Gift endangered flowers for Valentine’s Day

From Tairāwhiti Ngutukaka - Alice Cameron

Instead of buying red roses this Valentine’s Day, Raglan locals can gift one of Aotearoa’s most endangered and beautiful flowering plants, the Tairawhiti Ngutukākā (also known as kākābeak).

“There were once only around one hundred ngutukākā left in the wild, but thanks to our team of amazing volunteers we planted over 800 last year,” says Graeme Atkins, Founder of Tairāwhiti Ngutukaka.

“Everyone should know the stunning beauty of ngutukākā in the wild, as our tīpuna used to see them. We need your help to grow more seedlings and establish these taonga species not just in our gardens but into our native forests.”

For just $50 - much less than the price of a dozen red roses - you can plant five of these taonga and treasured species. You can show someone you love them and the planet too.

“This Valentine’s Day we are asking you to give something really meaningful and share the aroha” says Stu Muir, Chair of the Endangered Species Foundation. “We want to reclaim Valentine’s Day for our most endangered species so we can all give back and help our most endangered species survive and thrive.”

Your donation will help plant more of these treasured plants and in return you will receive a beautiful Valentine’s e-card to gift to someone you love.

The ngutukākā / kākābeak once flowered across the whole East Cape but now it is one of our most endangered plants. You can read more about how Maori-led kaitiakitanga is reviving Tairawhiti Ngutukaka - East Coast Kakabeak here.

Donations

Koha can be given via the Endangered Species website here: https://www. endangeredspecies.org.nz/gift-ngutukaka

We are aiming to raise $30,000 which would enable us to plant 3,000 ngutukākā. Your donation will go towards:

• Growing seedlings and plants

• Educating people on how to grow and plant Ngutukākā

• Buying equipment to transport, dig and manage plant sites

• Paying for a coordinator to educate and engage kura, marae and members of the public on what needs to be done to save this rare species

• Expanding this programme to other areas in Tairawhiti / East Cape

• Communicating what needs to be done for endangered species and their habitats