Waikato Biodiversity Forum

Vision: Waikato - a place for our living taonga - where the community values and works collaboratively to protect, enhance and restore indigenous biodiversity.

The Waikato Biodiversity Forum was established in May 2002 and provides a primary link between research and management agencies, iwi groups, private landowners, communities who are interested in enhancing native biodiversity in the Waikato Region. The Forum is a non-statutory multi-lateral body that shares a common philosophy that no one agency, sector or element of society has all the answers to the biodiversity issues that now confront us both nationally and in the region.

Eco-sourced Waikato

Eco-sourcing is the propagation of native plants from a representative sample of the local wild population. Eco-sourcing is important because plants disperse their pollen and seeds into natural areas and eco-sourced plants will reinforce rather than distort the local gene pool.

Eco-sourced Waikato comprises representatives from Hamilton City Council, Department of Conservation, Environment Waikato, Waikato District Council, University of Waikato, Waikato Tree Trust, local nurseries and restoration experts.

The group has taken on the task of encouraging the supply of eco-sourced plants to meet demand, establishing new seed sources and undertaking an education program about the local flora and the importance of ecological restoration.

See the Who Can Help page for a list of nurseries supplying ecosourced plants.

Weedbusters

For Kaitaia to the Bluff, there are groups and individuals tackling invasive plant species on private and public land. They are supported by a national interagency programme called Weedbusters that aims to provide information, advice and networking for those who have joined in the fight against weeds.

• Gully website