Kia ora,

I’m pleased to share with you Russell Landcare Trust’s 10-year strategic direction for 2025–2035.

This strategic roadmap, a collective call to action, will help us all restore the mauri of our peninsula. Everyone who calls Russell home can be part of its ecological restoration. Whether you’re checking traps in the bush, removing pest plants, tending native seedlings, crunching monitoring data, or sharing biodiversity knowledge through workshops.

Our vision is simple: kōkako calling through mature and regenerating native forests, dunes alive with native plants and animals, wetlands that provide habitat for the threatened bittern and at-risk pāteke. Through our strategic plan, we aim to eradicate invasive predators and control other pests, nurture native habitats, and respect tangata whenua perspectives.

We are committed to science, safety, and community. But just as importantly, we are committed to each other. Collaborating with, being transparent, and caring for the people and this place will help us achieve our goals.

Ngā mihi nui for your aroha, energy, and support. Together, we will help the Russell Peninsula grow towards a better future.

A more detailed habitat restoration strategy is on its way.

— Vicky Froude, Chairperson, Russell Landcare Trust