Who We Are
Since 2006, we have been working on re-establishing the habitats of threatened and at-risk native species so the birds and other wildlife that once made the area their home will return.
Our Mission
Our mission is to protect and enhance the native forests and wetlands in the Whangapoua area to provide a safe habitat for threatened and at-risk birds and wildlife.
Who is Mana Manu Trust?
The Mana Manu Trust was formed in 2006 by a group of landowners near Whangapoua on northeast coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. The trust members are the owners of 316 hectares of regenerating native coastal bush plus freshwater estuarine and wetland environments on the western shores of the Whangapoua Harbour. The land, subdivided from a farm in 2003, was identified as a priority area for indigenous biodiversity and ecosystem restoration by the Thames Coromandel District Council (TCDC) when subdivided. It was designated a conservation area giving it a number of protections.
The founders of the trust had a vision of returning the area to a place where the natural environment is flourishing, threatened and at-risk native species populations are expanding and tangata whenua and the wider community are fully engaged. ‘Mana Manu’ is roughly translated as the power of birds in te reo Māori. The name is intended to convey the status of native birds in our area and our desire to fill the air with birdsong.
All work on the conservation area is carried out by volunteers and funded by the landowners as well as through community grants.
Landowner and predator control guru John Guthrie
What We’ve Achieved
Enhanced the regeneration of native bush from farmland.
Protected the existing stands of old growth native bush including kauri, rimu, kāhikitea, tanekaha, miro, rata, and puriri.
Removed thousands of wilding pines.
Planted thousands of native trees and shrubs in the area.
Established predator control programmes and continually improved these to conform with best practice.
Amassed a dense collection of monitoring data over more than 15 years of operation including predator kills and wilding pine removal.
Seen and heard 36 species of native birds in the conservation area, many of which are threatened or at-risk.
Gathered anecdotal evidence of significantly improved bird numbers, especially over the past few years.
Established a working relationship with Ngati Huarere ki Whangapoua and the Whangapoua Community Association.
Secured major funding to help us achieve our goals and grow our work.
Working group members Jill Pierce, Penny Ridings, and Meg Graeme listen for birds
The Mana Manu Trust is one of many conservation projects in the area working towards a regional and national vision of predator free New Zealand.
Community Conservation Network
Our trust is a supporter of the Predator Free Hauraki Coromandel Community Trust programme bringing together nearly sixty conservation projects covering almost 30,000 hectares across the Hauraki Coromandel region. The region has exceptional biodiversity and has been recognised as one of New Zealand’s six biodiversity hotspots.
Map of conservation groups in the Hauraki Coromandel region
Similar conservation projects in the neighbouring communities include the Earnslaw One Whangapoua Forest conservation project, Rings Beach Wetland Project and Project Kiwi Kuaotunu to the east, Harataunga Kiwi Project, Habitat Tuateawa and Moehau Environment Group to the north, and Coromandel Kiwi project to the west andand Harataunga Kiwi Project to the southeast provide an opportunity to provide safe corridors for birds.
Map of Coromandel Kiwi Collective protection areas