Events Schedule 2024/25
OCTOBER
THURSDAY & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16th/19th
Volunteer Scientific Snorkeller Training
LOCATION: Online and Te Kohuroa Matheson Bay
FACILITATOR: Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust
DATES:
Online training: Thursday 16th October
In-water training: Sunday 19th October
COST: FREE (Registration is essential).
EQUIPMENT: Bring a hat, sunnies, swim gear, lots of water and snacks to the in-water training day.
Free snorkel gear hire available for in-water training.
We are delighted to be kicking off our rewilding season with two community training events, in partnership with Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, for volunteers who want to improve their snorkelling capability and marine monitoring skills. Both events will focus on training participants how to monitor Te Kohuroa reef and assist with kelp restoration activities throughout the summer season.
Online Training: info session (7:00pm - 8:30pm)
Learn about snorkelling safety, marine survey methodologies and species ID.
In-water Training (practical session- 9:30am - 4:00pm)
Learn how to apply your knowledge about species ID, surveying and advanced snorkelling in a safe and supported environment.
Minimum age for the activity is 12 years old, children 15 years and below need to have an adult supervisor present. Prior snorkelling experience and strong swimming ability is required.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23rd
Volunteer Meet & Greet (Action Groups)
LOCATION: Leigh Community Hall
FACILITATOR: Te Kohuroa Rewilding Initiative.
TIME: 6:30pm - 8:30pm
COST: FREE (please register so we bring enough nibbles!)
EQUIPMENT: Bring yourself, a friend and some enthusiasm!
Tea, coffee and snacks will be provided :)
Are you interested in getting more involved ‘behind the scenes’ with Te Kohuroa Rewilding? Would you like to meet new people, learn new skills (such as freshwater testing, biodiversity surveying or planting planning) and volunteer more regularly to support our rewilding goals?
Join us for a fun, social night at Leigh Hall where the project team will be presenting a sneak preview of this year’s rewilding plan and helping community volunteers to identify meaningful ways to contribute to the project long-term. Join one of our existing action groups, or come with ideas for new ones.
All over a cuppa and a chance to make new connections within the volunteering community.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30th
LOCATION: Online Session (link will be shared)
FACILITATOR: Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, TKRI.
TIME: 6:30pm - 8.30pm
COST: FREE for registered participants aged 16yrs - 25yrs
EQUIPMENT: Note book, pen/pencil and fish ID books.
Rangatahi Marine Program (Online Session)
Are you aged 16 to 25 and have a strong connection to your local environment? We’re looking for keen rangatahi to contribute to marine conservation and become citizen science superstars!
As part of the Marine Mahi for Rangatahi Monitoring Program, you will become one of a core group of young people learning skills to understand and care for your local environment. You will play a key role in monitoring the success of kelp restoration and gain the skills to have a continued, meaningful impact on the health of local ecosystems.
Key Dates:
- 30th October - online theory session
- 2nd November - monitoring training day
- 16th November - monitoring survey day
- 22nd November - Backup date
(More monitoring days in 2026)
Prior snorkelling/freediving experience and strong swimming ability is required. However, no previous monitoring or scientific experience are needed. All equipment, instructors and gear will be provided.
OCTOBER, VARIOUS DAYS 1st - 31st
Kelp Restoration Site Monitoring
LOCATION: Te Kohuroa Matheson Bay
FACILITATOR: TKRI, Experiencing Marine Reserves, University of Auckland, Auckland Scuba.
TIME: Ongoing
EVENT TYPE: Closed Event
During October teams of citizen scientists and a separate trained marine surveying team will be undertaking a site wide monitoring and surveying process of the Kelp Restoration site.
The monitoring will mostly be carried out through quadrat surveys and will focus on capturing datasets that record the current wellbeing of the rocky reef, prior to our kina harvesting season. Information about kelp and seaweed coverage within the restoration site (new and old growth) plus kina density (to indicate kina population numbers) will be used to assess the changes on the reef since last season’s kina removal program and to build a basline for the next year of monitoring results. If you’d like to know more or how to participate in future, contact us here.
