The project has reunited the Mohi ancestral land and his two family lines. And has followed tradition - Pukepuke Tangiora was a well-known and respected environmentalist, conservationist and visionary in her time.
Some work had already been done in 2010, permanently fencing off and planting a whitebait spawning site, as well as retiring and planting some steep land to reduce soil erosion.
"We'd also fenced off part of the Maraetotara Stream and in 1995 had the idea of planting all the way to the beach," says Adele Mohi.
She says the gully system was like a moonscape, and she's seen huge amounts of erosion in her lifetime.
"It's not the easiest area to farm so retiring it made a lot of sense," says Hayden Rees-Jones, farm manager for Horizon Farms which leases the land.
"The project enhances biodiversity, fits the community's social values and enhances water quality in this stretch of the stream. We're awed and humbled by what the stakeholders have achieved and everyone should be proud."
The funding has provided for new fencing, fencing repairs, improved stock water systems, establishment of native plants, pest control and tree maintenance. It also created 73 part-time jobs over the year-long project. The group is now transitioning towards tree maintenance and pest control work, plus there's the potential for future income from manuka and carbon.
The three landowners created a unique governance structure to manage the project with a memorandum of understanding to formalised agreements.
In line with Mohi's philosophy, each trust could make their own decisions for their ancestral whenua.
The project has brought together several hapū who had drifted away and has reinforced their whanaungatanga. The stronger relationships will help them carve a vision for the future of their land and foster the next generation of kaitiaki.
