The Rārangi Landcare Group is an Incorporated Society established in 2000 by local residents. The group's vision is to restore the Rārangi coastal ecosystem, including native foreshore plants and associated insect, lizard and bird species. The focus has been on removing weed species and re-establishing native plants on the foreshore area in front of the residential housing, which is public land administered by the Department of Conservation. This area has been heavily colonised by a range of weed plants including garden escapees as well as lupins and, in places, broom and gorse. Other areas of the Rārangi foreshore are less modified but the group is interested in helping to ensure these conservation values are maintained and protected.
The group has weeded, planted and maintained several areas of the foreshore with the regular support of the Outward Bound Trust for labour, along with the Department of Conservation, the Marlborough District Council, the Landcare Trust and the Tuamarina School.
Approximately 8,000 plants have been established, including sand tussock (Austrofestuca littoralis), native daphne (Pimelea urvileana) and spinifex (Spinifex sericeus). The group has received funding from various sources over the years. Interpretive panels have been installed at locations on the foreshore and workshops and newsletters keep everyone informed about the project.
A management plan was developed in 2007 to provide an overview of the group's achievement and goals and strategic direction for the future.
