They nourish wildlife, improve water quality, provide flood protection and reduce the risk of pollution and, while doing all of the above and more, they are a lush part of the landscape where flora and fauna thrive. They are wetlands and are the focus of the Wetland Explore experience, a new two-day eco-tourism project which was granted $5,000 in funding from the Council’s Economic Development Fund this year.
“We want to create an experience that benefits both visitors and the community. We want to bring together tourism, conservation, education and culture in a way that reflects the character of South Wairarapa,” says Dr Jane Riddiford, co-founder of the Ruamāhanga Farm Foundation and one of the people behind the new South Wairarapa Wetland Explore project.
Above: Remnant bush along the Ruamāhanga River walk.
The aim is to introduce visitors and locals alike to some of South Wairarapa’s significant wetlands, waterways, forests and conservation projects. Those who participate in this pilot programme will gain first-hand insights into environmental restoration work while learning about local history, mātauranga Māori, regenerative farming and people working behind the scenes to protect the district’s landscapes.
The project is a collaboration between Ruamāhanga Farm Foundation, Green Jersey Explorer Tours, Hau Ariki Marae and the Aorangi Restoration Trust, with involvement from schools and other conservation groups
Jane says visitors will begin with a pōwhiri at Hau Ariki Marae in Martinborough before exploring the stories, landscapes and people helping to restore South Wairarapa’s natural environment.
One of the key components of the experience is the conservation work taking place around the Wairarapa Moana and along the Ruamāhanga River on properties in the Waihinga Catchment Group. This work is underway already and it dovetails naturally into the goals for the Wetland Explore experience.
The Council’s inaugural Economic Development Fund gave funding to a range of projects across the community this year, along with $5000 of seed funding towards this new project.
The Wetland Explore Project was devised in close collaboration with community groups, strengthening partnerships and economic development at the same time. Those groups include Hau Ariki Marae, whose former trustee, David McCartney, said the new tourism initiative aligns closely with the marae’s strategic direction, particularly its commitment to manaakitanga and mātauranga Māori.
Another group involved is Green Jersey Explorer Tours, whose director Joe Howells supports the initiative, saying it highlights the growing potential for nature-based tourism experiences that celebrate South Wairarapa. The Aorangi Restoration Trust has also voiced its support for the project, which offers another channel through which it can increase public understanding of environmental restoration work.
The project shows what can happen when organisations with different areas of expertise come together around a shared vision. Conservation groups, educators, tourism operators, marae, schools and volunteers are each contributing, creating a richer experience collaboratively than one organisation could achieve alone.
The vision is to offer people meaningful environmental experiences, giving a firsthand insight into conservation by showing them places right on their own doorstep.
One of the programme’s most distinctive features is the creative outputs of Te Reo o te Wai, an environmental education project developed with local tamariki and rangatahi. When walking along the Ruamāhanga River, visitors can listen to recordings sharing young people’s reflections on waterways, ecology and kaitiakitanga.
An aspiration that underpins the project is to raise the health and profile of both the river and wetlands, which play an important role by removing sediments, nutrients and contaminants from water while providing a habitat for native species and helping to moderate flood flows. Although they were once common throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, many wetlands have been lost. Those that remain are important ecological treasures that support biodiversity.
The long-term aim is for Wetland Explore is to become self-sustaining through visitor ticket sales, creating an enduring model that supports education, tourism and environmental stewardship. Any profits generated through future tours would contribute to support for ongoing conservation efforts while bringing visitors into local communities.
“This innovative environmental project demonstrates how conservation can contribute to the local economy by opening a diverse and wide range of tourism channels to our district. It’s great to see the Ruamāhanga Farm Foundation at the epicentre of pulling together funding that supports both tourism and conservation outcomes,” says Council Advisor for Grants & Funding, Lina McManus.
Wetlands play a vital role in the environment but they are all too often overlooked and forgotten. The founders of this project would like to change that.
How to book a place on Wetland Explore
To book onto the first pilot programme of Wetland Explore on Saturday 21 November and Sunday 22 November, visit www.wetlandexplore.org.nz
The organisers are offering complimentary and discounted places in return for feedback and participation in a post-experience focus group.
A second pilot will be run in conjunction with Ruamāhanga Farm Foundation’s annual sunflower festival in February 2027.