AMAZING work by Susquehanna University students here on the Go New Zealand/Aotearoa Program.

Reforesting our native New Zealand wetland & extending the habitat of the endangered Matuku (Australasian Bittern).

This was a massive effort: 220 trees planted, including 50 10' monster Kahikatea (which will form the basis of this new forest for the next 900 years).

Thank you NC State University & University of Florida students on a Sustaining Human Culture & Natural Environments Program, who last week planted these 10' monster native Kahikatea trees into our wetland here in New Zealand.
You’ve left a lasting impression on us, as well as our environment.

A massive thank you to the Clemson University students here on a Service Learning & Sustainability Program in New Zealand.

Nearly 300 native rainforest trees planted in a morning!

Establishing this forest will protect our valley for future generations.

LSSU students learn about Rongoa Maori traditional health practices & philosophies in a sub-tropical rainforest on a Health, Biology, Culture & Ecology Program.

#LSSU #StudyAbroad

Thank You Virginia Tech & SUNY Brockport students.

The 'instant forest' of New Zealand native wetland Kahikatea trees you planted will stand for the next 1000 years.

This makes a huge difference, rebuilding our essential native habitat & greatly increasing the bio-diversity of this area.

Thank you University of Florida students for braving the bad weather to plant 300 native wetland species & finish off our riverside planting project.

Your work makes a real difference helping to clean our waterways & restore a much needed native habitat.

Thank You Susquehanna University Students for all your hard work.

Especially for extending our wetland by another 360 trees!

Who planted 300 native wetland plants before lunch!

Your work helps restore New Zealand native habitat and clean our waterways.

Great work!

Arizona State University students help plant an "Instant forest" here in New Zealand.

Planting these waterways helps protect our land from erosion & increase our water quality.

Thank you Penn State & East Carolina University Students.

Restoring New Zealand native habitat AND offsetting the carbon of their travel!

The Pohutukawa pictured in our Xmas message is really quite a special one.

It was planted by Mary Eisenhower (grand daughter of President Eisenhower) in celebration  of our USA High School conference - Huarahi Eco-summit - in July 2000.
(Which was attended by 180 American high school students, for six days across Rotorua & Tauranga, In New Zealand.)

Thank you for coming to participate in Geography field work & share on teaching practice. It is a pleasure to experience our diverse, constantly moving islands with Geographers.

We hope that, from your experiences here, you can apply “Case Study New Zealand” as a generic model to satisfy some key elements of the Geography syllabus.

We hope to see you again!

A great day!
Today Clemson University & Penn State students teamed up with local New Zealand students to re-plant & save our sand dunes.
#studyabroad #Clemson #PennState

"Generating Sustainable Change" was the title of Doug's keynote speech to the Global Issues Network - GIN852 Conference, in Hong Kong last week.

It was humbling to meet so many students working towards solutions to the biggest issues of our time.

Carrol College Interdisciplinary Health Exploration Program students monitoring biodiversity through presence/absence fauna survey.

University of Richmond & Wake Forest University students testing water quality in New Zealand & leaving a lasting impression on their unexpected local 'helpers'.

Frostburg State University & University of Florida students learn about Maori culture & Matariki (Maori new year) with TV personality (and former All Black) Matua Parkinson.

Then they helped him with his 'day job'.

Frostburg State University & University of Florida students have off-set the entire carbon footprint of their program, including travel to & from New Zealand, by assisting in our native rainforest restoration project.

A big thank you to the NC State University students who helped in the restoration of our New Zealand wetland habitat.

Virginia Tech & SUNY Brockport students help extend New Zealand elementary students' understanding of their local environment by taking them on a sand dune restoration day.

Guiding Geology students from Georgia Tech Pacific Program to Tama Lakes, across the volcanic landscape here in New Zealand.

Great work by University of Wisconsin Osh Kosh students on a Challenge New Zealand Leadership Program!
Helping restore native wetland areas & on-going planting.

Virginia Tech & SUNY Brockport students here on a Service Learning program.

Restoring native rainforest here in New Zealand.
450 trees in the ground in an afternoon!

Clemson University & East Carolina University Students joined forces with some of our local New Zealand students to re-plant our sand dunes.

In 2006 Brian joined us on an International Student Volunteer program. And while on holiday in NZ this month, he caught up with us to see how his trees were doing.

Brian's plantings are now known as the 'Sea of Flax' & are enjoyed every day by locals along a public track that winds through the Kopurererua Valley (a 20 year project covering 830 acres).

Thanks again Brian & all of you who came in 2006 & helped with the 'Sea of Flax' project. And if any of you are ever in the area we would love to hear from you too.

Thanks to efforts of people like you over the last 15 years we have planted over a quarter of a million trees into project sites like Kopurererua Valley.

A big thank you to the Radford University students who helped in the restoration of our New Zealand rainforest.
Propagating & planting out our precious Karamu plants.

 Thanks to the help of so many students over the years we've achieved another milestone!

The Kahikatea was planted by Gerson & Jackie in Sanctuary Park’s wetland last week. (Kahikateas grow to over 70m tall with trunks more than 2m in diameter, so it’s going to be a great focal point!)

Thanks again to everyone who has worked with Kuaka to make this all possible.

This is how our Northern Michigan University group spent the first day of 2017, kayaking along the picturesque coastline & soaking in natural hot pools.

Students are here in New Zealand on a Service Learning program.

We would like to thank our local tourism industry for recognizing the work we do by awarding us the Excellence in the Environment Award, in this years Tourism Awards.
We are very proud of all our environmental initiatives and it’s great to know that our local industry is behind the work we do.

We would also like to congratulate the other winners & nominees.

We've just had a little friend wander into our office to say hi.

A little native New Zealand skink, (about 4" long & not shy about having his photo taken)

He's now safely back in the garden & a lot happier

It's that time of year again!
The New Zealand Bird of the Year elections.

We invite everyone to Vote Kuaka

Our namesake migrates every year between Alaska & the Bay of Plenty, in New Zealand (where we are based).

And in Maori culture, the Kuaka is considered to be the link between the two hemispheres, a carrier of knowledge & the bringer of positive messages.

https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/

We're looking forward to enjoying our long, summery Christmas & New Year.

We've had a busy fulfilling year & we'd like to take this time to thank all the faculty & students who have come here & 'given back' to our country & our communities.
Your work has made a real difference.

So, from all of us here at Kuaka New Zealand, we would like to wish you a Meri Kirihimete!
(Merry Christmas)

Our native Pohutukawa are known as NZ Xmas trees, because every year they decorate themselves for the big day. From everyone at Kuaka we wish you a happy & safe holiday season.