Our Thursday volunteer crew has remained wonderfully consistent, with four or more people joining each week. Their steady effort has helped us make strong progress around the Bullock Creek site, particularly through this season’s planting and mulching.

With planting now complete, we’re shifting focus to release weeding — an essential step to help young natives establish and support the wider health of the creek. These restoration efforts play a key role in improving water quality, stabilising stream edges, and creating healthier habitat for local wildlife.

Please also note that our Thursday volunteer sessions will now run 9–11am, starting 20 November.

Anyone is welcome to join — no experience needed, just a willingness to help care for this important ecosystem.

Head to our Volunteer page to find out more.

Friends of Bullock Creek (FOBC) is highlighting the significance of the QEII National Trust covenant placed over the Bullock Creek Hatchery Springs - a key step in securing the long-term protection and rehabilitation of this ecologically important site.

The QEII covenant ensures the land is legally protected for conservation purposes, preserving the natural character of the springs and surrounding habitats for generations to come. This protection has provided a crucial foundation for FOBC’s ongoing restoration efforts in the area.

Over recent years, FOBC volunteers have worked steadily to remove invasive species, reintroduce native vegetation, improve water flow, and restore habitat throughout the Hatchery Springs site. The results are increasingly evident: healthier waterways, flourishing native plantings, and a steadily recovering environment.

Images below show the remarkable progress made, from the early stages of rehabilitation to the vibrant, restored landscape taking shape today.

FOBC is proud to continue its stewardship of this special place, made possible by the enduring protection of the QEII National Trust covenant.

Summer is a special time at the Hatchery Springs, with the whole ecosystem buzzing with life. Native birds like pīwakawaka, korimako, and riroriro make the most of the warm weather, darting through the canopy and calling from the surrounding vegetation. Along the banks, lush harakeke, toetoe, and young native plantings thrive in the long daylight hours, creating vital habitat and supporting the health of the springs.

The planting along the creek bed plays a crucial role in water purification. Native vegetation helps stabilise the banks, reduce sediment runoff, and filter nutrients before they enter the waterway. Their roots act like natural sponges, slowing down water flow and trapping contaminants, which helps keep the springs clear and healthy for the wildlife that depends on them.

It’s a vibrant reminder of why protecting this space matters. If you’re visiting over the summer months, take a moment to slow down, listen to the birdsong, and enjoy this beautiful pocket of nature right in our community.

As temperatures begin to climb, we’re adapting our summer volunteer schedule to make sure everyone can work comfortably and safely. From this week onward, FOBC volunteer sessions will move to Thursday mornings, 9–11am, allowing us to make the most of the cooler part of the day.

Starting earlier also means better conditions for planting and maintaining the creek environment. Cooler soil temperatures and gentler morning sun help young plants establish more successfully — and make the work more enjoyable for our volunteers.

Whether you’re a regular or thinking about joining for the first time, we’d love to have you with us. Come along, lend a hand, and help us keep Bullock Creek Hatchery Springs thriving this summer.

Friends of Bullock Creek (FOBC) are thrilled to share that we’ve received Direct Group Funding supported by the Otago Catchment Community (OCC), a partnership that brings us one step closer to achieving our restoration and conservation goals.

This funding will support our ongoing efforts to protect and enhance the Bullock Creek catchment, safeguarding its freshwater ecosystems, native biodiversity, and the wellbeing of our local community. The support from OCC not only provides essential financial assistance but also reflects a shared commitment to hands-on, community-led conservation in the Wānaka area.

FOBC has long worked alongside the OCC to align local action with regional conservation priorities. This direct funding strengthens that relationship, allowing us to plan and deliver projects more effectively, and to continue fostering collaboration between volunteers, local residents, and supporting organisations.

We extend our sincere thanks to the Otago Catchment Community for their belief in our work and for helping us protect one of Wānaka’s most important natural assets.

Together, we’re making meaningful progress, for Bullock Creek, and for the future of our local environment.

When most people head to Wānaka for a break, they pack their hiking boots, mountain bikes, or fishing rods. But for John, a keen conservation volunteer from Tauranga, the essentials also include gardening gloves and a sun hat.

John frequently visits Wānaka and during his trips, he makes time to lend a hand at Bullock Creek. From planting native seedlings to helping maintain pathways and traps, John’s contribution is a welcome boost for the Friends of Bullock Creek team.

“It’s such a beautiful spot, and it feels good to give something back,” John says.

Volunteers like John play an important role in keeping the wetlands thriving. Their support helps native plants establish, enhances habitat for birdlife such as the pīwakawaka and tūī, and ensures visitors can continue to enjoy the area in its natural state.

Next time you’re in Wānaka, why not follow John’s example? Drop by Bullock Creek, say hello to the team, and see how you can get involved. Every pair of hands makes a difference.

