Underwood Wetland Project Celebrates World Wetlands Day
Thursday 8 February 2024, 12:50PM
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Robert Sowman (GBHT), Andy Garrick (GBHT), David Underwood (landowner who the reserve named under), Andy Tannock (GBHT), F&G CEO Corina Jordan, Rudi Hoetjes (former Northland F&G manager), Mike Lee (former Auckland Regional Councillor.) Credit:
Fish and Game NZ
A project to rewild a Northland valley in New Zealand, creating a wetland from previously grazed land, has been marked to celebrate World Wetlands Day.
The Underwood Wetland project, which started in 2017, has seen the protection of native forest, wetland and river flats in a 342ha area.
It is located along the Manganui and Northern Wairoa rivers and is home to threatened species including the kauri snail and the North Island fernbird.
The project was led by conservation group Fish & Game New Zealand and involved the purchase of the land from local farmers, with some of the area set aside as a scenic reserve.
The remaining land was converted into a wetland.