native bush and stream restoration, native tree nurseries, and trapping projects. Our Local Groups often work in partnership with other organisations and the local community to make a difference for their local environment and community.
Our Auckland local group officially formed in 2009 with the goal to build a community of A Rocha supporters to encourage and enable each other to care for creation and live sustainably. The Auckland local group holds regular working bees at Unsworth Reserve on the North Shore, at Oakley Creek in Avondale, and at Matuku Link in Bethell’s Valley. We welcome volunteers to help with these working bees.
Our local group in Palmerston North focuses its efforts around a thriving native plants nursery that distributes plants to local planting projects in the region. The group meets fortnightly at their nursery for planting and general maintenance, and sometimes go out locally to source native seedlings. Please contact Christine on 06 353 6820 or Keith on 06 357 5743 for more info.
The Wellington local group started in 2012. It is structured as three subgroups – the Kāpiti subgroup, the Waiu Wetland subgroup in Wainuiomata, and the Wellington City subgroup supporting the work of Friends of Owhiro Stream. The subgroups also get together to organise joint educational events and working bees at key sites such as Battle Hill Farm Forest Park and Kopua Monastery.
The Dunedin local group was formed in 2012. After a couple of years hiatus, the A Rocha local group in Dunedin relaunched in 2016. The group organises restoration working bees at Tirohanga Camp, located about 20 minutes out of Dunedin. The Dunedin local group also participates in the Save the Otago Peninsula working bees, alternating with Tirohanga working bees. And Dunedin local group members are also rostered to volunteer at the Dunedin City Sanctuary Hilary St Reserve trapline in Pine Hill.
A Rocha’s Wellington Local Group had their annual Easter retreat at the Abbey in Kopua from 4-6 April this year. We had a great weekend together, taking part in the rhythm of prayer at the Abbey, and helping the team of Associates in their working bee on the Kopua-riki restoration
In 2024, nine regular monthly A Rocha working bees went ahead at Waiu Park. Those scheduled for April, July and November were cancelled because of bad weather, but in June we held two planting days, a week apart. The commitment of our core group of volunteers has been very impressive
Last Saturday, A Rocha’s Auckland local group headed out to Matuku Link for some restoration work. Two key areas that the local group worked on are: In the nursery, the volunteers potted up about 150 delicate small plants. Some were small cutty sedges Cyperus ustulatus which grow in shallow wetlands.
The creek bears the signs of the ravages of 2023 violent storms with bridges still missing, but on 11 August, parents and children came with enthusiasm to the last planting day for winter. Their work will help stabilise the banks for future storms. Stream custodian Wendy John from the Friends
A small contingent of hardy A Rocha members from Greater Wellington comprising Richard Noble, Dennis Fountain, Jean and Richard Rhoades joined the Associates of Southern Star Monastery and local Catholic folk at Kopua for two days of extensive planting of the monastery grounds over Matariki weekend. Richard Rhoades reports: We
