For Schools & Local Community

Support for schools & Local Community.

There are plenty of ways to get involved in caring for the place we call home. We connect schools, community groups and local people with practical projects, local knowlede and opportunities to take action.

What we do with schools and local community

We're a locally led network across the 14 sub-catchments of Te Karamū. For schools and our local community, that means three things.

We connect you with projects happening in your local area, from planting and pest control to monitoring and learning about native species. We bring together people with different knowledge and skills, including landowners, mana whenua, ecologists and community groups. And we help find opportunities for people to get involved, whether that's through a school project, a community group or simply giving some time to a place you care about.

You don't need to be an expert or own land to get involved. There are plenty of ways to contribute, and we'll help you find something that fits.

Your place in Te Karamū

The Karamū is made up of farms, orchards, wetlands, waterways, towns and neighbourhoods, all connected through the catchment.

The places where we live, learn and spend time are part of that wider landscape. By getting involved locally, we can learn more about the natural world around us, care for the places we value and contribute to a healthier Te Karamū together.

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Support available to you

Join Our Free membership

  • Help finding and applying for funding

    We know which funds are open, what they'll cover and what a strong application looks like. We'll help you write it, and we'll tell you honestly if your project isn't a fit for a particular fund.

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  • Co-investment in the work

    On many projects we co-invest alongside funders and landowners, which lowers the share you carry. The Waipuna wetland, for example, was funded 50% by Hawke's Bay Regional Council and 50% by the Collective

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  • Technical and ecological advice

    Access to council ecologists and technical experts on planting lists, wetland design, fencing setbacks and what will actually survive on your site.

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  • Field days and farmer-led workshops

    On real properties, with the people who did the work. What it cost, what went wrong, what they'd do differently.

    Local businesses

  • Monitoring and data for your place

    Water quality results, eDNA, bird and trap records, so you can see whether what you're doing is working rather than hoping it is.

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  • Connection to your local group

    Every sub-catchment has its own group and priorities. Your neighbours may already be working on the same stream.

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Have a chat.

Tell us what you're thinking about, or what's been bugging you about a paddock for years. No commitment, no cost.

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How it works

We help you plan it.

We bring in the technical advice, work out a realistic scope and identify the funding that fits.

We help you do it.

Applications, contractors, planting days, volunteers and monitoring once it's in. You're not left holding it alone.

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Recent Projects

Recent work with landowners

Freshwater & Wetlands

Waipuna Wetland Restoration, Havelock North

Learn more
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Predator Free Te Karamū

Karamū Trapping Collective

Learn more
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Local Businesses

Irongate Collective

Learn more
View all recent projects
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Questions landowners ask us

  • Nothing. Membership is free, and it gives you access to resources, funding opportunities, workshops and field-based learning.

  • No. Plenty of members join to keep an eye on what's happening and come to the odd field day. You take part in what's useful to you.

  • It depends on the work. Our own funding comes through MPI, grants, sponsorship and project co-funding, and we also help members access regional and national funds for fencing, planting, wetlands and biodiversity. The best first step is a conversation about what you want to do.

  • That varies by project and fund. On some projects we co-invest directly. At Waipuna, for example, the work was funded 50% by Hawke's Bay Regional Council and 50% by the Collective, with in-kind labour from the community on top.

  • Yes. A catchment is the sum of a lot of small actions, and small sites are often where the quickest gains are. Lifestyle blocks, one wet corner and a single stream margin all count.

Get in Touch
Join Free membership

Working together with

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Official logo of the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, featuring a shield with traditional symbols and a crown, along with text in bold and regular fonts.
Hawkes Bay Regional Council logo with green leaf design and blue and green text.
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Join the Collective

Membership connects you to funding, workshops, field days and people doing the same work.

Become a member
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