The backbone of the Karioi Project

Seventeen years ago, we started with just a dozen volunteers.

Some gave a few hours. Others, a full day each week, fortnight, or month. We wanted to restore biodiversity as a community, but we had no grand plan - just the plan to start something.

At Upper Wainui Reserve, on just 10 hectares of bush, we set 60 rat traps - hoping to give the birds a breeding chance. We thought we’d do it for a few months over spring, then take a break.

Just that first step.

Each week, we met - clearing tracks, setting traps, learning as we went. We were supported by local knowledge and expertise - possum trappers, mana whenua, ecologists, students, activists. But also surfers, golfers, kids, artists, designers, accountants, lawyers.

Most of us had never set a trap before. But we were willing to learn - together.

Those early months were full of energy. We started to see results almost immediately. In the first week alone, over 60 rats were caught. Monitoring showed we were making a small but real difference.

By the end of spring, we suggested stopping. But no one wanted to!

Instead, people chose a trap line - something to care for and return to on a regular basis.

And we never stopped.

Today, nearly 5,000 traps have been deployed across the maunga, around its edges, and through private properties, farmland, and wetlands. What started as 10 hectares has grown into a landscape-scale effort across thousands of hectares.

Every time the network has grown, volunteers have stepped up. Some have been part of this since the beginning. Life has changed around them - new jobs, families, even new hips and knees. And still, they keep going.

Has it been easy? Not always.

Have there been challenges? Many.

Have we had fun? Absolutely.

Because conservation isn’t just about plants and animals. It’s about people. People who care.

If you’ve ever thought about getting involved - this is your invitation.

Become a volunteer!