Nga Rauru planting near Waitotara river mouth

Conservation Department community ranger Scotty Moore talks to Castlecliff School children at Tapuarau, near the Waitotara River mouth. Photo/ supplied

More than 900 plants and trees now protect the banks of the Waiau Stream, which empties into the Waitotara River near its mouth.

The flaxes, sedges and trees were planted in a combined effort led by South Taranaki iwi Ngā Rauru Kiitahi, with Castlecliff School students and the Department of Conservation (DoC).

The planting in the Tapuarau Conservation Area was done over July and August. It's a part of the Te Kāhui o Rauru Waterways Restoration project - Te Wai Koiora.

Some of the funding is from the Ministry for the Environment's Te Mana o te Wai initiative.

The project aims to improve water quality and habitat and supports hāpū and whānau from the iwi to become actively involved in the restoration and monitoring of seven waterways that are culturally significant to them.

DoC community ranger Scotty Moore worked with Castlecliff students Tewaiarani Vaughan, Sativa Cook-Martin, Teresa Rennie, Aurora Dahya and Akeelah Andrew, who spent a morning weeding around plants that had been put in the previous year as a part of the project.

"It's fantastic to be able to engage with tamariki and our Treaty partners in conservation," he said.