Habitat Enhancement and Landcare Partnership Waihi Inc., more commonly known as HELP Waihi, is an incorporated society originally established by people representing the local section of Forest & Bird, Newmont Waihi Gold, and local schools. Formed in 1997, the Society, through funding from Environment Waikato, Lotto Environment and Heritage Grant, Lilian Valder Ohinemuri Trust and support from Waihi Mitre 10, established a base and native plant nursery in the Waihi College Farm Unit.
The core aim was to improve the local natural environment of the Waihi Ecological Area and more widely the Hauraki district, particularly along riverbanks, involving community volunteers and schools in the activities.
In the early days activity focused around use of people on Government funded work schemes to produce native plants suitable for revegetation. These were then planted by school pupils and/or Government funded work force, often in conjunction with Newmont Waihi Gold and Hauraki District Council.
More recently the Society has evolved to manage its own well equipped work team, as well as undertaking or supporting other projects using volunteers.
People are welcome to join the volunteers’ group activities of plant propagation, planting, and maintenance of established areas, Tuesday mornings being the regular session.
This website has been established so that we have a link with the rest of the community, including those who pass through the areas and habitats that we are enhancing or maintaining for the social and recreational benefits of humans, the biodiversity benefits for our native species and ecology, and the cleanliness and health of our waterways.
HELP Waihi 