Charitable trust EcoMatters has been empowering communities to care for the environment since 2002. The organisation may be Auckland-wide, but with its headquarters in Olympic Park, The West is home.
EcoMatters teams up with Auckland Council, the Ministry for the Environment, local nonprofits, and community groups to bring impactful environmental initiatives to life.
According to Tina Ivory, Finance Manager, EcoMatters’ mission is simple: to help people restore nature, grow their own food, reduce waste, ride and repair bikes, and live more sustainably. ‘We provide the knowledge, tools, and hands-on experiences needed to make a positive difference,’ declares Tina. From interactive workshops to community action days, EcoMatters inspires vital change.
However, as a charitable trust, funding can be hard to come by, especially for daily expenses like salary costs. In 2024, EcoMatters’ bank balance received a much-appreciated boost thanks to $20,000 from the Your West Support Fund.
‘We used some of the money to replace the office heat pump, which was past its best, but most of the funding supported the wages of our Nature team leader role,’ explains Tina.
The Nature team has a wide-ranging remit, including working with communities to restore urban streams and waterways to improve water quality and remove pest plants in the buffer zone surrounding the Waitākere Ranges. ‘Tackling weeds and pest plants on properties neighbouring our precious rainforest reduces their spread into the ranges where they can quickly take over areas of native bush,’ advises Tina.
Community engagement is also a strong focus for the team, with flood resilience work a continuing priority. The team is working with West Auckland communities to help them restore local waterways and plant the right native plants in the right places to help absorb stormwater and reduce the impact of heavy rain.
The annual month-long EcoFest is about to kick off on 22 March before concluding appropriately on Earth Day, 22 April. Jointly hosted by several environmental action groups, EcoFest celebrates the unique environment of Tāmaki Makaurau and how it should be cared for.
Find out how to preserve and pickle seasonal food, swap seeds with other gardeners, learn how to do harakeke weaving, or participate in a nighttime bug hunt. These are just some of the exciting EcoFest events on offer in West Auckland, so check out the full programme and get involved.
