After volunteering with Te Kohuroa Rewilding, Masters student, Tegan Baker decided to direct her research into supporting local restoration projects by measuring the cost of voluntary ocean rewilding.

Lennon Kingston is a Duke of Edinburgh's Hillary Award programme candidate and has lived near the sea his whole life. He has been taking part to conservation activities since he was young so when he heard about the challenges his local sea forests were facing, he decided to find a way to help.

The inaugural Community Restoration Day at Te Kohuroa highlighted the transformative power of collective action in environmental restoration. Through shared kai, cultural exchange, and collaborative environmental efforts, this event helped community to restore Te Kohuroa’s marine ecosystem and strengthen ties in meaningful and lasting ways.