Events Schedule 2025/26
JANUARY
SUNDAY, JANUARY 18th
Kelp Restoration Day
LOCATION: Te Kohuroa Matheson Bay Reserve
FACILITATOR: TKRI, Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust
TIME: 9:30am - 3:30pm
COST: FREE (Registration is essential)
EQUIPMENT: Free snorkel gear will be provided. Please bring a hat, sunnies, swim gear, lots of water and snacks to keep yourself energised through the day.
Join Te Kohuroa Rewilding and the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust (MTSCT) for a day of marine rewilding. The event will begin with an introduction to the kaupapa, a deep dive into the stressors affecting biodiversity and habitat abundance on our rocky reefs, and an overview of the kelp restoration site and harvesting protocols.
After a Q&A session, MTSCT Experiencing Marine Reserves team will take participants through a safety briefing and skills run-through for the kina harvesting process. Participants will then snorkel out to the reef to harvest kina for kai moana, which will be shared with participants and the wider community.
After lunch, a guided snorkel of the bay will take participants on a journey of learning to meet the underwater residents of the rocky reef ecosystem including fishes, octopus and maybe a dolphin or two! Participants will be encouraged to document what they see by taking photos, which can be added to the project’s iNaturalist database to help with biodiversity assessments within the marine environment.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 30th
Spotlighting and Night Snorkel
LOCATION: Te Kohuroa Matheson Bay Reserve
FACILITATOR: TKRI, Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust
TIME: 6:30pm - 9:45pm
COST: FREE (Registration is essential)
EQUIPMENT: Free snorkel gear will be provided. Please wear covered footwear or gumboots (essential for spotlighting) and bring warm clothing for both activities.
Come and explore Te Kohuroa Matheson Bay by night and discover a whole new underwater world in your local awa and moana.
What creatures of the night are hiding in our awa and around our rocky reef? We will be exploring the many hidden treasures of Matheson Bay both above and in the water. We welcome all curious minds to discover Te Kohuroa's nightlife by either snorkelling or by going on a stream connection walk with your torch (this is known as spotlighting). For the best experience of Te Kohuroa, we recommend doing both activities!
Snorkelling: This activity is for people with prior snorkelling experience and moderate to strong swimming ability. We love families and we hate to disappoint, but children must be 12 years and older to take part in this activity.
Spotlighting: This land-based activity focused around the awa (stream) is suitable for tamariki 5 years and older. We recommend bringing your own torch (our guides will have high powered torches to assist with viewing wildlife), and covered footwear such as gumboots are essential.
FEBRUARY
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1st
Advanced Kelp Restoration Event
LOCATION: Te Kohuroa Matheson Bay Reserve.
FACILITATOR: TKRI / Goat Island Dive and Snorkel
TIME: 1pm - 5pm.
COST: FREE (Registration is essential).
EQUIPMENT: Bring a hat, sunnies, swim gear, lots of water and snacks to keep yourself energised.
Free snorkel gear hire available (organised in advance).
Are you an experienced freediver or an advanced snorkeller? Have you already participated in our kelp restoration process and would like to expand your impact?
This season TKRI is running a series of Advanced Kelp Restoration events for experienced harvesters. Kai moana (kina) harvested on the day will be donated to local iwi and community, and participants will have the opportunity to take some home too.
If you would like to continue to support the restoration of our rocky reefs through our advanced restoration days, please register your interest by emailing us through the link below.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5th
Rewilding Rangers - Training Event
LOCATION: Leigh Community Hall
FACILITATOR: TKRI
TIME: 6.30pm - 8pm
COST: FREE, Registration essential.
EQUIPMENT: Drinks and snacks will be provided. Bring a notebook and pen if you like to take notes.
Would you like to get involved in our long-term program of restoration as a regular volunteer?
Join our next Rewilding Rangers Training Event to learn skills that will enable you to become more involved in the project. The evening will include some fun activities to practice onsite health and safety (required for all action group Rangers carrying out activities in the field), a species ID challenge using iNaturalist, and a special guest speaker.
TKRI’s Rewilding Rangers program is available to all ages and gives volunteers the opportunity to access training, participate in rewilding action groups, and get involved in the in-depth restoration processes that contribute to long-term project goals. They will also get the chance to build knowledge and skills that support their own conservation journeys.
If you haven’t already, fill out the Volunteer Form (linked in the button) to find out how to join the program.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15th
Kelp Restoration Day
LOCATION: Te Kohuroa Matheson Bay Reserve.
FACILITATOR: TKRI, Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust.
TIME: 9:30am - 3:30pm
COST: FREE (Registration is essential)
EQUIPMENT: Free snorkel gear will be provided. Please bring a hat, sunnies, swim gear, lots of water and snacks to keep yourself energised through the day.
Join Te Kohuroa Rewilding and the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust (MTSCT) for a day of marine rewilding. The event will begin with an introduction to the kaupapa, a deep dive into the stressors affecting biodiversity and habitat abundance on our rocky reefs, and an overview of the kelp restoration site and harvesting protocols.
After a Q&A session, MTSCT Experiencing Marine Reserves team will take participants through a safety briefing and skills run-through for the kina harvesting process. Participants will then snorkel out to the reef to harvest kina for kai moana, which will be shared with participants and the wider community.
After lunch, a guided snorkel of the bay will take participants on a journey of learning to meet the underwater residents of the rocky reef ecosystem including fishes, octopus and maybe a dolphin or two! Participants will be encouraged to document what they see by taking photos, which can be added to the project’s iNaturalist database to help with biodiversity assessments within the marine environment.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22nd
Freediving Restoration Event
LOCATION: Te Kohuroa Matheson Bay Reserve.
FACILITATOR: TKRI, Auckland Freediving Club
TIME: 10am - 3pm
COST: FREE (Registration is essential)
EQUIPMENT: Free snorkel gear will be provided. Please bring a hat, sunnies, swim gear, lots of water and snacks to keep yourself energised through the day.
Join Te Kohuroa Rewilding and Auckland Freediving Club for a day of advanced restoration activities.
Through this event, experienced freedivers will carry out kina removal to support the kelp restoration process in the aqua zone of the restoration site, which is deeper and more complex to harvest from. Kai moana (kina) harvested on the day will be donated to local iwi and community, and participants will have the opportunity to take some home too.
This event is specifically for experienced freedivers who have undertaken safety and depth training. Current members of Auckland Freediving Club are invited to register, alongside anyone who can verify their training and experience levels to ensure they meet the health and safety requirements for this activity.
Please register your interest by emailing us through the link below.
Kelp Restoration Days, Biodiversity Surveying, Citizen Science Monitoring, Freshwater Quality Testing, Workshops and more!
Coming in 2026!
Diversity and Inclusion Statement
Te Kohuroa Rewilding believes in a 'whole-community' approach to rewilding participation and works to create pathways for people with diverse backgrounds and needs. If you require support to participate in this event, please contact our project team at tekohuroarewilding@gmail.com to discuss how we can help.
Interested in future events?
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