Greening Waipara

The Waipara Valley wine growing region was once covered in forest, dry woods and shrubland. The characteristic species were totara, matai, lacebark, kapuka, tarata/lemonwood, lancewood, ti kouka/cabbage tree, kanuka, kowhai, and tumatakuru/matagouri, mikimiki, korokio, NZ broom, and pohuehue. Māori and European habitation has progressively transformed the landscape, particularly with the development of farming, forestry and horticulture.

Thanks to the Greening Waipara initiative started in 2005, over 50 Waipara Valley property owners committed to bringing some of that native biodiversity back along shelterbelts, entranceways, stream and pond edges, vineyard borders and vine rows. Some plantings were on public land including schools and roadsides. The restored and integrated habitat is beneficial for birds and insects and provided an eco-tourism spinoff, with five vineyards offering biodiversity trails: Waipara Hills, Glenmark Vicarage, Pegasus Bay, Torlesse, and Waipara Springs. The Hurunui Trails walking and cycle track also passes through vineyards with attractive native plantings.

The late Professor Stephen Wratten of Lincoln University set up Greening Waipara as a research project with community leadership from Daryl Harris, and restoration design input from ecologist Colin Meurk of Manaaki-Whenua Landcare Research. It was designed so that many of the plants selected and their hosted insects would provide beneficial services such as pollination, pest and disease biocontrol, weed suppression and soil quality, as well as for branding value.

RNZ Podcast: Viticulturalists and ecologists are collaborating to increase the use of beneficial plants and insects in vineyards. Listen here – https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ourchangingworld/audio/2229775/greening-waipara

Hurunui Trails track at Greystone Winery

© 2023 Hurunui Biodiversity Trust