McKavanagh.

Planting a Corridor, Restoring a Wetland.

Project Partner: Te Ara Kākāriki Greenway Canterbury Trust.

Delivered in partnership with Te Ara Kākāriki Greenway Canterbury Trust and supported by the Central Plains Water Environmental Management Fund (EMF), this multi‑year project began with a community planting day in September 2017, establishing 370 native plants along the adjoining water race. Flooding at the site required a change from the original wetland plan.

In 2021, further EMF support enabled the restoration and planting of an additional 472 plants at the adjacent wetland site, strengthening native biodiversity in an area known to support the threatened Canterbury mudfish (kōwaro). As the wetland re‑establishes, it helps slow and filter runoff, improve water quality, and increase site resilience through enhanced shading, supporting a healthier wetland system over time.