Community Involvement
We work alongside Council and communities to devise tailored restoration plans which encourage local participation and education. As part of delivering these projects we also have experience in:
Our Project Management Team
Our dedicated Ecology team specialises in restoration project management, ranging in size and complexity. We collaborate closely with contractors to ensure the success of these projects.
Key stages of our involvement are:
- Initial Concept Design and Planning Stages: Defining objectives and developing concept plans to lay a solid foundation for the project.
- Detailed Design: We delve into the nitty-gritty details to create a comprehensive and effective restoration plan.
- Project Delivery: Our team oversees contractor procurement, manages the project, and handles all aspects of restoration project management to ensure a seamless execution.
- Community Engagement: We facilitate community involvement through tasks like crafting planting plans, conducting ecological assessments, and devising weeding plans, promoting a collaborative and holistic approach to restoration.
- Planting days.
- Weeding bees.
- Restoration tools training and trapline monitoring setup.
A few restoration projects we have been involved with:
Anamata Stream Restoration
Private properties in Henderson Valley were offered advice and assistance to restore streams on their property as part of the Anamata Stream Restoration Project.
Our involvement included:
- Project Management and coordination
- Successfully applying for funding to support the project.
- Undertaking a site visit to private properties and providing on site ecological advice
- Producing riparian restoration plans specific to landowners properties: Restoration plans included weeds present and best practice methods of control and planting plans.
- Arranging volunteer weeding bees with Conservation Volunteers New Zealand for some landowners.
- Proving ongoing advice and motivation to engaged landowners as part of the project.
Project Twin Streams
Thomas Consultants were the primary environment services provider for Project Twin Streams from 2003-2014. Project Twin Streams is a stream restoration programme based in West Auckland that covers 52km of stream.
Our services in this project included:
- Project management
- Engineering
- Property purchases
- Landscape planning
- Resource consent preparation
- Assessment of environmental effects
- Planting design
- Ecological advice
- Planting co-ordination and the supervision of physical works.
For further detail on the project click here.
Lava Rock Forest
Ecological Survey
Thomas Consultants joined a project team to survey local residents in Auckland about lava rock forest and how to care for it. The ecological project provided for a landowner assistance programme to protect and restore lava rock forest on private properties in Epsom, Auckland.
Thomas Consultants was engaged to implement both stage 1 and stage 2 of the project and worked with over 50 private landowners. This included:
- An initial site visit to complete a rapid ecological assessment of the lava rock forest on the property
- A landowner survey to determine if landowners are already doing any weed and pest animal control in the lava rock forest, potential barriers to doing more and suitability for incentive tools
- Preparing a biodiversity action plan for landowners to inspire and assist landowners to protect and enhance lava rock forest on their property this included information on threats and recommended management actions including best practice methods of control for weeds and pest animals
- A follow up site visit to go through the biodiversity action plan, provided factsheets and use of incentive tools provided (if required). Incentive tools included rat traps and motel, Timms traps and weed bags.
Totara Creek
Thomas Consultants was engaged as Council’s representatives for the stream restoration element of this large open space development in Westgate. We have been involved since 2010 and continue to be a part of this project as new areas are restored.
In the first phase of the project our tasks included:
- Riparian ecological assessments
- Stream Ecological Valuations (SEV’s)
- Developed a riparian restoration programme for Totara Creek and associated tributaries on site
The implementation phase includes managing:
- Stream restoration programme including developing weed control and planting plans
- Supervising contractors (for weed control, planting and plant maintenance)
- Coordinating and advising on ecological factors relating to the wider development programme.
