MinterEllisonRuddWatts is delighted to welcome the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi (SoTM) to its community investment programme.
The leading law firm is the first and only corporate to partner with the SoTM. The firm is delighted to be able to support the island sanctuary which provides a safe haven for native species, flora and fauna, as well as operating as an important site for conservation advocacy and education in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Following the announcement of the partnership, MinterEllisonRuddWatts Chief Executive Andrew Poole said: “We are thrilled to welcome the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi onboard as our newest community investment partner. We are all looking forward to working together with them to make a positive impact.
“A few of the ways we will support the sanctuary are by providing pro bono legal advice and volunteering on and off the island – many of our team are already planning to use their annual volunteer day to help on the island, lending a hand to build tracks and the clean-up of beaches.
“The partnership seemed like an obvious choice for our firm’s Community Investment Programme. The work and ethos of the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi aligns closely with our firm’s values and our broader sustainability strategy.
“On a personal note, I am delighted to lend our firm’s support to the conservation effort at Tiritiri Matangi Island. I have a huge passion for protecting New Zealand’s unique flora and fauna, and vividly remember my first tree planting on the island in the early 1980s. Since then, the island has gone from strength to strength and achieved many of its goals, and I look forward to what is to come.”
Carl Hayson, Chairperson of the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi said on signing of the agreement: “This is a major step for the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi, and the partnership with MinterEllisonRuddWatts opens up a world of possibilities for enhancing our education, research and volunteering activities on the island. We look forward to hosting the volunteers to help with the project and building the relationship with the two organisations into the future."
Tititiri Matangi Island, a scientific reserve, is located in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf and is one of the most successful conservation projects in the world. As the native forest grows and the numbers of birds, reptiles, and invertebrates increase, Tiritiri Matangi is becoming richly diverse in creatures that are rarely seen on the mainland and is now an ‘export’ business helping to repopulate sanctuaries across New Zealand.
The SoTM work in partnership with the Department of Conservation to protect and restore Tiritiri Matangi Island. The SoTM was founded in 1988 by a group who were passionate about saving the island's native wildlife. They have been instrumental in transforming the island from a degraded wasteland into a thriving wildlife sanctuary. Today, the island is home to over 60 species of native birds, including the critically endangered kokako and takahe. The organisation has grown to over 2,000 members who contribute their time, skills, and resources to support the island's conservation efforts, and who are instrumentation in the island’s success.
Tiritiri Matangi Island is open to the public with ferries departing Wednesday to Sunday from Auckland and Gulf Harbour. View the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi website for more information.
