Ngā Taonga o te Ngahere – Treasures of the forest
Thanks for stopping by! We hope you get as much joy from this beautiful artwork as we do. This mural was created by Millie Pidwell(opens in new tab), made possible thanks to a generous grant from Creative BOP(opens in new tab) and TECT(opens in new tab).
Every creature and plant painted here is real, and still living in the Bay of Plenty. Read on to learn their names and unlock their secrets.
NGĀ MANU — THE BIRDS
Two native birds share the wall here, one a familiar visitor, one a rarer treasure.
New Zealand wood pigeon
Māori name: Kererū Scientific name: Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Did you know: Kererū make a distinctive whooshing sound with their wings, so you often hear one before you see it. After a big feed on fermented fruit, they’ve even been known to look a little drunk on their branch.
Why they matter: Kererū are the only bird left, big enough to swallow the large fruit of trees like karaka, taraire and puriri, whole seed and all. Without kererū, these trees would struggle to spread their seeds through the forest.
See it locally: McLaren Falls Park, just outside Tauranga, is a reliable spot to see kererū among its native bush and lakeside walks. For more info about McLaren Falls – click here(opens in new tab)
North Island kōkako
Māori name: Kōkako Scientific name: Callaeas wilsoni
Did you know: Also nicknamed the ‘Grey ghost’, the kōkako would rather leap and glide between branches on their strong legs than fly far. Their song is incredibly magical to hear and often described as haunting and organ-like, and can carry through the forest at dawn.
According to the Tūhoe legend, the kōkako’s wattles were once a dull colour until the bird brushed against the vivid blue werewere-kōkako mushroom, and the colour rubbed off onto its throat, giving it the striking blue wattle.
Why they matter: Kōkako numbers dropped sharply last century, but sustained pest control, removing rats, stoats and possums, has helped populations recover in parts of the North Island. Every trap set locally helps bird species like this one.
See it locally: One of the largest populations of Kōkako in NZ (by land mass and bird density) is only 50 mins drive from here! For more info on how to volunteer with the Rotoehu Ecological Trust click here(opens in new tab)
NGĀ MEA ITI — SMALL WONDERS
Look closer and you’ll find some of the mural’s strangest and oldest characters.
Velvet worm / peripatus
Māori name: Ngāokeoke Scientific name: Peripatoides spp.
Did you know: Meet one of the strangest hunters in the bush. The velvet worm looks soft and slow, almost jelly-like, but it’s a stealth predator with a trick straight out of science fiction: it ambushes prey at night and fires two jets of sticky slime from glands near its head, pinning its target in place before moving in to feed. Velvet worms have barely changed in hundreds of millions of years, and this species is older than dinosaurs.
Why they matter: These shy creatures only live in cool, damp, undisturbed native bush. Finding one is a good sign that a patch of forest floor is healthy.
Carové’s giant dragonfly
Māori name: Kapokapowai Scientific name: Uropetala carovei
Did you know: Kapokapowai means “water snatcher”. The young (nymphs) live in burrows near streams and seepages for years before finally emerging as New Zealand’s largest dragonfly.
Why they matter: Kapokapowai need clean, undisturbed freshwater wetlands to breed, so protecting streams and boggy ground helps keep this ancient hunter around for future generations.
See it locally: Whakarewarewa Forest (the Redwoods), Rotorua, is a known spot to see this dragonfly darting around over summer. For more info on the forest click here(opens in new tab)
Pūriri moth
Māori name: Pepetuna Scientific name: Aenetus virescens
Did you know: This is New Zealand’s largest moth. Its caterpillars burrow into tree trunks (often Pūriri trees) and live there for up to 6 years, leaving distinctive keyhole-shaped holes in the bark. The adult moth has no mouth at all, and lives for only a couple of days.
Why they matter: Pepetuna depend on healthy mature trees, especially pūriri, to complete their strange life cycle. Protecting old native trees protects the moth too.
Blue pinkgill mushroom
Māori name: Werewere-kōkako Scientific name: Entoloma hochstetteri
Did you know: This vivid blue mushroom appears on New Zealand’s $50 note, the only banknote in the world to feature a fungus. Its colour comes from a natural pigment called azulene.
Why they matter: Fungi like werewere-kōkako are quietly doing essential work underground and in the leaf litter, breaking down old wood and recycling nutrients back into the soil. A forest full of fungi is usually a forest in good health, even when most of that work stays completely out of sight.
NGĀ RĀKAU — THE PLANTS
The greenery holding the whole scene together, and feeding everyone in it.
Kawakawa
Māori name: Kawakawa Scientific name: Piper excelsum
Did you know: Kawakawa belongs to the pepper family, Piperaceae, which makes it a cousin of both black pepper and kava. Chew on a leaf and you’ll notice a peppery, slightly numbing feeling, a family trait shared with its Pacific relatives.
Why they matter: Kawakawa is a valued rongoā (traditional medicine) plant and supports native insect life, making it a great choice if you’re planting a backyard garden.
Pūriri tree
Māori name: Pūriri Scientific name: Vitex lucens
Did you know: Unusually for a New Zealand native tree, pūriri flowers and fruits all year round, which is how it earned the nickname “New Zealand’s own fruit salad tree”.
Why they matter: That year-round flowering and fruiting makes pūriri a vital food source for kererū, tūī and pepetuna, whatever the season happens to be.
See it locally: Pāpāmoa Hills Regional Park has a walking track named after this very tree, winding through native bush where puriri still grow. For more info on the park click here(opens in new tab)
King fern
Māori name: Para Scientific name: Ptisana salicina
Did you know: King fern has some of the largest fronds of any New Zealand fern, growing up to five metres long. Its starchy stem base was traditionally an important food source.
Why they matter: Para is now uncommon in the wild due to habitat loss and browsing by introduced animals like pigs and possums, which makes remaining wild populations well worth protecting.
See it locally: Aongatete Forest, in the Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park near Katikati, has established a demonstration king fern plot along its track network. For more info click here(opens in new tab)
ABOUT ENVIROHUB BOP
This mural is just one small part of our mahi.
We’re a not-for-profit organisation connecting conservation, green hands and sustainable living groups across the Western Bay of Plenty and Rotorua. Established in 2001, we help local communities learn about, and take action on, the environmental issues that matter here at home.
Sustainable Backyards A month-long programme of events across the Bay of Plenty & Rotorua celebrating local environmental initiatives. Click here for more info(opens in new tab)
Space for Nature Project A project creating more room for native species and habitat in the community. Click here for more info(opens in new tab)
Predator Free BOP Community-led predator control to protect native wildlife across the Bay of Plenty. Click here for more info(opens in new tab)
Climate Action Festival A week long event bringing the community together to take action on climate change. Click here for more info(opens in new tab)
Sustainable Textiles Reducing textile waste through workshops, mending sessions, and our flagship catwalk event. Click here for more info(opens in new tab)
Precious Plastics Educating the community about recycling and turning plastic waste into useful, well-made products. Click here for more info(opens in new tab)
Specialist Recycling Recycling services for materials that can’t go in your standard kerbside bin. Click here for more info(opens in new tab)
Green Team App A free app for logging predator catches, finding op shops, and joining monthly eco-challenges. Click here for more info(opens in new tab)