Our Services

Ecological assessment, restoration planning and funding applications

We assess sites and develop practical ecological management and restoration plans for both personal and commercial projects, including projects requiring resource consent. This includes preparing formal Ecological Management Plans (EMPs) and Pest Management Plans (PMPs) where required.

We combine in-person site assessment with mapping and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to understand the landscape, identify ecological opportunities and constraints, and determine the most appropriate approach for each project.

Monowai is uniquely placed to take a project from assessment and planning through to implementation. Our ecological knowledge, restoration planning and field teams are all within the same business, allowing us to design practical plans that can be delivered on the ground. Where required, we can provide the machinery, tools, materials and labour needed to complete the work.

We can advise on the suitability of a project for external funding and either prepare and submit applications on your behalf or assist you to make your own application. We have extensive experience in project costing, staging and planning for health and safety requirements, and have successfully secured significant funding each year for landowners, community groups, charities and trusts.

We have particular expertise in navigating the Otago Regional Council (ORC) EcoFund and Dunedin City Council (DCC) biodiversity funding, as well as the process of establishing and maintaining QEII National Trust covenants.

Native planting

Native planting is more than putting trees in the ground. The right plants, in the right places and in the right combination, can rebuild habitat, improve landscape function and create resilient plant communities that continue to develop over time.

Monowai specialises in designing and establishing robust native plant communities that are appropriate to the ecology of each site. We consider the existing vegetation, soils, landscape position, waterways, surrounding habitat and the long-term objectives for the land when selecting species and designing planting patterns.

We place particular emphasis on protecting and establishing rare and threatened Otago plant species. These species can be an important part of restoring the character and ecological integrity of Otago's landscapes, while also creating planting schemes that are functional, interesting and attractive.

Our planting projects range from small lifestyle blocks and private restoration projects through to large-scale revegetation and habitat restoration. We can manage the entire process, including site preparation, plant sourcing, planting, weed and pest control, and follow-up maintenance.

Where appropriate, we can also integrate native planting with riparian restoration, wetland establishment, erosion control, biodiversity enhancement, amenity planting, shelter and QEII covenant projects.

Because our ecological advisers and field teams work together, the planting plan is designed with implementation in mind. We don't just provide a planting list — we can put the plan into practice and continue to manage the site as it establishes.

Weed control and management

Effective weed control starts with understanding the plant, the site and what you are trying to achieve. Monowai develops and applies practical weed control methods that are designed to remove invasive vegetation while protecting the surrounding landscape and native plants.

We specialise in the control of woody weeds, including difficult and persistent species such as sycamore, hawthorn, wilding pines and Darwin's barberry. Over more than a decade, we have developed and refined techniques for controlling woody weeds in a range of landscapes and are continually testing and improving methods to achieve better results.

Our approach is not simply to remove what is visible. We consider how the weed is established, how it is likely to respond to treatment, what is growing around it and how the site will be managed afterwards. This allows us to select the most appropriate combination of methods for each situation.

Depending on the site and species, our work can include:

• Woody weed control

• Targeted herbicide application

• Cut-and-paste treatment

• Basal treatment

• Drill-and-fill treatment

• Scrub cutting

• Chainsaw felling

• Mechanical vegetation clearance

• Mulching

• Follow-up control and monitoring

We also undertake control of a wide range of invasive and unwanted vegetation, including gorse, broom, blackberry, introduced grasses and other environmental weeds.

Where weed control is part of a wider restoration project, we can take the work through from initial assessment and control to native planting and ongoing management. This means weed control is undertaken with the future landscape in mind, rather than treated as an isolated clearance job.

Predator and pest control

Healthy native ecosystems need more than good planting. Introduced mammalian pests can suppress native wildlife, damage vegetation and undermine the recovery of restored habitats. Effective pest control is therefore an important part of protecting and rebuilding functioning ecosystems.

Monowai provides mammalian pest control using best-practice methods and in accordance with NAWAC animal welfare guidelines. We take the humane treatment of animals seriously and select control methods that are appropriate for the target species, the site and the surrounding environment.

Our work can include the control of possums, rats, stoats, ferrets, weasels and other introduced mammals, using targeted trapping and other appropriate control methods. We consider the location and ecology of the site when designing control programmes, including the presence of native wildlife, livestock, domestic animals and people.

Good pest control is rarely a one-off exercise. We can establish and maintain control networks, undertake regular servicing and monitoring, record results and adjust the programme as conditions change. Where required, pest control can be integrated with weed management, native planting and ongoing ecological restoration.

The aim is not simply to remove pests. It is to create the conditions in which native plants and animals can recover, reproduce and thrive.