Volunteers have planted hundreds of thousands of native trees along the Waikato River Trails Great Ride to help increase biodiversity.

Community gets behind Waikato River Trails 

Volunteers from local villages, schools, businesses and iwi have rallied together to help plant more than 170,000 native trees along the Waikato River Trails over the past 12 years.

As one of the Ngā Haeranga Great Rides of New Zealand, the trail follows a stretch of New Zealand’s longest river and takes riders through exotic and native forest, wetlands and pretty recreation reserves.

Since the Waikato River Trails Trust started calling on volunteers to help plant natives along the trail in 2011, trail manager Glyn Wooller says biodiversity has increased markedly.

“Planting captures nutrients from adjacent land, improves biodiversity and transforms some areas from weed infested to native forest,” he says.

This year alone hundreds of volunteers have helped to plant 8000 natives next to the trail near the small village of Atiamuri.

“Being a Great Ride we take pride in a beautiful trail showcasing New Zealand’s longest river,” says Glyn.

The trail has also become an enabler for the trust to help protect the river by enhancing the river margins. 

“Without the access provided by the trail none of this would happen,” says Glyn.

The drive to increase biodiversity alongside the trail began when the trust was first formed in 2006. 

Some trustees were avid conservationists and identified that access provided by Waikato River Trails would be instrumental in riparian management along the river. 

Their aspiration has built momentum over the years. Today, with funds from the Waikato River Authority and Waikato Catchment Ecological Enhancement Trust, 22 different species are planted by the community each year.

The trails trust is also managing the restoration of the Huihuitaha Wetland at Lake Karapiro.

“We plan to continue this work along the river as kaitiaki of land adjacent to the Waikato River Trails,” says Glyn.

“As part of managing the trail along the Waikato River we have a commitment to improving the environment. 

“The changes to the environment since planting began 12 years ago are transformational. Growing a native forest from scratch with the community and for the community is very special.”

• See the best of New Zealand by bike.  Get off the beaten track and ride the Waikato River Trails.