Welcome to Friends of Tawa Bush Reserves
The Friends of Tawa Bush Reserves is a local environmental care group. We work to promote and enhance the conservation and long term preservation of bush reserves in Tawa.
We liaise with the Wellington City Council to achieve these aims.
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Have you experienced a walk-through of all the well preserved native bush reserves that Tawa has to offer?
We are so privileged to have these within our suburb!
Here’s why our native bush matters – in pictures
Ileodictyon cibarium – White Basket Fungus 
Conchomyces bursiformis 
Thread fern -Pānako 
Tawa trees 
“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” ― Aristotle 
Māhoe flowers 
Northern rātā flowers 
Ngahere gecko 2018 – photo credit: Helen Challands 
Leatherleaf fern – Pyrrosia eleagnifolia 
Ruru 
Hinau – Elaeocarpus dentatus 
Kahikatea – Dacrycarpus dacridioides 
Kohekohe in flower 
Tawa – Beilschmiedia tawa 
Ensuring that the indigenous bush reserves of Tawa remain an inspiration and joy for today’s citizens, and for future generations
Gil Roper 20/07/1943 – 26/02/2023
A very special Friends of Tawa Bush member, major contributor to this site, editor of many a newsletter, and provider of hugely informative guided walks. Gil is much missed by all, after his passing in February following a brief illness.
Gil’s obituary is available to read here
What We Provide
Guardianship
We undertake active guardianship on matters concerning the indigenous bush reserves of Tawa
Regular working bees
Members and school groups participate to improve the public access tracks, to undertake tree planting, weeding around planted trees, or pest plant removal
Education & Knowledge
We encourage interest, use, and research into the historical, cultural, scientific, ecological, botanical and recreational aspects of the bush areas of Tawa
Recent Highlights
Come join in
Our Upcoming Events
Bring along your gloves and lend a hand tending our native taonga
Sunday Working Bee
1:30 – 4:00pm
14th May 2023
Forest of Tawa
weeding (lower FOT)
58 Kiwi Crescent, Tawa
Tuesday Working Bee
1:30 – 4:00pm
23rd May 2023
Forest of Tawa
tree planting (upper FOT)
meet at Colonial Reserve carpark, Broken Hill Road, Porirua by 1.30pm for travel in convoy to Meridian Road
Willowbank Reserve Care Group
9.30 am – 12 Noon
1st & 3rd Thursday of each month
Willowbank Reserve
weeding
Meet at Willowbank Reserve carpark
12,516
residents in Tawa
>14,000
plants in the ground
11
reserves
41
pests caught (this year)
Did you know…
Massive Tawa live here
Tawa is reputed to have the biggest Tawa tree in the Wellington region. Do you know where this tree is in Redwood Bush? It’s trunk girth at chest height is 3.14m!
We saved huge Matai trees
Have you seen the huge matai trees in Larsen Crescent Reserve that were saved by local residents from being felled at the time of housing development?
We have mature Nikau
Nikau are the only endemic palm that grows in our NZ native bush and the southern-most palm in the world. The only Tawa reserve to contain mature nikau is Wilf Mexted Reserve.
Guided Walks
If you would like to take part in a guided walk through one of our gems of native reserves, please feel free to contact us
Books on Tawa Reserves (by Gil Roper)
(Click on the covers for more detail)
Reserves and Walks
“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than they seek.”
John Muir
Find us on Facebook
The Tawa Area – Then and Now
View over Tawa Flat with the Porirua-Johnsonville Motorway, Linden Primary School and the communities of Raroa Park, Linden, Tawa and Redwood, Wellington City. Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs. Ref: WA-47281-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/30633703 & Google Earth Image 2021
Thanks to Gil Roper for the research and content contributed to this site
More
Thanks to our supporters:
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Friends of Tawa Bush Reserves 