Native forests, wetlands and healthy estuaries buffer Tāmaki Makaurau from climate impacts. Trees increase canopy and reduce urban heat. River and wetland systems reduce flooding and trap sediment. And restored coastlines and saltmarshes help absorb wave energy and provide living shorelines.
Supporting restoration projects in your street, suburb or local wild places is a brilliant way to boost climate resilience.
There’s a huge range of taiao restoration work happening across our region. It spans forest, freshwater and coastal systems, as well as urban ecosystem restoration. It's a mix of iwi partnerships, council-led projects and thousands of community groups doing on-the-ground work.
It’s very likely there’ll be a project or projects very close to your doorstep. This section provides a glimpse into the huge range of work underway, and includes some tips on how to get involved.
The Tiaki Tāmaki Makaurau website is a great starting point for anyone keen to get involved in conservation projects, connecting people with information and hands-on opportunities to protect and restore Auckland’s natural environments.
Do some natural places resonate with you particularly strongly? Think about where you feel most alive and at ease – maybe in the ngāhere, on the coast or beside a river. It might help you choose where to get involved.
Rivers, streams and wetlands slow and filter water as it moves through the landscape, supporting life and reducing flood impacts. Riparian planting and wetland restoration strengthen these natural systems and keep waterways healthy through droughts and storms.
Auckland’s native forests and bush remnants are vital for biodiversity and climate resilience. Restoring and expanding these areas reconnects habitats, protects soils and waterways, and locks carbon into long-living trees.
Estuaries, dunes and coastal wetlands act as Auckland’s natural shields, absorbing wave energy and buffering storm surges. Restoring these habitats helps prevent erosion, capture carbon and sustain the region’s rich coastal ecosystems.
Explore these hands-on volunteer restoration projects happening right in your community.
Join a Friends of Parks group, planting day, beach clean, shellfish monitoring or pest-control session via council’s volunteer pages. Organise a volunteer day for your school or workplace.
Use the Tiaki Tāmaki Makaurau Conservation Directory to see what conservation activity is already happening in your area and connect with those groups first. These other resources might also be helpful.
Start by learning about the importance of eco-sourcing your native plants and seeds. There are 60+ native plant nurseries across the region supporting environmental restoration including marae and community-led nurseries.
Landowners can apply for matching funding and technical help to fence and revegetate waterways.
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