Latest Updates

From the Blog:

Plant grid survey

Plant grid survey

Some of our keen-eyed wetland volunteers may have recently noticed a mysterious cordoned off square in Totara Glade in recent months! You may also have heard, some months ago, something about a plant survey. This first weekend in March, this project has begun, and...

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Matuku Link song!

Matuku Link song!

The talented Anna Rugis has written an incredible song for Matuku Link, and we've paired it with images and videos to bring it to life. Anna created this song to highlight the vital role of healthy wetlands - not only for Matuku Link’s namesake, the matuku hūrepo...

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Small lids big dents

Small lids big dents

Image: Annalily in front of the window wall made from upcycled window frames by our volunteersAuckland Council's Waste Minimization Fund has granted Matuku Link $4750 towards a trial for the project we've called "Small lids, big dents". Recently, the rules on what you...

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Matuku Muster

Matuku Muster

That Matuku Muster Starting in September, The Great Matuku Muster 2024 was the first attempt to gather data nationwide on the number of male matuku-hūrepo [Australasian bittern].  Matuku are very mobile easily managing to travel several scores or hundreds of...

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Species Spotlights: Flora

Species Spotlights: Flora

We’ve been highlighting some of the amazing plants and animals you can find at Matuku Link on our social media. From well-hidden birds to unique flowers and insects, here are a few of our favourites. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more! 🌳 Kahikatea: A...

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Species Spotlights: Fauna

Species Spotlights: Fauna

We’ve been highlighting some of the amazing plants and animals you can find at Matuku Link on our social media. From well-hidden birds to unique flowers and insects, here are a few of our favourites. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more! 🦇 Pekapeka tou roa...

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Open Studios at Matuku Link

Open Studios at Matuku Link

Open Studios Waitākere at Matuku Link!📅 Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th November | 10am - 4pm Join us at Auckland’s largest mainland wetland for a weekend of art and nature! We’re excited to host several local artists for Waitākere Open Studios this year, right here at...

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World Wetland Day 2025

World Wetland Day 2025

Celebrate World Wetland Day with us at Matuku Link!📅 Saturday, 1st February 2025 | 10am - 3pm Join us at Auckland’s largest mainland wetland for a day of nature, learning, and fun! We’re celebrating World Wetland Day with our annual open day, featuring a wide range of...

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Donate to educate

Donate to educate

Our Wetland Education Programme for local low decile primary schools, is a huge success with over 1500 children a year visiting Matuku Link. Our incredible educators teach them to love wetlands and appreciate the bush, nature and the natural environment while doing a...

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Great Matuku Muster 2024

Great Matuku Muster 2024

The actual idea for the Great Matuku Muster - bittern survey 2024 started more than a decade ago with John Sumich dreaming up a drone with a heat detection camera and another drone with a regular camera to spot bittern from the air. He worked with Peter Solaris from...

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Spring and Summer Sundays

Spring and Summer Sundays

It's hot, it's dry.... and still the weeds are growing! Help us free our earlier planted trees from grasses overwhelming or convolvulus strangling them. We'd love you to join us at 111 Bethells Road at one of our Summer Sundays.  For H&S reasons: if you haven’t...

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Tracking at Matuku Link

Tracking at Matuku Link

Last week, I had the exhilarating opportunity to join Tarn from Auckland Zoo's conservation team on an adventure off the beaten track right here at Matuku Link. Auckland Zoo's Siân has been helping us collect data from our tracking tunnels since Matuku Link first...

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Free (and plant) a Tree

Free (and plant) a Tree

It's planting season again! We'd love you to join us at 111 Bethells Road to plant some new trees and care for the ones we've planted earlier. We do recommend gumboots - a bit of splashing around in the mud makes it even more fun! For H&S reasons: if you haven’t...

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Wetland Nightlife: Insects and Arachnids

Wetland Nightlife: Insects and Arachnids

Tonight we are hosting a "Bug Hunt" at Matuku Link. Along with expert entomologists and visitors, we'll be searching the wetlands for many legged critters and trying to identify them. Over the last week, we've let te aitanga pepeke (the insect world, including...

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Kayak Day Success

Kayak Day Success

Every year the VIP Kayak Day is different, we've had super hot summer days when most guest went for a voluntary dip in the clear Waitakere river, a lockdowns postponed day, last year a post-cyclone silted river adventure. Because of the latter, this year we launched...

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People power

People power

We'd love to see you here at Matuku Link for our volunteer sessions - every Tuesday and every Third Sunday of the month - except when it is a Statutory Holiday or a weather warning is in place - info for 2024: The Tuesday Team - weekly around 15 people work hard from...

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World Wetland Day 2024

World Wetland Day 2024

Celebrate World Wetland Day with us at Matuku Link! Saturday 3rd February 2024 10am - 3pm Celebrate World Wetland Day this year by visiting Auckland’s largest mainland wetland! Matuku Link is holding our annual open day and wetland celebration on the 3rd of February...

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Santa’s elves

Santa’s elves

Santa isn't the only one who has helpers! We have many... last week we had our first volunteer sewing session to make beautiful, sustainable, cutlery bags from donated pieces of fabric, filled with recycled cutlery - a fork, spoon, knife and straw ready for your next...

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Matuku moana

Matuku moana

Many of our volunteers are not just "ours" - they volunteer at other projects as well - Mototapu, Oakley Creek, Orangihina, Ark in the Park - to name just a few! And some volunteer at Birdcare Aotearoa, which is the only place in Auckland where you can drop off an...

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What a pARTy!

What a pARTy!

Our 2023 anniversary party turned into a three-day pARTy, thanks to Derek March's 'takeover' of our barn and education center as part of the Waitakere Open Studios. Professional artist and conservationist Derek March has been a volunteer with Waitakere Rivercare,...

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Education highlights

Education highlights

This year, we have welcomed almost 1,000 students to Matuku Link for our school education days. We have had the privilege of educating and connecting with not only these students, but also the teachers and whanau members. Our education days are always exciting, with...

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Contact us:

Secretary Annalily van den Broeke

022 692 2016 or email us at hello@matukulink.org.nz

Physical address:

111 Bethells Road, Te Henga, Auckland

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