NOVEMBER
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2nd
Marine Mahi for Rangatahi (Skills Training)
LOCATION: Te Kohuroa Matheson Bay Reserve
FACILITATOR: Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, TKRI.
TIME: 9:30am - 4:00pm
COST: FREE for registered participants aged 16yrs - 25yrs.
EQUIPMENT: Snorkelling and surveying equipment will be provided, bring your swim gear, water and plenty of food.
Following on from the online training event, the Marine Mahi for Rangatahi Monitoring team will be taking their skills to the beach and putting their knowledge of reef and fish species to to the test. This core group of young people will spend the day developing snorkelling and surveying skills so they can play a key role in monitoring the success of kelp restoration program and have a meaningful impact on the health of local ecosystems.
Key Dates:
- 2nd November - monitoring training day
- 16th November - monitoring survey day
- 22nd November - Backup date
(More monitoring days in 2026)
Prior snorkelling/freediving experience and strong swimming ability is required. However, no previous monitoring or scientific experience are needed and all equipment, instructors, and required gear will be provided.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8th
Looking after Kauri and Bats Workshop
LOCATION: Leigh Community Hall.
FACILITATOR: Living Tree (Fredrik Hjelm), TKRI.
TIME: 10:00am - 1:00pm
COST: FREE (registration is essential)
EQUIPMENT: Bring your walking shoes if you wish to join the onsite walk after the information session.
Join Te Kohuroa Rewilding and kauri and bat expert Fredrik Hjelm, along with his bat detection dog Hawke, for a workshop about kauri forests and the species that depend on them. The workshop will take place in two parts.
Educational Talk: Info Session (10:00am - 11:15am)
Learn about the lives of bats, their native habitat and the results of recent monitoring in local catchments.
Understand about ancient kauri, what makes them special, threats to their survival and the importance of good and safe practice when moving in and around their habitat.
Q+A Session with bat and kauri expert, Fredrik Hjelm.
Morning Tea: (11:15am - 11:45am)
Educational Talk: Onsite Training Session (12:00noon - 1:00pm)
Fredrik will take participants for a guided walk through the Kohuroa kauri track where participants will be shown practical skills for working in and around kauri and bat habitat, with a particular focus on preventing the spread of Kauri Dieback.
The day will end with a bat detection demonstration by Hawke - Aoteaora’s only bat detection dog.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16th
Marine Mahi for Rangatahi (Monitoring 1)
LOCATION: Te Kohuroa Matheson Bay Reserve
FACILITATOR: Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, TKRI.
TIME: 9:30am - 4:00pm
COST: FREE for registered participants aged 16yrs - 25 yrs
EQUIPMENT: Provided through the programme.
In their first monitoring event, participants from the Mahi for Rangatahi program will be applying their new surveying skills at the Te Kohuroa Matheson bay Kelp Restoration Site to carry out pre-removal surveys (prior to kina harvesting) to map kelp coverage and kina density.
Once they have completed their density surveys, the group will then carry out timed fish counts to assess the abundance and diversity of fish species through the Restoration Site. This dataset will be collated by the group to help amplify rangatahi impact and skill-building within the project.
Register your interest for this program through the button below.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22nd
LOCATION: Te Kohuroa Matheson Bay Reserve
FACILITATOR: TKRI, Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust.
TIME: 9:30am - 3:00pm
COST: FREE (Registration is essential)
EQUIPMENT: Free snorkel gear will be provided. Please bring a catch-bag if you have one.
Kelp Restoration Event
Join Te Kohuroa Rewilding and the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust 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 then an overview of the kelp restoration site and harvesting protocols.
Once participants have had a chance to ask questions, MTSCT Experiencing Marine Reserves team will take participants through a safety briefing and skill run down 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.
More details and sign ups coming soon!!
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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