About > Our work

Ō mātou mahi
Our work

Toutouwai | North Island robin. Photo by Shaun Lee. stet.co.nz

Established in 2002, the Bream Head Te Whara Conservation Trust (BHCT) is an operational partnership involving the community, the Department of Conservation, iwi and hapū, and supported by Foundation North and the Whangārei District Council.

Our work

Through hands-on conservation, community collaboration, and long-term environmental restoration, BHCT is helping protect and restore one of Northland's most significant natural landscapes.

Our work includes:

  • Protecting native wildlife through extensive predator trapping and monitoring programmes across Te Whara and the surrounding landscape

  • Safeguarding taonga species such as the grey-faced petrel/ōi through targeted predator control and nest-site protection

  • Carrying out pest plant control to restore and protect native ecosystems

  • Leading native revegetation projects, including operating a community-based native plant nursery

  • Employing and supporting full-time and part-time conservation rangers working on the ground every day

  • Engaging and coordinating a growing network of community volunteers

  • Collaborating with iwi and hapū, local landowners, schools, community groups, and conservation organisations

  • Delivering environmental education programmes that inspire future generations of conservationists

  • Supporting wider regional conservation initiatives such as Predator Free Whangārei

  • Monitoring ecosystem health and biodiversity outcomes to guide conservation efforts

  • Restoring and protecting the unique forests, coastal habitats, and wildlife of Te Whara

Our impact

At Bream Head Te Whara Conservation Trust, every trap checked, every pest plant removed, every tree planted, and every volunteer hour contributes to a thriving future for Te Whara.

Over more than two decades, our community-led approach has demonstrated what is possible when local people, iwi and hapū, conservation partners, funders, and volunteers work together towards a shared goal. From protecting threatened wildlife to restoring native habitats and connecting people with nature, our impact continues to grow year after year.

Examples of our impact

Grey-faced petrel/Ōi protection

Intensified predator control around grey-faced petrel/ōi nesting areas has resulted in significantly improved chick fledging success, helping secure the future of this remarkable seabird.

Strengthened predator control networks

Through the installation and ongoing maintenance of a strategic trapline along Ocean Beach Road, predators are intercepted before they can enter key conservation areas within the Reserve.

Native plant nursery and revegetation

We established a community-based nursery to propagate eco-sourced native plants, supporting the restoration and revegetation of agreed areas throughout Te Whara.

Return of the toutouwai

The reintroduction and ongoing protection of the toutouwai (North Island robin) is helping restore native birdlife to the landscape and reconnect people with species once absent from the area.

Healthier native forests

Long-term pest plant control programmes are reducing invasive species and allowing native ecosystems to regenerate and thrive.

Conservation education

Our environmental education programme reaches more than 250 students each year, helping foster a lifelong connection with nature and inspiring the next generation of kaitiaki.

Community conservation in action

Through successful fundraising and community support, BHCT employs dedicated conservation rangers who work alongside dozens of volunteers to deliver practical, on-the-ground conservation every day.

Together, these efforts are creating healthier ecosystems, stronger communities, and a brighter future for Te Whara.