Endangered blue ducks, whio, are to be released on the Makatote River at the launch today.
Tribes of the middle reaches of the Whanganui River are to launch a new environmental trust on Friday.
The tribes are Uenuku, Tamahaki and Tamakana, all part of the Uenuku Charitable Trust (UCT).
The new environmental entity will be Te Mano o te Whenua Tapu, and is one of their
top aspirations.
The launch is at the Erua Conservation Area, opposite the "Last Spike" monument on SH49, starting at 1.30pm.
Treaty Negotiations Minister Andrew Little and others will be there, including children from Raetihi School.