News

Monthly plant sales pausing for summer

Just to let everyone know that our monthly plant sales are being paused through the holiday season and will recommence on February 14, 2026 (starting 10am at Tāne Whakapiripiri, the visitor centre).

These plant sales have developed a strong fan base of local gardeners. The plants have been propagated in our very own Trust nursery at Ōtari, and chosen deliberately for their suitability to grow in domestic gardens around Wellington. The project fits well with the Trust’s aims to promote awareness of our native flora, and the funds raised go towards plant conservation and education pojects.

Our hard-working Trust nursery volunteers will not be resting through summer though. Jane and Lynley have been working to source an even wider range of native plants suitable for Wellington gardens, and will be busy over summer, propagating and tending these new plants and keeping the nursery stock watered and weeded.

From February, sales will be held monthly on the second Saturday of every month.

Posted: 16 December 2025

More good news from the valley

Jonathan KennettIn early November, the second working bee of Ōtari’s ‘Kaiwharawhara Restoration Revisitation’ took place.

Nine skilled volunteers recorded native plant growth and took out hundreds of weeds from sites 14 and 17, and removed several floors worth of old carpet squares. Lightwells were also created around many magnificent climax species, enabling them to thrive.

The work was part of the revisitation of the major reforestation project in the Kaiwharawhara Valley, run by Jonathan Kennett and Bronwen Wall and supported by the Trust.

Since 2001, the once weed-infested valley has become filled with native forest. Volunteers planted and cared for more than 55,000 seedlings, while conservationists Jonathan Kennett and Bronwen Wall completed a ten-year study of 22 monitoring plots in the valley to determine the survival rates for the species planted. Now, 20 years on, Kennett and Wall plan to revisit all 22 plots.

Dr Carol West measuring growthWhen planted in 2003, the 3x10 metre monitoring plot on Site 14 contained 68 native plants and 11 species. Now there are 212 plants made up of 27 species! The volume and diversity of native plants is fantastic, says Jonathan. ‘Site 17 has been just as successful. The number of native plants has gone from 49 to 145 in the last 23 years, and the diversity of species has increased from 11 to 26! This site now has trees up to 10 metres tall. The growth and diversity are uplifting, I can’t wait to do the next sites.’

The revisitation project will continue along the valley through summer.

Posted: 21 November 2025

Why not join our Heritage Tour?

Korimako, Tony Stoddard wildbirds.nzWhy does Ōtari have the single largest collection of native plants in the country? And the oldest native forest in Wellington city? What important centenary will be celebrated next year? Who built the huge rock garden (by hand)? What happened to the curator’s vegetable garden? Who took a barrowload of dead kākā to the poultry shop, and why that was OK (kind of). What was this korimako (bellbird) mother up to in Ōtari this month? All these questions, and more, will be answered in our upcoming Heritage Festival Guided Tour, Saturday November 1st. The tour starts at 2pm, meet at Tāne Whakapiripiri, the Ōtari visitor centre. Book at https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2025/heritage-of-otari-wiltonrs-bush-the-gardens-and-gardeners/wellington

Posted: 22 October 2025