A fund for the future of native plant conservation at Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush.
Investing in one of New Zealand’s most important plant conservation locations.
Just a few kilometres away from Wellington’s bustling city centre stands one of our city’s oldest trees. Bestowed the name of ‘Moko’ by Te Āti Awa iwi, the 800-year-old rimu is surrounded by 100 hectares of mature and regenerating forest and over five hectares of plant collections that include 1,200 different native species.
The site is collectively known as Ōtari-Wilton's Bush; a nod to the land’s unique history and the generations of mana whenua who have gathered food here, and new settlers who initially farmed here, but also protected some of the original forest, developed the native botanical garden, picnicked on the lawns and skipped stones in the Kaiwharawhara Stream.
Originally known as Ōtarikākā, meaning ‘the place for snaring kākā’, the land, which is abundant with natural flora and fauna, was a source of sustenance for Taranaki Whānui, Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Ngāti Tama iwi. It remained this way until the early 1800s, when new migrants settled on the land, clearing native trees to make way for farmland. In what was a visionary move for the time, farmer Job Wilton put aside 17 acres of original native rimu-rātā/tawa forest for the purpose of conservation, well before the term had been coined. This became known as Wilton’s Bush.
Wilton was one of many forward-thinking people who would go on to play a pivotal role in the story of Ōtari-Wilton's Bush, people who ensured the land was conserved, new pockets of land were acquired for regeneration, and that it continued to be protected and restored for its important ecological values.
Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush’s Leonard Cockayne Lawn
In the 1920s, eminent botanist, Dr Leonard Cockayne, expressed dismay at the destruction of New Zealand’s native forests and flora. He wanted to create an open-air plant museum to celebrate native flora and avoid the loss of these native plants. Wellington City Council’s first Director of Parks and Reserves, John Gretton MacKenzie supported the idea, the council acquired the land and the Ōtari Open-Air Native Plant Museum was established in 1926.
The goal of the museum was to bring together a wide range of native plants from around the country to safeguard them in Ōtari in ecosystems developed to replicate their natural habitats, to teach people about native plants, and to restore the native forest at Ōtari. Many species were personally collected by MacKenzie and Cockayne during wide-ranging expeditions throughout New Zealand and its offshore islands.
From early on, the Museum was ‘for the community, by the community’, with many admirers playing their own role in cultivating plants from more inaccessible regions and planting native flora in their own gardens.
Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush quickly became popular with visitors and drew acclaim from far and wide. “A remarkable city asset”, exclaimed a 1933 article. “Wellington is fast acquiring what will rank as one of the most picturesque scenic reserves in the world.”
Close to the hearts of Wellingtonians; past and present
As generations of families made memories, children explored and discovered our natural world, rare plant species were propagated and forests matured, Ōtari-Wilton's Bush became a much-loved part of the Wellington story.
Today, Ōtari-Native Botanic Garden and Wilton’s Bush Reserve is the only public botanic garden solely dedicated to native flora in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is designated a six-star Garden of International Significance by the New Zealand’s Gardens Trust of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture. Ōtari holds the largest collection of New Zealand native plants in the world.
Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush Trust volunteers offer a guided tour to visitors.
Mobilised by a passion for conservation
The Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush Trust was established in 2001, by a group of dedicated botanists, conservationists and locals who resolved to protect and enhance Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush and support the Wellington City Council in its management of the reserve.
“It has always been the vision of the Trust to be guardians for Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush and for the role it plays in preserving and restoring New Zealand’s native flora,” says Trust Treasurer, Tim Mason.
“As trustees, we are united in our vision to care for Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush, so it continues to be an important part of Wellington and New Zealand’s conservation story.”
For the trustees, the Bush holds significance on very personal levels. For some, it was a place they visited as children on Sunday afternoons; gravel crunching underfoot as they marveled at sunny bursts of blooming kōwhai. For another, it was a place that unlocked a lifelong appreciation for the diversity and beauty of our native flora when, as a young botanist over 40 years ago, she walked the five kilometres from Wellington city to visit for the first time.
For Trust Chair, Carol West, a retired plant ecologist, the significance of Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush lies in its unique nature. “It provides such a rich opportunity to connect with a wide range of flora. Each species has its own unique history and some species you will only find here!”
For over 20-years, the Trust has supported the Wellington City Council in their role of maintaining the Reserve, mobilising over 100 volunteers to assist with weeding and pest control, while also enhancing the visitor experience, supporting more long-term conservation efforts, raising the profile of Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush as an iconic ecological, recreational and conservation site, and providing ongoing advocacy.
“We want to make Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush shine as a compelling destination for visitors, so it continues to be an important part of Wellington and New Zealand’s story,” says Carol.
As well as restoration efforts and a focus on building awareness, the Trust has also undertaken specific projects such as building a viewing platform so visitors take in the impressive grandeur of Moko without disturbing the foliage and root systems beneath, and the publication of Ōtari: Two Hundred Years of Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush; a book dedicated to capturing its compelling history in honour of Ōtari’s centenary in 2026.
A powerful next chapter
As trustees meet one misty winter afternoon, one specific agenda item is the focus. ‘The future’, it says, underlined and bolded in red.
“We know that the story of Ōtari will go beyond any of us,” says Tim Mason. “So, the next chapter, and what we can do to support it as a Trust, is always a priority topic.”
Months before, the Trust had started to talk with Nikau Foundation hoping to find a sustainable way to support Ōtari-Wilton's Bush’s vision long-term. “We receive such amazing support from our members and the public – people who come here with their grandchildren, have studied or conducted research here, or just love the sanctuary that Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush provides,” says Tim. “But we wanted to find a way to futureproof this support so it could contribute to the future sustainability and resilience of this special place.”
The Ōtari-Wilton's Bush Fund was established with Nikau Foundation in 2023. “The Ōtari-Wilton's Bush Fund will ensure that Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush will continue to play an innovative, forward-thinking role in the conservation of New Zealand’s native flora, as it has for 100 years,” says Carol.
All donations given to the Ōtari-Wilton's Bush Fund will be responsibly invested and grown, with grants given back to the Trust every year once the fund reaches $100,000.
These grants will provide support in a number of ways, says Carol. “Through long-term funding provided by the Ōtari-Wilton's Bush Fund, the Trust will support Ōtari-Wilton's Bush across several aspects, from building public awareness and appreciation of its rich history, to assisting in conservation and restoration efforts, to enhancing the visitor experience, building educational opportunities and funding scientific research into native flora.”
Ōtari-Wilton's Bush already holds a special place in the hearts of Wellingtonians .
With support from the Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush Fund, the Trust is ensuring this special place is preserved and handed down to our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
To support Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush forever and help the Trust reach its fundraising goal of $20,000,000, you can donate in several ways.
To be part of the next chapter of Ōtari-Wilton's Bush, you can donate to the Ōtari-Wilton's Bush Fund via internet banking, donating online or leave a gift in your will. Please click on the icons below to find out more.
Internet Banking:
Westpac - Lambton Quay - 03 0502 0163248 001
Once you have donated, please let the Nikau Foundation team know by emailing accounts@nikaufoundation.nz with your name, address and noting that you would like to support the Ōtari-Wilton's Bush Fund. Please reference the fund to which you’d like to donate into the ‘reference’ section of your online payment.
