Your Local Project Twin Streams

Project Twin Streams Homepage	Swanson Bridge to Bridge
Henderson Creek	Glen Eden
Opanuku Stream	Creative engagement
Oratia Stream	Walk/Cycleways
Ranui-Massey	Gallery of images

Project Twin Streams Henderson Creek Banner

A group of planters

Community Waitakere manage the Project Twin Streams Henderson Creek contract.

The coordinator is Sara Lovitz.

Over 20 groups are currently involved with Project Twin Streams Henderson Creek include the West Auckland Historical Society, Henderson Primary School, Cranwell Park Early childhood Centre, Art of Living Meditation Group, Rutherford High School and the Chinese Conservation and Education Trust.

Recent highlights include the publication of Going with the Flow, a wonderful illustrated book which captures the insights and learning of ACG Sunderland School Year 3 and 4 pupils who worked with Project Twin Streams Henderson Creek, over the 2009 school year across the three curriculum areas of art, science and technology.

Wendy Claire, Project Twin Streams Henderson Creek Coordinator at the time of the launch said, "It was wonderful to witness the rich, interactive learning which took place in such a variety of settings - in the classroom, on the stream bank in an "outdoor classroom" under the gum trees - observing live creatures, planting on the stream bank, working with tools in the technology room, creating pastel art works and screen printing."

Copies of Going with the Flow are available to purchase from ACG Sunderland school reception for $20.


Henderson Creek in Fog	Swap Exchange Table	Big clean up by kayak	Lower Henderson Creek

Contacting Us

If you would like to know more about how you can get involved in Project Twin Streams Henderson Creek, contact Sara Lovitz on (09) 838 7113 or email sara@communitywaitakere.org.nz

Project Twin Streams Opanuku Stream Banner

Since late 2009, McLaren Park Henderson South manage the Project Twin Streams Opanuku Stream contract.

There are two community coordinators; Annie Cochrane who manages the Lower Opanuku area and Derek March who manages the Upper Opanuku area.

Thirteen community groups have adopted areas alongside the stream, with all the schools in the area now involved with the project.

Opanuku Community Planting Day

Group at community planting

The 2010 Project Twin Streams planting season kicked off on Sunday with a community planting on the Upper Opanuku.

100 people came and went throughout the day celebrating Mothers Day by giving back to Mother Earth.

The theme of the day - Connection/s - explored ideas around the movement of eels down stream at this time of year as they head off up the Pacific to breed and how this connects the Opanuku with the larger systems of the planet .

Display boards informed people about eel life cycles and migration routes while children ran around with a couple of large eels made from drainage coil left over from the walk/cycleway construction work. Over head, eel wind socks headed into the easterly breeze as if heading towards the Waitemata.

Pacifia Coo Sa Ni group added sound and move to the day.


Boys running with eels made out of drainage coil left over from the construction of the cycleways		Children enjoyed the face-painting	Pacific dancer	Child with traditional spear

Contacting Us

If you would like to know more about how you can get involved in Project Twin Streams Opanuku Stream, contact: Annie Cochrane or Derek March on (09) 835 2726.
Email annie@mphs.org.nz or Derek@mphs.org.nz.


Community planting of the lower Opanuku	Opanuku Stream Fairy	Flax Garden

Project Twin Stream Oratia Stream banner


Compost Workshop	Planting Day	School boys help with the planting	Twin Stream Volunteer Planters

Drumming at Oratia's first community
planting day - Click to enlarge

McLaren Park Henderson South Community Initiative manage the contract for the Lower Oratia stream area.

The coordinator is Green Jon.

Community coordinator Green Jon always makes a point of inviting the community to take part in all aspects of the planting days, including helping to provide the music. Previous events have included a drumming circle, where anyone could join and a jam session, where local residents were encouraged to bring their own instruments and join in.

Since engaging with local community groups, Project Twin Streams Oratia Stream has shared a special experience with Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Hoani Waititi Marae.

A planting day was had with the middle school from the Marae, Te Kopuapua (the sapling), and the junior school, Te Kohungahunga. This turned into a fantastic event as the older students mentored the junior school, passing on their learning about planting and the environment and together the groups worked to plant the stream bank.

While hosting groups on their stream Project Twin Streams Oratia have developed the experience into a 'sustainable journey' looking at issues such as:

What is it to have a relationship with Nature and why is it important to restore our stream?

Project Twin Streams Oratia take groups for a walk and talk along the stream, stopping to look at want is needed and what is working well. They have conversations to include everyone.

They find that at the beginning of the journey most people don't understand what sustainability is, yet by the end of the walk they realise they are well on the path to a sustainable future.

They realise that Nature is their friend and with the work they do with Project Twin Streams they are also a friend of Nature.


Laidlaw College	Planting outside Westcity, Henderson	Holy Cross Kura	Entertainment at Planting Day

Power to the Gardeners

Since being established in 2008, the Millbrook Edible Garden has expanded with a new area where experienced gardeners can have a larger plot. There is now a shipping container on site , in which groups can store tools, worm farm and fertilizers. MEG Gardeners are well into planning a community orchard and have revitalised the existing fruit trees.

Ross Sholes (Email: landbase@gmail.com ph: 880 4476) now has a regular meeting on Saturday mornings for anyone keen to be involved.

The garden works on the principals of sharing, with elders sharing knowledge around gardening, the nature sharing its resources and the local community sharing their time.


Edible Garden	Edible Garden	Edible Garden	Children drawing artwork along the footpath

Note: You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to view and print this document. For help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful Tips.

