Projects

(shortcut to Working bee dates)

Trelissick Park restoration

In Wellington City, community volunteers are involved in restoring a large expanse of hillside, valley, stream and parkland that encompasses Trelissick Park and Ngaio Gorge to create a beautiful wilderness area. Groups involved in this restoration include the Highland Park Progressive Association, Ngaio Crofton Downs Residents’ Association, Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, Wellington Botanical Society and the Wadestown Residents’ Association.

Wellington City Council provides support with pest control, supply of native plants, track and bridge work, erecting signage and information boards and stream bank strengthening. The Greater Wellington Regional Council provides support with pest control.

Main activities of the Trelissick Park Group

The activities undertaken by the Trelissick Park Group (TPG) work towards the group's Five Year Plan (August 2021 update). They include:

• monitoring and reporting on problems affecting environmental health in the park, such as slips, stream bank erosion, pollution, rubbish, fallen trees, animal and plant pests.
• servicing bait stations and traps for rodents.
• organising working bees to clear weed-infested areas of the park and replant them with native trees, and to maintain tracks.
• liaising with adopt-a-spot volunteers.
• hosting visiting groups such as Conservation Volunteers, business and school groups, scouts.
• making representations to local, regional and central government agencies on environmental policy and planning initiatives relevant to the wilderness status of Trelissick Park, as well as the catchment of the Kaiwharawhara Stream.

The group is also working on a project to improve signage in the park. A project team has been formed. The team will consult with key people and work closely with the Wellington City Council to design the new signs. We aim to complete the project by October 2026. Thanks to Frances Lee and the Transpower Community Care Fund for funding this project.

Working bee tasks

Scheduled working bees are a key means of implementing the group's five year plan. Tasks include:

• infill planting in recently planted areas
• planting in weed-controlled areas
• releasing around recently planted trees
• weed removal, including tradescantia, montbretia, sycamore, buddleia, broom and wattle.

The main planting period is July–September each year.

Please report any problems such as trees fallen across tracks, rubbish dumping, slips, vandalism and noxious weeds to Wellington City Council at Report a problem or to 04 499 4444.

Please report pollution in streams to the Greater Wellington Pollution Hotline 0800 496 734.

Working bee dates for 2026

There are 2 regular working bees each month. One on the first Sunday of the month, and one on the Wednesday ten days later. These working bees start at 1:30pm and finish about 3:30pm. If the weather is wet the working bee will be transferred to the same day the following week. Additional working bees may be scheduled at various times.

If you are interested in coming to our working bees, please email us in advance at trelissickgroup@gmail.com with 'working bee' in the email subject line.

Please wear good footwear and bring general gardening tools with you such as gloves, loppers, grubbers, shears, pruning saws...hand tools only please.

The next working bees are:

• Sunday 1 February, 1:30pm, entrance 6, lower Kaiwharawhara Rd. Release plantings upstream of magazine buildings, remove montbretia and fennel.
• Wednesday 11 February, 1:30pm, entrance 5, layby upper Kaiwharawhara Rd. Remove blackberry, OMB, montbretia and honeysuckle.

See the Maps, tracks page for entrance locations.

The dates for later in 2026 are:

• March – Sun 1 and Wed 11
• April – Sun 12 and Wed 22
• May – Sun 3 and Wed 13
• June – Sun 7 and Wed 17
• July – Sun 5 and Wed 15
• August – Sun 2 and Wed 12
• September – Sun 6 and Wed 16
• October – Sun 4 and Wed 14
• November – Sun 1 and Wed 11
• December – Sun 6 and Wed 16

Adopt-a-Spot scheme

This scheme encourages people to adopt their own spot in the park to look after, at any time convenient to them, rather than working in with the working bee schedule.

If you are interested, email the Trelissick Park Group at trelissickgroup@gmail.com. The group will talk with you about the size and location of the spot.

See also Adopt-a-Spot locations (2015 update) (PDF) for locations of some historic, but typical, Adopt-a-Spots. Hover your cursor over spots for more detailed information (may be browser dependent).

Adopt-a-Spot tasks

If you decide to adopt a spot, the coordinator will brief you and visit the spot with you to talk about it. You will then be free to establish your own work schedule and pace for a variety of satisfying tasks.

• Removal of pest plants such as tradescantia, montbretia, honeysuckle, wattle, barberry and fennel.
• Clear weeds and grass from around newly-planted native trees – generally this needs to be done for the next 3-4 years until the trees grow to be well-established.
• Replant areas cleared of pest plants. You will be supplied with suitable trees.
• Remove rubbish.
• Make suggestions for improvements.

• Spotee guidelines (January 2023 update) (PDF)

Safety and health information for all volunteers

• Volunteer Health and Safety Information (August 2015) (PDF)

Project awards

Awards received

• 2025 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards, Runner up for Wellington City, Heritage and Environment
• 2021 Absolutely Positively Wellingtonian Award for Peter Reimann for "his ongoing work leading the Trelissick Park Group".
• 2020 Volunteer Wellington Corporate Challenge Mahi Aroha Award for "ongoing work and for marvellous hosting of volunteer groups - in particular hosting Treasury and Victoria University last year"
• 2010 Community partnerships award – Greater Wellington Regional Council, Department of Conservation, Wellington-Hawke’s Bay Conservation Board Encore Awards
• 2006 Weedbusters Award for overall excellence – Department of Conservation, Greater Wellington Regional Council
• 2005 Heritage and Environment Award for Wellington City – Community Trust of Wellington
• 2005 Certificate as a nominee for the main award – Wellington Civic Trust
• 2003 Certificate as a nominee for the main award – Wellington Civic Trust
• 2003 Meritorious award for Adopt-a-Spot scheme – Department of Conservation, Wellington Conservation Board
• 1999 Absolutely Positively Award – Wellington City Council
• 1999 Conservation Award – Department of Conservation, Wellington Regional Environmental Agency

Award nominations

• 2015 Nomination of Peter Reimann for Green Ribbon Award - Ministry for the Environment (Nomination)
• 2007 Nomination of Frances Lee for Green Ribbon Award - Ministry for the Environment (Nomination)