Pou Taiao

                                                            Central Waikato Predator Free Hub

The Central Waikato Predator Free Hub  is a community-led network supporting predator control across rural and urban areas.  The Hub brings together volunteers, community groups, schools, hapuu, marae and conservation projects to work collectively toward a predator-free future. 

 

Go Eco supports this work by providing advice, traps, training, coordination and on-the-ground support.  Each community designs an approach that works for their place, while the Hub helps connect people, share learning and grow impact across the region. 

 

The Hub is grounded in relationships and local knowledge, recognising that change happens when communities are supported to lead. 

 

Why it matters

 

Introduced predators such as rats, stoats, and possums are one of the biggest threats to Waikato’s native wildlife, including kereruu, tuuii, wetland birds and pekapeka. They prey on eggs, chicks and adults, and browse native plants, stripping life from places that should be full of birdsong. 

 

Predator control delivers immediate results.  Birds return, native plants regenerate and ecosystems recover.  This work also strengthens climate resilience — healthy, biodiverse ecosystems store more carbon, regulate water, and support resilient food and cultural systems.

 

What you can do

 

• Set up a predator trap at home or at your workplace

• Attend a trapping or native wildlife workshop

• Join or volunteer with a local trapping or restoration group

• Start a trapping programme with your school, marae, or neighbourhood

• Share your trap data on Trap.NZ to track regional impact

 

Together, we can restore life and sound to our environment — one backyard, one trap, and one community at a time.

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Wetland and Stream Biodiversity

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Wetlands are some of the most important ecosystems in the Waikato, yet they are also some of the most threatened.  Healthy waterways and streams are the lifeblood of wetlands - they connect ecosystems, support native species, and sustain cultural and ecological wellbeing. Our Wetland and Stream Biodiversity kaupapa works alongside community groups, marae, hapuu, schools, and kura to protect and restore these special places. 

 

Through hands‑on workshops, wānanga, and practical training, we build local knowledge and skills using both mātauranga Māori and science. This kaupapa connects restoration, education, monitoring, and hapū‑led ecological knowledge to support long‑term care of wetlands and waterways.

 

Wetlands hold deep cultural, ecological, and climate significance. Our work is guided by mana whenua and grounded in mātauranga Māori, recognising wetlands and waterways as living taonga with their own whakapapa.

 

Why it matters

 

The Waikato contains the largest remaining wetland areas in Aotearoa, yet many are degraded or under pressure. Healthy wetlands and streams:

• Filter and clean water

• Reduce flooding by holding water in the landscape

• Store large amounts of carbon

• Support biodiversity, soils, and mahinga kai

More than 90 percent of Aotearoa’s original wetlands have been lost, and many of those that remain are struggling. Pollution, drainage, pest plants and animals, and climate impacts continue to damage places that once teemed with life.

 

Restoring wetlands is one of the most effective ways we can protect biodiversity and strengthen climate resilience. It is also a commitment to Te Tiriti, honouring mana whenua relationships with these landscapes.

 

What you can do

 

• Join a local wetland restoration or care group

• Take part in planting, pest control, or monitoring days

• Attend workshops on wetland ecology and restoration

• Support predator control around wetlands and streams

• Learn the history of local wetlands and support hapū‑led aspirations

 

Together, we can rebuild the life and strength of our wetlands, protect native species, and ensure these landscapes remain thriving taonga for generations to come.

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Pekapeka-tou-roa

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Pekapeka tou-roa, Aotearoa’s long-tailed bat, is one of our most precious yet threatened native species. These small, fast, night-flying mammals are still found across parts of the Waikato, particularly along forest edges, river corridors, and remnant ngahere.  

 

Our Pekapeka tou-roa kaupapa supports communities, hapuu, and environmental groups to protect the spaces these taonga need to survive.  We work with community groups, landowners, schools, and hapuu to grow awareness of where pekapeka live and what they need.  The kaupapa includes education, acoustic monitoring, habitat protection, predator control, and support for local projects. It is guided by maatauranga Maaori and local knowledge about the species and the ngahere they depend on.

 

Pekapeka are more than wildlife. They are part of our whakapapa, part of the story of this place, and deserve the same care and attention as our better-known forest birds.

 

Why it matters

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Pekapeka tou‑roa are nationally critical and face an immediate risk of extinction. Threats include habitat loss, predators, light pollution, disturbance of roost trees, and climate impacts.

Protecting pekapeka supports wider ecosystem health. Their presence signals functioning forests that store carbon, protect soils, and support biodiversity. Caring for pekapeka also strengthens cultural relationships with te taiao.

 

What you can do

 

• Join a local bat monitoring group

• Protect old trees and potential roost sites

• Reduce outdoor lighting at night

• Support predator control near forests and waterways

• Plant native species that strengthen forest edges

 

Together, we can make the Waikato a place where pekapeka tou-roa are not just surviving, but thriving - darting through dusk skies, feeding on insects, and reminding us that the health of our ecosystems is in our hands.