A project to restore a wetland is just the start of plans to transform a gorse-choked piece of Maori land.
Yesterday, about 20 people turned out to help siblings Ari and Judd Bailey plant natives on the wetland on their 26ha family-owned land at Marybank, bordering SH3.
Ms Bailey told the Wanganui Chronicle she and her brother had a strong connection to the land, as it been in their families for many generations, and they had grown up there.
"We took the land back about 18 months ago. It had been trashed by lease holders - as you can see, there's gorse everywhere."
The natural wetland had been drained, but the Baileys have been working meticulously to bring artesian water up to make ponds in a low-lying area.