Oruawharo Medlands Ecovision
Our Vision is an Oruawharo Bay where all the ecosystems flourish
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Did you know?
Discover the story of pāteke on Aotea—one of Aotearoa’s rarest ducks. Learn how local conservation efforts are helping protect this vulnerable species, why threats like predators and roadkill still matter, and how our community plays a vital role in their survival.
Pukatea (Laurelia novae-zelandiae) is a tall, evergreen tree found in lowland forests and swampy areas across the North Island and northern parts of the South Island. Recognisable by its buttressed roots and glossy serrated leaves, it produces yellow-green flowers in spring and summer. Pukatea is culturally important to Māori, used in rongoā for its medicinal bark, and plays a valuable role in native forest ecosystems and restoration.
Events
About Us
Oruawharo Medlands Ecovision (OME) is a local community group with an environmental focus, based in Oruawharo Bay on Aotea / Great Barrier Island. We are a group of enthusiastic and passionate locals who think we have a lot to protect here in our neighbourhood, from pāteke/brown teal, matuku hūrepo/australasian bittern and mātātā/fern bird in the wetland and New Zealand dotterels on the beach and dunes to niho taniwha/chevron skinks along the creeks further inland. This is indeed a special piece of Aotea, you just have to stop and take notice!
We nurture and protect the taonga on our doorstep, and are in the planning stages of an expansion of our pest managed area, hoping to include many private properties as well as public land.
Every Wednesday from 9am, weather permitting, OME hosts weekly working bees, restoring a Department of Conservation wetland. We would love you to join us, contact us to find out where we are working from week to week.
Make A Donation
🌿 Habitat Restoration & Planting
Your support helps by purchasing native plants from the local nursery, protecting young plants from pests and the elements, and providing potting mix, seed trays, irrigation supplies, and other equipment for our own small nursery.
🐀 Pest Control
Our largest ongoing project focuses on rodent control across the dunes, wetlands, bush blocks, and now private properties. Traps are checked weekly, and bait stations are serviced regularly by our dedicated field crew. Get in touch with us if you would like your property to be included.
🐦 Seabird Monitoring
In 2023 we discovered a small colony of tākoketai (black petrels) nesting at the top of the Medlands basin. With support from Auckland Council, we aim to regularly monitor their burrows to track breeding success, environmental challenges, and overall colony health.
🚧 Access Improvements
We hope to create a public path with a small section of boardwalk to improve access to the wetland, making it easier for everyone to enjoy this special area. We also aim to upgrade access bridges throughout the wetland in order for us to safely reach those harder-to-get-to planting sites.
How You Can Help:
👉 Make a one-time donation to support our work across Medlands.
🤝 Or become a Friend of OME (subscribe) by joining as a monthly donor and be part of our ongoing mission to protect and restore the area. Friends receive quarterly newsletters, early project updates, and the satisfaction of sustaining long-term conservation efforts.
Thank you for your support!
Team
Raoul Stuart
Chair person
Peter Jemmett
Deputy Chair
Prue Smith
Secretary
Lotte McIntyre
Coordinator
Maxine Barrowman
Field manager
Adam White
Field worker
John Ogden
Data analyst
Hemo Davis
Iwi representative
Annamarie Clough
Council liaison
Frances McClure
Grow tunnel queen
Jennifer Neads
Chair support
Kim Bannister
Tech advisor
Peggy Garlick
Shorebird patrol
Michelle Benson
H&S officer
Tony Lyon
Track magician
John Garlick
Proof reader
Margaret Jemmett
E-bike promoter
Andy Thomson
Handy man (muscle man)
Contact
- Medlands Beach, Great Barrier Island / Aotea, New Zealand
Sign up here to receive our quarterly newsletters or get in touch to volunteer or for any other enquiries.
Articles
Ahu Moana Survey Report
The inaugural Ahu Moana survey was carried out around Boasted Rock by a team of volunteers in October 2024. To find out what they saw and experienced you can read the report here. This will be a regular event with four surveys per year. If you would like to take part please reach out to the OME team.
OME Property Owners Survey Analysis
A short survey has been distributed to the Oruawharo Bay property owners asking peoples opinions on extending our pest control in the area. You can read the full report of the analysis here.
OME Newsletters
You can find all of OME's online newsletters here
OME birds data
We keep all sort of bird related data. John Ogden is our resident data expert and he has kept data for longer than OME has existed. He has kindly shared a lot of this content and we have merged it here for everyone to be able to follow.
Tākoketai (black petrel) survey
Joanna Sim and her trusty canines Rua and Miro did a search of the upper Medlands area looking for tākoketai (black petrel burrows) in January 2023. We are stoked to report there is a population of breeding birds on the DoC blocks at the top of the OME Phase Two project area.
Phase Two Predator Control for Oruawharo Bay
OME has plans to extend our pest controlled area. To learn more about what we are proposing read this article published in the Aotea Great Barrier Environmental News issue 47.
OME Progress Report
A thorough report has been prepared by John Ogden, covering the period 2019-2022, including analysis of our trapping and monitoring data and progress over the first three years of the project.
Forest and Bird feature
An article on OME’s wetland restoration work was published in Forest and Birds 2022 summer issue.
Kororā Survey
In June 2022 Jo Sim of Dabchick NZ undertook a survey with her canine team and found Kororā /Little Blue Penguin burrows across the Aotea with a bonus discovery of Oī/Grey Faced Petrel burrows in Medlands.
funders and supporters
