Awhitu Peninsula Landcare is a community-led, volunteer organisation at 2610 Awhitu Road on the Awhitu Peninsula, south of Auckland. It was founded in 1994 and works with the local iwi, Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, and with Auckland Council to remove pests, restore waterways and wetlands, and plant native trees. Its community plant nursery, Te Korowai o Papatūānuku, is on the Matakawau Domain Reserve, next to Awhitu School. The nursery is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30am to midday, and the office is open Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 3:30pm. The group asks visitors to phone 09 235 1616 first for pest control supplies, and the phone is answered Wednesday to Saturday mornings.
Membership costs $20 per person, and lifetime membership is $75 per person or $150 per household. The group has about 80 members. Over its first 24 years, volunteers planted more than 150,000 native trees and shrubs and destroyed over 30,000 pests. Since 2020, with Ministry for Primary Industries funding, more than 248,000 eco-sourced natives have been planted across the peninsula. Volunteers gather for a cuppa after planting sessions. Our pick on the Awhitu Peninsula for a morning planting with a friendly volunteer crew.