As the cold gripped the Wānaka district over winter, you may notice that the Tiaki Bees hives around Bullock Creek lie quiet and tightly sealed. But don’t be fooled, these hives are far from abandoned. In fact, this seasonal rhythm is a vital part of healthy hive management.

Why hives are closed during winter
During the colder months, honeybee colonies conserve energy and minimise risk by clustering around the queen inside the hive. Tiaki Bees beehives are deliberately closed up in winter to protect against chilling, reduce exposure to pests, and shield vulnerable brood (young bees) from the harsh conditions. Feeding is reduced, and the colony accesses stored honey reserves. This controlled dormancy helps the bees survive when nectar sources are scarce.

Opening up again when spring arrives
Come warmer weather, the hives are gradually reopened and bees begin their foraging again. Nectar and pollen become available, and the colony shifts into a busy growth phase: the queen resumes egg-laying, new workers emerge, and the hive rebuilds strength. Tiaki Bees actively monitor hive health in spring, checking for pests like varroa mites and ensuring the colony is robust enough for the summer months.

Around Bullock Creek, these hives are part of a growing partnership between Tiaki Bees and Friends of Bullock Creek, contributing both ecological value and educational opportunity. Visitors to wetland events often hear from Barna (founder of Tiaki Bees) about the local life of bees, their seasonal cycles, and their vital role in pollination.

Why it matters for the wetlands
Healthy bee colonies support pollination of native plants, including many that fringe the Bullock Creek wetlands. By aligning hive activity with the seasons, Tiaki Bees helps ensure that bees are most active when flora is blooming and pollination is needed. This seasonal opening and closing is part of good beekeeping practice, and benefits the entire ecosystem.

So next summer, when you see bees buzzing around blossoms near Bullock Creek, you’ll know they’ve just emerged from a carefully managed quiet season, ready to help our native plants thrive.

Tūī are an endemic songbird from the honeyeater family, best known for their remarkable ability to mimic sounds - not just other birds like the korimako, but even human-made noises such as machinery or phones. With their striking iridescent plumage and distinctive white throat tufts, tūī are a true icon of Aotearoa’s native birdlife.

As honeyeaters, tūī feed on nectar from native plants and play a vital role in pollinating species such as harakeke, kōwhai, and rātā.

While tūī are not currently at risk of extinction, their populations are still threatened by predators such as rats, possums, and stoats, as well as by habitat loss. To help our tūī thrive, we can set traps in our backyards, on our properties, or at workplaces to control pests, and plant native trees to create safe, food-rich habitats.

Several tūī make their home around the Bullock Creek Hatchery Springs, and we’re always delighted to spot them among the trees or hear their distinctive song echoing across the wetlands. Have you seen or heard any on your visits?

Recently we’ve had two new Trustees join Friends of Bullock Creek Board of Trustees. Bo has answered some questions to help us get to know him a bit better. You can find Bo volunteering at our Thursday sessions, so come down and say hi to him!

In five words, describe what makes Bullock Creek so special

Bubbling Peaceful Urban Oasis .

What kind of skills and experience do you bring to your role as Trustee?

Extensive experience in Conservation Capital Project Development and Construction Project Management.

How did you become involved with FOBC?

As new Wānaka residents, we were impressed with the swift clear stream running through the playground where our grandchildren play and just had to find out more. We ended up donating our moving box cardboard to FOBC and then became an active volunteer.

What have been some highlights of your work so far as a trustee for FOBC?

I have only been involved a short time as a Volunteer and now a Trustee, but seeing the transformation FOBC have made to Bullock Creek is amazing. The new plantings have really taken off and the invasive weeds are slowly but surely being beaten back, transforming the site.

What are some challenges you see regarding local environmental protection and regeneration?

The biggest challenge that I think is put upon the clear waters of Bullock Creek is the ongoing Urban intensification that can have the effect of increasing contaminated surface water runoff and that if not managed properly could enter the Bullock Creek waterways. This could be devastating to the Bullock Creek water clarity and habitat.

Where do you see FOBC in ten years time?

That the site has been fully reinstated to something that was close as what was there before human development altered the site. The whole site replanted and invasive weed species removed or controlled. Education programs developed along with spaces for public enjoyment.

Take a walk with us through the Bullock Creek Hatchery Springs…but in 4x speed! As you walk along the boardwalk through the wetlands, a plethora of life greets you, from the tūī to the pīwakawaka, to the kahu that regularly soar overhead. Plants such as harakeke, horoeka, karamū, mānuka, kānuka, kahikatea, toetoe, and tawai lend their fronds and canopies as welcome shade, habitat, food and respite to the humans and more-than-humans who call the wetlands home…or those just visiting! You may spot some ducks floating down the creek or even some fish like trout or the native koaro swimming along. Spend any amount of time here and you’ll feel grounded and refreshed.