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.
Encouraging people to join in and ‘do’, in relation to creation care is a real strength of A Rocha. In early November, A Rocha’s Auckland local group set aside a day to focus on both ‘doing’ and ‘being’. Our destination? Peacemakers Retreat Centre in Helensville, a 45-minute drive from Central Auckland.
Last week about 40 church leaders from Dunedin met at Orokonui Ecosanctuary for an event funded by the Wilberforce Foundation and Longview Trust. We had a lovely day enjoying the forest and birds, connecting with each other, and hearing from guest speakers Dr Andrew Shepherd, James Beck, and our dear
On 26 July, A Rocha Wellington gathered at Hutt City Baptist Church for our Winter Kōrero, where we were treated to an enthralling presentation by Andrew Stewart, Curator of Fishes at Te Papa. Andrew shared insights from his 2024 voyage on the research vessel Tangaroa, which set out to solve
A Rocha’s Wellington Local Group was invited to plant a hebe area at Kopua Monastery (near Dannevirke) this year, over Matariki weekend (June 20-22). The planting area surrounds the Hermitage, a tiny house for spending time quietly with God. The hebe area will provide great habitat for butterflies, native pollinators
If you are from Dunedin, you will be familiar with the land belonging to Dunedin City Baptist Church (DCBC), on the left of the Southern Motorway as you’ve just come over Lookout Point. DCBC has significantly transformed the lower section of property over the last 5 – 8 years with
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
