Te Wā o te Taiao

Energised, inclusive and connected communities actively restoring and caring for te taiao in Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui. 

Upcoming events  

Our events have been completed for 2025. Come back in spring 2026 for more.  

Get involved 

Te Wā o Te Taiao will open the door for more communities across the region to participate in community conservation. We love to connect with: 

• Volunteer groups 
• Mana whenua and hapū 
• Schools, students and young people 
• Environmental organisations 
• Local neighbourhoods, whānau, and community champions.  

To get in touch or host an activation event in your community, please email tewaotetaiao@gw.govt.nz. 

Introducing Te Wā o Te Taiao 

Te Wā o Te Taiao means a season for focusing on the natural world. It builds on the legacy of Restoration Day and invites everyone to connect with te taiao (nature) and each other across Te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui (the Wellington region). 

For over 20 years, Restoration Day brought together hundreds of volunteers and volunteer groups to celebrate and support ecological restoration through conferences, workshops, and hands-on activities. 

In 2024, we took a fresh look at how this could grow — finding ways to make it more locally focused, flexible, sustainable for the future and guided by Kaipupuri Taonga ki te ao Whānui.  

Te Wā o Te Taiao is a new chapter. It’s about building new ways to support activities that connect people to te taiao, meaningful places, and each other through shared experience, learning, and celebration. 

What does it look like? 

In 2025, Te Wā o Te Taiao had its first series of activation events in Kāpiti, led by local groups. 

Activations are locally grounded, collaboratively run activities that bring together those involved in ecological restoration to celebrate, energise, and build connections with te taiao, place, and each other.  

These activations helped us explore new ways of working together and to continue building on the kaupapa together. Here are some highlights:

Edgewater Community planting day 

Led by Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Friends of Waikanae River, and Parikawau Restoration Group. Find out more about Edgewater Community planting day >

Ōtaki River planting day 

Led by Friends of the Ōtaki River and Greater Wellington River Rangers. Find out more about Ōtaki River planting day >

Waitohu Stream dune planting 

Led by Waitohu Stream and Dune Care Group. Find out more about Waitohu Stream dune planting >

AWE Wānanga at Wharemauku Stream 

Led by Sharlene Maoate-Davis (Ngāti Wehiwehi, Ngāti Huia, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngai Tahu, Taranaki, Te Ātiawa), Sarah Hopkinson (curriculum designer), and Amanda Dobson (Enviroschools). Find out more about AWE Wānanga at Wharemauku Stream >