About us

A charitable trust for Te Awa o Waitangi.

Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au.
I am the river, the river is me.

Established in 2020, Ko Waitangi Te Awa Trust brings together environmental restoration, monitoring, education and community partnerships.

The Trust works across Te Tai Tokerau / Northland, with a key focus on the Waitangi River catchment, nurturing the health of the awa and strengthening the relationships that sustain it. Since we began, a rich network of partnerships has enabled the planting of more than 567,000 locally sourced native seedlings.

Who we are

Regenerating people,
place and the awa

Our Vision

People enabled for healthy water and abundant kai.

Our Mision

Regenerating people and the environment around Te Awa Waitangi.

Our Values

We nurture and restore the land, ocean and people to ensure that whānau have access to healthy and abundant kai.
We empower people to begin and strengthen their journey towards meaningful mahi.
Whakapapa and history guide how we work with the awa, the catchment and tupuranga.
We are inclusive, generous and welcoming to all, in service to our marae and the awa.
Everything we do is centred on enhancing the mana of our people and the environment.

At a glance

The foundations of our mahi

Established in 2020

Non-profit charitable trust supporting restoration across the catchment.

Waitangi River catchment

The river system and communities at the centre of the Trust’s mahi.

Freshwater and saltwater monitoring

Tracking river and coastal conditions to understand change over time.

Whakakaha Road nursery

Growing native plants for restoration projects across the catchment.

Explore all our mahi →

People

The team

Te Maapi Simich-Pene

Kaiwhakahaere - Manager

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Arnold Maunsell

Trustee

Arnold Maunsell has been involved with the Waitangi Catchment group since its inception in 2014 and currently chairs the Mid North East Coast Customary Fisheries Forum. His work spans customary fisheries, marine protection and hapū-led planning, including the Bay of Islands Marine Mammal Sanctuary and the award-winning Patukurea Kerikeri-Waipapa Spatial Plan.

Ngati Kawa Taituha

Trustee

Ngāti Kawa Taituha is Chairman of Te Tiriti o Waitangi Marae and Ko Waitangi Te Awa Trust, with a long-standing role in Waitangi Week and local environmental leadership. A descendant of rangatira who signed He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, he brings cultural knowledge, constitutional advocacy and kaitiakitanga to the Trust’s work.

Angela Edwards

Trustee

Angela is Managing Partner at BDO Northland’s Kerikeri office, where she leads Audit & Assurance. She works extensively with Māori entities, not-for-profits and charitable organisations, advising on accounting, governance, risk and business matters.

Rio Greening

Trustee

Rio Greening is a founding trustee of Ko Waitangi Te Awa Trust and Chair of the Waitangi Catchment group. With more than 40 years in Northland, his experience spans farming, environmental restoration and community-led planning, with a strong focus on water health, whenua and future generations.

Dr Hirini Tane

Trustee

Hirini’s research explores the relationships between people, land and water, with a focus on Māori land tenure, marae, whakapapa, tribal identity and belonging. His work also includes waterway observations across generations and research with Māori Maps.

Sam Judd

Strategic Advisor

Sam is an environmental leader with extensive experience delivering community-based conservation programmes. His work spans large-scale volunteer mobilisation, restoration projects and environmental advisory roles, with a strong focus on practical action and community engagement.