Welcome to Te Manahuna Aoraki

Te Manahuna Aoraki is a nationally significant conservation project focused on restoring the iconic natural landscapes and threatened species of the upper Mackenzie Basin and Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.

Launched in November 2018, the project aims to enhance biodiversity across 310,000 hectares of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s most stunning landscapes, including braided river systems and alpine habitats.

The area is home to endangered species like kea, tuke/rock wren and scree weta in the alpine zone and ngutuparore/wrybill, robust grasshopper, and the world’s rarest wading bird kakī/black stilt, in our braided rivers.

The Te Manahuna Aoraki project includes both private and public land – iwi, high country run holders, government departments, philanthropists, councils and the community are all working together towards a shared vision to care for this special environment.

He tōiri tō hau
Ka wiri ka aho
He tuauri tēnei kākahu
He paoro te hau kai takata
Oha te ora i tēnei whenua.

Your breath tingles
The strands quiver
This cloak is ancient
The echo of the north-west wind
Awakens life in this land.

OUR WORK

Invading weeds and introduced predators will irretrievably change this iconic landscape in a relatively short time frame.

Launched in November 2018 Te Manahuna Aoraki is currently in a feasibility stage. A number of projects are underway to target invasive weeds and predators, to preserve distinctive landscapes and secure a safe habitat for threatened species. These projects will provide critical learning for the future, and demonstrate how all the parties can work together to ultimately secure a 310,000 ha mainland island as part of a 20-year project.

Collaboration is key to success. By working together we can better protect the land and the special species that live in it.

We’re developing our website but in the meantime you can follow us on Facebook