Growing people, restoring nature.
Te Whāngai Trust creates nature-based employment pathways for rangatahi and individuals transitioning from the corrections system.
Who We Are.
Te Whāngai Trust operates a work-integrated social enterprise where rangatahi gain skills and employment experience while growing native plants and delivering ecological restoration projects.
We grow and supply eco-sourced native plants, deliver large-scale planting and maintenance, and provide structured scholarships for rangatahi and people facing barriers to employment. Every contract we undertake strengthens both the land and the people working on it.
Our model is grounded in a quadruple bottom line: social, environmental, economic and cultural outcomes delivered together — not in isolation.
Te Whāngai Trust operates across Auckland and the Waikato.
01
Embedded social support
functions for rangatahi.
02
Eco-sourcing and native
plant supply.
03
Long-term planting and
maintenance partnerships.
Our impact in numbers.
Explore how we are shaping a better future for our communities.
>500K
native plants grown in 2025.
100+
participants in our programmes
since 2023.
74%
of rangatahi scholarship participants entered into education, employment, or training.
2
new programmes launched to
support people with corrections
system involvement.
Featured projects.
Te Auaunga Awa |
Oakley Creek Restoration.
Lead ecological delivery partner on one of Aotearoa’s most prominent urban stream restoration projects. Awarded across landscape architecture, engineering, and infrastructure disciplines.
Te Puhinui Awa Stage 1 |
Te Aka Raataa Regeneration.
Stream daylighting and ecological planting delivered in partnership with Auckland Urban Development Office, Healthy Waters, and mana whenua partners.
Manu-kau Noa Iho |
Hayman Park Wetland.
Wetland and landscape planting for the new Hayman Park repo (wetland), a high-value community green space in the heart of Manukau.
Mokoia Pā Site Planting.
Delivering eco-sourced native plant supply, planting, and establishment maintenance at the Mokoia Pā site in Panmure.
Supporting Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Te Whāngai Trust recognises Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a foundational agreement for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Our work in ecological restoration and rangatahi development is grounded in respect for mātauranga Māori, whenua, and community relationships. We aim to honour Te Tiriti through partnership, participation, and protection — working alongside iwi, hapū, and community partners to restore ecosystems and create pathways for the next generation.
Through our programmes we support rangatahi to reconnect with whenua, build skills, and contribute to the long-term wellbeing of their communities.