Pūtaringamotu Riccarton Bush Fund
Pūtaringamotu Riccarton Bush – Major Enhancement Project
We are backing an important kaitiakitanga project to enhance the ecologically significant lowland native bush at Riccarton Bush.
The Riccarton Bush Trust is charged with protecting and enhancing Pūtaringamotu/Riccarton Bush as well as promoting its natural and cultural heritage. Riccarton Bush is a very special place and with over 75,000 visitors each year.
Areas of the boardwalk are starting to fail, and the concrete paths have become displaced and uneven and are creating a tripping hazard. Our interpretation and signage are dated and there is very little to inform and educate their visitors on the cultural significance of this very special place.
The Trust has just embarked on one of the biggest projects since the predator-proof fence was installed.
The scope of the project is to:
- Integrate Ngāi Tūāhuriri narratives, values and associations with Pūtaringamotu/Riccarton Bush through design, art, entrance experience and interpretation
- Upgrade of the track system
- Develop areas such as the Grove to support larger groups visiting Pūtaringamotu/Riccarton Bush
- Provide interpretation to educate, engage and encourage participation
Donate now to show your support for this project.
Our four suggested donation levels reflect the natural regeneration process:
Proud Kahikatea towers above all -$50,000+
Protective Pokaka forms part of the canopy -$10,000 - $49,999
Māhoe fills in the understory and provides nectar, fruit and seed - $1,000 - $9,999
Kōwaowao creeps along the ground and up the trunks of trees & helps camouflage geckos– below $1,000.
The trust are so grateful for any level of support.
The Christchurch Foundation are helping the the Trust to fundraise by providing a cost-effective way to process gifts online. A gift through us will simply be passed on. This service is another way we can help support the not for profit sector in Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri.
Riccarton Bush Pūtaringamotu is a 7.8-hectare remnant Kahikatea Forest situated just 3km from the city centre of Christchurch.
Gates are open during daylight hours and public access during these times is free.
Visit and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of being in a native forest that has trees that are up to 600 years old. There is nearly 900 metres of tracks to enjoy with it all being flat and accessible to most. As you wind your way through this ancient forest be sure to keep and eye and an ear out for the numerous native birds that call this place home, such as: Kererū/Wood Pigeon, Korimako/Bellbird, Pīwakawaka/Fantail, and Riroriro/Grey Warbler. These birds, as well as native insects and geckos are here largely because Riccarton Bush is surrounded by a predator-proof fence.
Pūtaringamotu is hugely significant, ecologically and culturally. It is the largest remnant of alluvial podocarp forest on the lower Canterbury Plains and Banks Peninsula, a forest type that today only covers a tiny fraction of its former extent. It is a key Mahinga Kai site for Ngai Tūāhuriri, and the place of first permanent European settlement in Ōtautahi.
Pūtaringamotu is thought to mean ‘the place of the echo’ or ‘the severed ear’. The latter is thought to refer to the bush being isolated from other forests. It is also believed by local Māori that at a certain place in the forest, those trained and skilled in the practice could hear the sound of people approaching on the trails through the surrounding swampland by putting their ear to the ground – hence the ‘place of the echo’.
The Bush was gifted to the people of Christchurch by the Deans family, with the official hand-over date being 2 November 1914 (when the Riccarton Bush Act was gazetted). The Act seeks to preserve the bush for the benefit and enjoyment of the people of Christchurch. This is achieved through vigilant management by the Riccarton Bush Trust and the operational staff.
Port Hills Fire Regeneration
In response to the 2024 Port Hills fire this fund has been established to assist with the regeneration of endemic natives in the impacted area.
There is scientific evidence that natives are more fire resistant and can significantly contribute to the resilience and protection of at-risk ecosystems and communities.
The funds raised will be actively managed by The Christchurch Foundation and distributed with support of the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust and Te Kākahu Kahukura. These two reputable entities are already working in the impacted area and have extensive experience in the establishment of native plants in a best practice manner with participating landowners (private/public and charitable).
Funding could be applied not only to securing new plants but could also include pest management, weeding and other activities to support the regeneration of the area safely.
The intent is to help increase the fire protection on the port hills as well as also increasing the biodiversity of the area.
Green Philanthropy Fund
The Green Philanthropy Fund has been developed to accelerate positive environmental change in Waitaha Canterbury.
Future thinking must be applied to quickly address the big environmental issues we are facing. Our goal is to make it easier for businesses and individuals to give to science-led innovation, and to increase the pool of funding available to those individuals and groups striving to improve and protect our ecosystems.
