Trust springs into action

4 Dec 2025 • By Mercy Chepkoech

Predator Free storage shed

A newly formed trust has launched its first restoration project in Cambridge

Aroha Cambridge Charitable Trust is working with Waipā District Council to clear invasive weeds from the public path area connecting Resthaven retirement village to the Te Awa River Trail.

Access to Te Puna Marama is from Te Awa Walkway and marked by the first sign – unveiled by former Resthaven Trust chair Sarah Barns-Graham and chief executive David Hall – which describes the area as He Kura Huna (a hidden gem).

Native planting for the Moon Spring Extension project will begin in autumn and plans are underway for more restoration initiatives around Cambridge.

The Trust was set up in July to focus on pest plant control, native replanting and water quality restoration. The urban-focused land care group says it is building on the success of Predator Free Cambridge. It has also aligned with the Aroha Kaikorai Valley (AKV) trust in Dunedin.

Predator Free Cambridge removed over 8000 possums, rats, mice and mustelids from the town. The new trust was established due to the need to have a formal entity for funding applications.

Krissy Barnes, biodiversity team leader at GoEco, the Waikato Environment Centre in Hamilton, said hubs will provide education, network opportunities, and facilitate conversations to enable place-based leadership within the rural and Māori communities.

“We connect people to projects, opportunities, and learning experiences across the central Waikato, underpinned by a strong commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” Barnes said.

Aroha Cambridge Trust co-chair Di Tocker said it was time to take more of a big-picture view, “enhancing the native flora and fauna in and around our town”.

“The removal of over 8000 pests has started to make a difference in bird numbers, but a core group of us felt there was more that could be done. We also want to get our community involved. Not everyone wants to handle dead animals, but many people love planting and maintaining new areas of native bush.”