Our Place

The Our Place project run by Community Waitakere; connected young people with the local environment through direct engagement in the restoration of Henderson Creek.

The two year programme was funded by the Ministry for the Environment from June 2010 – May 2013 with support provided from Auckland Council through Project Twin Streams.

Young people and Social Workers participated in collaboration with Child Youth and Family Henderson, while other young people engaged in the programme through Zeal West.

Young people were involved in planting, weeding, water quality testing, macro-invertebrate identification, research and monitoring, creative engagement, maintenance, seed collection, plant propagation, history, rongoa and raranga.

As well as environmental and social outcomes, the programme fostered the development of Kaitiakitanga or guardianship among particpants.

“Since the start of the Our Place project we have found that our young people have learned a lot about their local environment; we have noticed that they don’t throw their rubbish around so freely any longer, they often talk about the area and what is in the stream.”

-Child Youth and Family Social Worker