Since Monday 11 November 2019, Honour the Maunga has occupied Ōwairaka/Mount Albert 24/7. Our goal is to prevent Tūpuna Maunga Authority from needlessly felling 345 healthy, mature exotic trees.

But this environmental destruction doesn’t stop at Ōwairaka. The Authority plans to fell nearly 2000 exotic trees on all of Auckland’s volcanic cones under its control.

These healthy, mature trees provide an urban sanctuary to many species of native bird, including Tui, Ruru (Morepork), Kahu (Hawk), Piwakawaka (Fantail), Kaka and Kereru (Wood Pigeon) as well as many non-native avian species. This living forest is also home to many beneficial insects, lizards, fungi and other lifeforms - seen and unseen.

Honour the Maunga and the Covid-19 Lockdown

Unfortunately the Lockdown means that even though our base remains on Owairaka, we are not occupying it. Many of our people live in the neighbourhood and walk on the maunga, so we are still here keeping an eye on everything but in a different way for now.

Please continue to support us by donating, signing our petition and going on our newsletter mailing list.

Ōwairaka - an Urban-Forest Oasis and Bird Sanctuary

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The plan includes planting just under 13,000 natives - the majority of which are grasses, sedges and shrubs. As a whole these plants will be unable to replace the multitude of ecological functions currently offered by the mature exotics on site.

The removal of all exotic trees at once is an environmental disaster. Young natives require the protection of elder trees and an undisturbed soil structure to thrive. There are already many young native growing wild under the guardianship of the established exotics. It will take decades for any natives planted now to reach the level of maturity to support the bird life currently present on the Maunga. Stripping it of its canopy will also contribute to disturbances in the water table and soil erosion. The loss of such a significant area of biomass will shift local climate.

We support the reintroduction of native trees and shrubs via the process of succession planting, without the death or removal of existing trees. In addition to providing habitat, protecting the soil and structural integrity of the mountain, protecting hydrological balance, sequestering carbon and vastly reducing the need for human/chemical input, these trees hold great meaning for all the people who love this Mountain.

Volunteer to help →

Our Concerns

  • Ecological devastation - Destroying nearly half of the maunga’s tree cover in a five week period will have a devastating effect on this Special Ecological Area - including soil erosion, loss of habitat and biodiversity, micro-climate change, water pollution, excessive chemical input and compromised microbiota in the soil.

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Best practice vegetation succession should happen over decades, not weeks.

  • Danger to birds - Works have been scheduled during nesting season. The disturbance to native and exotic birds by chainsaws and helicopters is incalculable. Even if trees with native bird nests are roped off (other birds are afforded no protection), parent birds are likely to fly off and abandon their nests. This procedure condemns thousands of lives to death.

  • Climate change - Mature trees, of any types, are our best defense against the devastating effects of Climate Change. To remove over 2000 trees across Auckland ten years before we are predicting to reach maximum atmospheric carbon in 2030 is a crime against humanity and a crime against nature.

  • Negative effects on people - Mount Albert is used by many individuals and groups, most of whom greatly appreciate its thriving natural environment.

  • Lack of transparency - On multiple levels, the Authority and the Council failed to inform the public adequately about the scale, scope and speed of their plan.

What We Are Asking For

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We ask for a guarantee that no trees on Ōwairaka will be felled. We ask that succession planting be carried out over decades - just as would happen in nature - so that the native plantings are supported by the existing, mature forest.

We respectfully ask the Tūpuna Maunga Authority and Auckland Council to engage with us, in the spirit of positive partnership, to protect Ōwairaka and her life-forms.

“If we want to use forests as a weapon in the fight against climate change, then we must allow them to grow old, which is exactly what large conservation groups are asking us to do.”

— Peter WohlleBen, author of the hidden life of trees

This is a family of trees planted by a family of people who wanted to tend this place that had been so deeply ravaged. These cherry trees feed innumerable native birds and have been here longer than most of us. We are invited to look beyond the ide
Native Bird. Non Native Tree. Home. Nature has much to teach us. Photo credit Sharon Jones - taken June 15th 2020 on Ōwairaka. #honourthemaunga
A kingfisher on Ōwairaka yesterday. In all our human conversations and perspectives, it’s easy to forget this isn’t just about us and how we feel. Compassion for all the beings that are here is what brought us here in the first place.
Second version, more people and trees we love! We’ll be sharing diverse stories of why these trees mean so much. Stay tuned 🌳❤️🌳 #honourthemaunga
• Who We Are • Honour the Maunga came into being to protect 345 mature trees from being felled from Ōwairaka simply because they are considered exotic. Over the last six months we have endured consistent allegations of racism, cultural in
The Toilet Pics - for background, on the evening of April 14th/15th our entire campsite was removed somewhere between in the early hours. Soon after we received an email from TMA stating that they had taken our gear on the grounds of Covid and Aler
Honour the Maunga did the right thing and stood down from our occupation of Owairaka / Mt Albert during Covid Level 4. Last night Tupuna Maunga Authority took advantage of our absence by sneaking in under the cover of darkness and taking absolutely
Nature continues. #honourthemaunga
Trees are trees. Beautiful Liz captured by John Clark. #honourthemaunga #treeprotectors #everytreecounts #protectthesacred #globalwarming #climatechange #protectourmother #oneplanet
Three days ago the Independent released a report outlining the failing ability of the Amazon and African rainforests to sequester carbon due to widespread tree death after devastating fires and continued wanton deforestation. These lungs of the Eart
The health of Owairaka’s ecosystem has an impact far and wide. The endangered native long filled eel lives in the waters of Western Springs, connected to this sacred mountain through the aquifer that is part of the delicate make up of them bot
Karamu, Karaka, Kawakawa and other native seedlings coming up organically in the safety and love provided by a Mama tree. We are the ones who differentiate, not nature. Photo by Megan Blennerhassett. #honourthemaunga #savethetrees #everytreecounts
Another perspective of this mega Mama Tree - this beautiful Macrocarpa is a nursery to a self-seeded pohutakawa and kawakawa, baby owls and many other living things. May we learn from the ancient beings who have stood upon this ground before us. Ph
Sometimes it’s easy to miss a stunning opportunity. When what we love is threatened, our innate ability to come together in connection is activated, and this is some of the most beautiful experiences of humanity. #honourthemaunga #protectthet
From our wonderful friend and photographer Tom Ang: “You would find it hard to believe that a wee creature called from the hill for me to come find it. After all it’s barely a millimetre long, and only a few in a million people would ever