Matuku Link

Community wetland restoration in the Waitākere River Valley

Our project is named after the endangered Matuku-hūrepo (Australasian bittern) which needs wetland to survive. There are an estimated 700 matuku left, with some living in Te Henga, Auckland’s largest mainland wetland. Matuku Link aims to restore and protect wetland habitat in West Auckland, linking several other conservation projects to create a safe corridor for native flora and fauna.

In 2016,  the Matuku Reserve Trust bought 37 hectares of bush and wetland with the help of many funders. Hundreds of volunteers have now revegetated our old paddocks with eco-sourced plants grown in our on-site nursery and are controlling pests to protect our native flora and fauna. This has created a safe corridor, linking several other local conservation projects.

Our educator delivers our hands-on wetland education programme Te kaupapapa rohe kōreporepo to over 1000 primary school children each year, and many groups of all ages join our working bees, open days, or guided tours.

Visiting Matuku Link: as we are a very small team, we are not always here – which means the gate might be shut! Please contact us if you would like to visit Matuku Link. Dogs are not allowed as we have active pest control methods in place to protect our birds.

What’s happening

VIP Kayak Day 2026

Our annual fundraiser, always a sell out success: VIP Kayak Day on 18th April 2026 Once a year only - so as not to disturb the wildlife too much - and with access generously granted by our neighbouring properties, our VIP Kayak Day is back! Experience Te Henga wetland...

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...

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...
March 2026
April 2026
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Support our work

Hands-on volunteering

Our regular working bees are every third Sunday of the month and every Tuesday morning. Depending on the weather, tasks will be around weeding, planting, growing plants in the nursery, doing predator control or building and maintenance. More info here. 

Please contact Annalily on hello@matukulink.org.nz with questions, or if you’d like to join us and it’s your first time out to Matuku Link. We’d love to welcome you here!

Helping out in other ways

Nothing is possible without our valued funders, donors and supporters. Matuku Reserve Trust is a charitable trust so any donation over $5 is tax deductible. Please consider becoming a supporter, more info here.

Business support

The success of Matuku Link would not be possible without the support of people, businesses and organisations who have given generously of time, money and materials.

Thank you to our many generous sponsors and individuals who have helped us with in-kind or financial contributions!

From the blog

2021 Planting Bees

2021 Planting Bees

Our nursery is overflowing with plants grown by all our volunteers and now we're getting into the wetter season, we're ready to do some planting!!! All our working bees are accessible for all ages, we can always find something appropriate for your age and fitness...

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Drone survey

Drone survey

Thanks to the team at Auckland Zoo, we now have some great drone footage of the willows in the river and our wetland. This does not only guide us to where they are so we can get rid of them (as willows are a pest plant, a weed smothering our native plants and clogging...

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Success with pests

Success with pests

The three aims of Matuku Link are protect, enhance and educate. The first protection part is all about pest animal and pest plant control. Pest animals we focus on are rats, possums and stoats as the main predators, with hedgehogs, feral cats, ferrets and weasels as...

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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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