Project Twin Streams Oratia newsletter - October 2009 (Size 413K)

Project Twin Streams Oratia newsletter - March 2009 (Size 1406K)

Project Twin Streams Oratia newsletter - August 2008 (Size 882K)

Contacting Us

If you would like to know more about how you can get involved in Project Twin Streams Oratia, contact: Green Jon on (09) 838 4820, 021 076 4637 or email oratia@mphs.org.nz

Project Twin Streams Ranui-Massey banner

Me puawai tatou katoa
I roto te kotahitanga o Ranui
Creating Our Future Together

The contract is managed by Te Ukaipo, in association with Ranui action Project (RAP).

Te Ukaipo, in association with Ranui Action Project (RAP) manage the contract for Ranui-Massey and since late 2009, the contract for Swanson Stream.

The coordinator is Clair Hobi.

The Project Twin Streams Ranui-Massey area runs from the western side of Ranui downstream to where Swanson Stream flows into Huruhuru Creek. The area includes the Waimoko, Momotu and Swanson streams, which were weedy and neglected in many places when the project began. A lot of work remains to be done but with the energy and enthusiasm of the Ranui-Massey communities these streams will once again be restored to healthy, beautiful places.

Te Ukaipo Initiatives for Rangitahi wokrs with tangata whenua and others to provide holistic programmes and a healthy whanau family enviornment to rangatahi (youth) who are in at-risk situations. Advocacy and support services are offered to whanau.

Te Ukaipo appreciates Papatuanuku Earth as taonga for future generations and through partnerships in the community (including Project Twin Streams) promotes daily living practices that nourish sustainable communities.

The Ranui Action Project (RAP), has identified that projects which improve the health and wellbeing of the Ranui community are a priority. One of their key themes is the environment and RAP have set goals to encourage the protection, improvement and greater use of Ranui's physical environment.

For more information on the Ranui Action Project, Phone/fax: (09) 832-6048, email: rap@ranui.org.nz or visit our website: www.ranui.org.nz

The vision for Project Twin Streams Ranui-Massey is Manaaki te tangata, manaaki te awa - healing the people, healing the stream.

Te Piataata Trust planting day

We have worked with around 20 groups over the 6 years, and currently twelve groups are involved in streambank restoration on their adopted areas. Adoption means selecting a stretch of the stream that the group feels they can care for on a long-term basis. The area is initially cleared of weeds, before being replanted with natives. The group are also responsible for maintaining the new plants.

Two community planting days were held in 2009, the first celebrating Matariki at Birdwood Park on Jacinta Grove, and the second on Don Buck Corner, celebrating the life of Don Buck who ran a gum-digging camp on the land surrounding the Swanson Stream on Glen Rd.

In May 2009 we unveiled Te Herenga Tangata in Urlich Esplanade Reserve. Blending Maori, Croatian, and Pasifika themes, and with dedicated management by Project Twin Streams Arts coordinator Janet Holt, the sculpture was made by six local community groups who care for sections of banks beside the our local streams. Expertise from artists specialising in different medias assisted in the creation of this local identity marker.

In 2010 we are trialling a pest tracking system with one of our schools, with the view to eventually gaining permission to bait or trap the pests which are a threat to our native flora and fauna.

Students from St Dominics College are busy preparing the site for our 2010 community planting day on the corner of Birdwood Rd and Waimoko Glen on Saturday 21st August.

Groups presently working on the Swanson, Waimoko and Momotu Streams are:

Agape Trust
Birdwood School
Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints
Department of Corrections
Don Buck School
Lincoln Heights School
Liston College
Massey Pony Club
St Dominics College
Swanson School
Waimoko Glen residents
Western Districts Model Railway Club

Project Twin Streams Ranui-Massey newsletter - The Eel's Tale - Te Korero a Te Tuna is published twice a year and distributed to 2000 households in Ranui and Massey.

Note: You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to view and print these documents. For help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful Tips.

Eels Tale Issue 6 (Size 1276K)

Eels Tale Issue 5 (Size 684K)

Eels Tale Issue 4 (Size 1277K)

Eels Tale Issue 3 (Size 819K)

Eels Tale Issue 2 (Size 636K)

Eels Tale Issue 1 (Size 864K)

As a Wai Care group www.waicare.org.nz Project Twin Streams Ranui-Massey carries out four monitoring sessions per year on the Waimoko and Swanson Streams.

Contacting Us

If you would like to know more about how you can get involved in project Twin Streams Ranui-Massey, please telephone Clair Hobi (Co-ordinator) on (09) 833 7009 or 021 832407 or email us at pts@teukaipo.org.nz.

Project Twin Streams Glen Eden banner

EcoMatters Environment Trust, in partnership with Glen Eden Primary School, manage the contract for Project Twin Streams Glen Eden.

The coordinator is Teremoana Jones.

A number of community groups are helping to restore the Whakarina, Bishop and Waikumete Streams, from the catchment's headwaters near Titirangi, down to the far end of Parr's Park in Oratia. This included Glen Eden Scouts, Captain Scott Residents Group, GE Money and the Glen Eden Harriers and Athletics Club.


Family bends down to plant	Girls with moko - Click to enlarge	Two young children with freshly painted faces	Photo of storytime at Glen Eden Planting Day.

Contacting us

If you would like to know more about how you can get involved in Project Twin Streams Glen Eden, contact Teremoana Jones, (09) 813 2063, 021 308 257, or email ptsgleneden@ecomatters.org.nz.