Established in 2002, the Bream Head Conservation Trust is in an operational partnership between iwi, the community, the Department of Conservation, Whangarei District Council, NZ Refining and Foundation North.
Our vision is to restore Bream Head as a place in which natural ecology is restored, with healthy forest and abundant bird song and where visitors can experience nature at its best.
The Trust aims to:
The Bream Head Scenic Reserve, situated at the entrance to Whangarei Harbour, is classified as an outstanding ecosystem supporting a diversity of species. The Reserve contains unique archaeological, historical and landscape features and represents the largest and highest quality area of coastal pohutukawa-broadleaf forest remaining in Northland, and one of the best in the country.
The plants in the Reserve have suffered from competition by weeds and grazing by cattle, goats and possums. Meanwhile the native animal populations have come under attack from predators like cats, dogs, stoats, rats and mice. The Trust wants to restore and maintain the Reserve as it existed in pre-European times so people can enjoy its richness and diversity once again.
The Trust’s key focus is ecological restoration of the Reserve within a five-year time frame. Its Ecological Restoration Plan provides an overview of what can realistically be achieved in the five years between 2017 and 2022, including the possibility of reintroducing further lost species. The plan covers:
The plan has been jointly developed with the local community and key agencies to guide work at Bream Head for the next five years. Its preparation reflects the need for a more focused and action-oriented approach to the Trust’s restoration efforts, and for this approach to have support from the local community and be compatible with other restoration efforts being undertaken in the wider Whangarei Heads area.
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