Report shows outsized impact as Iwi-led conservation project turns charitable trust

The iwi-led conservation project, Raukūmara Pae Maunga, has released its Pūrongo Whakaora / Restoration Report 2020 - 2025, which shares five years of significant impact, lessons learnt, and the journey to restore the Raukūmara: the last remaining, large native forest (250,000 ha) from ‘mountain to sea’ in Aotearoa New Zealand’s North Island.

The report details how invasive species such as deer, goat, possums and rats have devastated the forest; silencing birdlife, destabilising the land, and causing deep distress to tangata whenua (people of the land), for whom the forest is a living tupuna (ancestor) and source of mauri (lifeforce). In response to the crisis, Raukūmara Pae Maunga developed a robust programme to protect 130,000 hectares of native forest, through large-scale operations, innovative practices, mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), research, and deep community engagement. 

The report sets out the programme’s unparalleled results during 2020 - 2025, including: 

• Removal of 10,300+ feral deer and 2,000+ feral goats across 110,000 hectares, making it the largest indigenous-led deer management operation in Aotearoa.

• Pioneering innovation through the use of thermal imaging and DNA-based surveys to accurately assess deer density and improve precision management.

• 99% reduction in possum and rat populations with no 1080 detected in water. The treatment of 117,215 hectares of forest, including 40,000 hectares of private Māori land makes this the largest and most complex aerial 1080 operation in the North Island.

• Establishment of three Intensively Managed Sites across 2,909 hectares and six backcountry monitoring sites as ‘living laboratories’ to track ecosystem recovery. Also laid 49kms of trapping lines, with 1,065 traps deployed and 2,050 pests removed.

• 1,000+ rangatahi (young people) engaged and 15,000* native trees planted through community-led initiatives, plus 13 schools participating in the Trapping in Schools programme, 5 roadshows and 180 community engagements held.

• Created over 30 jobs (held by uri/descendants of Ngati Porou and/or Te Whānau-a-Apanui) and invested in skills training to build capability, as well as 44 local contractors engaged to provide support services, and two field offices established in Te Kaha and Ruatoria.

  
  

Raukūmara Pae Maunga Trustee, Rei Kohere says that as well as capturing the programme’s outsized impact, the report acknowledges everyone who has contributed to and supported the kaupapa (purpose) of protecting and restoring the Raukūmara. 

“In five years, Raukūmara Pae Maunga has transformed decades of ecological neglect into an ambitious programme with a bold vision. This has only been possible due to the hearts, heads and hands of many. And the results are all around us. We are seeing greater tree canopy health, birdsong return, economic opportunities emerge, and the revitalisation of cultural connections. This report highlights that environmental restoration is not only a conservation goal, but a way to achieve positive social and cultural outcomes, particularly when that pathway is determined by tangata whenua.”

Established in 2020 as a partnership between Ngāti Porou, Te-Whānau-ā-Apanui and the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai, Raukūmara Pae Maunga received $34.4 million in government funding (Jobs for Nature), and the programme began in 2021.

Raukūmara Pae Maunga Chair, Michelle Hippolite says the report celebrates the strength of indigenous-led projects and believes the Raukūmara is a tohu (symbol) for communities around the world trying to reverse the ecological decline of their forest or precious ecosystem.

“This report tells a story of the ecological, social and cultural impact that the Raukūmara Pae Maunga project has achieved through indigenous leadership, intelligence and courage. From protecting taonga species and forest habitat, to building workforce pathways, leading research, youth development, and investing in infrastructure across isolated communities, Raukūmara Pae Maunga is healing ecosystems from mountain to sea.” 

The restoration report follows the launch of a new-look website showcasing the uniqueness of the Raukūmara, and the recent registration of Raukūmara Pae Maunga as a charitable trust, which Ms Hippolite says marks an exciting stage of the journey.

“The ngahere is responding, our people are trained, we have momentum: the Raukūmara is forgotten no more. Transitioning from a multi-year project to an enduring charitable entity will help us to fulfil our purpose of breathing life into this very special forest.”

Ms Hippolite adds that the Board will shortly begin recruitment for a Chief Executive Officer, and that with charitable status, Raukūmara Pae Maunga is now well-positioned to plan for and secure sustainable funding, including the ability to receive philanthropic support and tax-deductible donations. 

“Reflecting on the mahi and progress to date has only made us more resolute in our mission to restore the mauri of the Raukūmara. This means securing long-term funding partnerships, pursuing commercial growth opportunities, expanding our restoration reach, and growing a skilled ecological workforce with clear pathways for rangatahi leadership. 

“If this kaupapa speaks to you and you would like to support, we welcome the kōrero. He waka eke noa!”

The full report can be viewed on the new Raukūmara Pae Maunga website.

For a printed copy or queries, contact: connect@raukumara.org.nz 

Notes to Editor

For any media queries including photos or video, please email connect@raukumara.org.nz or phone 0275805771

Figures referenced are five years to June 2025

*15,000 trees planted as at 30 June 2025 with thousands more planted in the second half of 2025.

About Raukūmara Pae Maunga: 

Established in 2020, the project is a partnership between Ngāti Porou, Te-Whānau-ā-Apanui and the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai delivering large-scale pest control, forest regeneration, community engagement, and species protection.

Te Raukūmara holds cultural, historical, and spiritual significance for both Ngāti Porou and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui. Te Raukūmara is the only large forest in the North Island that stretches uninterrupted from the mountains to the sea (Ki uta ki tai). The health of its rivers and land reflects the mauri of the ngahere – now in a critical state of decline after decades of cumulative pest damage.

Restoring Te Raukūmara is not only about protecting biodiversity, but also about upholding the mana and legacy of those who whakapapa to her.  The Raukūmara Pae Maunga kaupapa was born when iwi raised alarm at the rapid decline of the mana and mauri of the ngahere.

Following a unified call to action, the project received Jobs for Nature funding in 2020 to undertake large-scale pest control operations. The establishment of Raukūmara Pae Maunga led to the creation of 37 jobs for ngā uri of Te Raukūmara in the conservation space – with 28 currently employed today. In October 2025, Minister of Conservation, Hon Tama Potaka announced $6m Government funding for the next three years. This represents approximately a third of the annual investment required for Raukūmara Pae Maunga to continue operating at scale for this period.

Raukūmara Pae Maunga became a charitable trust in December 2025. 

Charity registration #CC63873

ENDS.