Working together for
landscape-scale conservation
Aka Aka
Te Ara Hīkoi supports community-led conservation across Franklin from the sheltered beaches of the east to the wild, untamed west coast.
Our rohe stretches across bustling towns, rolling farmland, and forested ranges, connecting people and nature throughout Franklin’s diverse landscape.
Through holistic and innovative approaches — from predator control and pest plant management to long-term ecological regeneration — we empower communities to care for their environment, restore native biodiversity, and develop the skills and tools needed to make a lasting difference.
We work alongside communities at every step, providing practical support, training, and guidance so that small local actions grow into landscape-wide impact.
Our approach
We believe successful conservation is about more than protecting nature—it's about empowering communities, sharing knowledge and working together for lasting impact. Our values underpin everything we do.
Community-led
We uplift grassroots groups and connect their local efforts into a bigger regional picture, so every small action contributes to Franklin-wide impact.
Culturally grounded
We work in partnership with mana whenua, honouring the whakapapa, stories, and cultural values embedded in this land.
Practical support
From providing traps to running workshops, we make conservation accessible to everyone.
Science-informed
Our strategies are based on proven predator-control and ecological restoration methods, adapted to suit local conditions.
Collaboration at Scale
By linking people, projects, and places, small initiatives result in landscape-changing outcomes
Our impact
Through coordinated action, Te Ara Hīkoi helps communities protect and restore Franklin’s natural environment.
Our work includes:
Predator control and monitoring across backyards, farms, and reserves
Weed management and habitat restoration
Partnerships with schools, landowners, and mana whenua
Community workshops, training days, and paid conservation opportunities
Regional data collection and reporting to guide long-term ecological planning
Together, these efforts create thriving ecosystems, returning wildlife, and resilient communities empowered to safeguard their environment.
Why this mahi matters
Franklin is home to unique coastlines, forests, wetlands, and farmland — habitats for plants and wildlife found nowhere else. Without coordinated care, many of these taonga are at risk.
But when communities work together, the picture changes. Healthy ecosystems return, birdlife thrives, habitats reconnect, and people share a true sense of guardianship over the land. Every local action contributes to a bigger, landscape-wide impact that benefits both nature and people.
Our key programmes
Predator Free Franklin
Predator Free Franklin is Te Ara Hīkoi's community predator control programme, bringing together local people & groups to protect our native wildlife and restore healthy ecosystems across southern Auckland and northern Waikato.
Pest plant
Working side by side with local communities, Te Ara Hīkoi supports the removal of invasive pest plants and helps bring back native habitats across southern Auckland and northern Waikato.
Long-term regeneration
Together with our communities, we're regenerating forests, wetlands, waterways and coastlines through practical action and long-term environmental care.
Rangitahi employment
Te Ara Hīkoi invests in the next generation of environmental leaders by providing meaningful employment, training and mentoring opportunities that equip rangatahi with practical conservation skills while making a lasting difference in their communities.
"Toitu te marae a Tāne, toitu te marae a Tangaroa, toitu te iwi"
"If the land is well and the sea is well, the people will thrive"
Te Ara Hīkoi empowers communities across Franklin to protect and restore nature through predator control, habitat restoration, pest plant management, and conservation education.
