A Kapiti Coast ecosystem with dunes, wetlands & forest native plants
Kouka (Cabbage trees) thriving at the Marines Wetland
Restored Marines Wetland
The midway point on the Te Ara o Whareroa Cycleway
The park's wonderful new visitor centre 'Ramaroa'
WELCOME TO THE FRIENDS OF QE REGIONAL PARK KAPITI TRUST
Our vision: Queen Elizabeth Park as a sand-country landscape
with natural, historic and cultural features that all can enjoy.
COMING EVENTS
* OUR AGM MONDAY NOVEMBER 25 7PM at RAMAROA
Our AGM this year will focus on "Wainuiwhenua" a community-based project to determine what happens to the NZTA land between Transmission Gully, Paekakariki and Queen Elizabeth Park. A talented group of people, chaired by Jenny Rowan, have been working on an inclusive solution. The outcomes could be a wetland that stops flooding of the northern end of Paekakariki, an eco-corridor from QE Park to Mt Wainui, a windfarm high on the hillside, a more stable water supply for Paekakariki, revegetation of the Wainui Stream and the former Perkins land, some additional housing and significant recreational opportunities. Ramaroa is the new visitor centre at the Mackays Crossing entrance.
* RESTORATION GROUP
EVERY WEDS MORNING| 9AM
The volunteer Restoration Group meets at the park nursery on the right just past the Kapiti Stables inside the Mackays Crossing entrance. Supported fully by GWRC, volunteers raise seedlings and help plant out key areas that have been retired from farming.
Please contact Friends deputy chair Peter Brooking at qepfriends@gmail.com for more information.
We are a voluntary trust made up of members of the Kapiti Coast community. We recognise the 638ha park as an irreplaceable public recreation reserve and honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, together with links to those with mana whenua and kaitiakitanga.
We aim to collaborate with the owner (Department of Conservation) and manager (Greater Wellington Regional Council) to guard its resources; we cherish the ecosystem services provided by the dune, wetland and forest native plants and animals, by restoring, conserving and, where possible, enlarging them. We:
• reduce weeds and pests
• encourage research
• protect historic features
• encourage low-impact recreation
• and promote peace in the park.
A key issue for the Friends has become facilitating the restoration of the extensive wetland system (see Projects for a link to our Raumati wetland petition), as much of the park is drained to support farming by a private licence-holder. The Wellington region now has only around 3 percent of its wetlands remaining and the park's peat wetlands, if re-wetted, have significant potential as a carbon sink.
Trustees meet on the third Monday evening each month and welcome new Friends. Our public AGM is held in the park's wonderful new visitor centre 'Ramaroa' in October.
Check our Facebook page
for updates.
© Friends of QE Regional Park Kapiti Trust 2018