Volunteers form Predator Free Cambridge walking down a path in Karapiro

Together, we care for Cambridge, New Zealand, with Aroha

Aroha Cambridge is committed to restoring nature and community wellbeing through five interconnecting goals

People - Unite and empower our community with shared purpose

Predators - Remove invasive predators from the Cambridge area

Plants - Restore our land by replacing weeds with native plantings

Water - Keep our waterways clean and healthy

Birds - Protect and encourage the return of native birdlife

Aroha Cambridge exists for the people of the broader Cambridge area. Our mission is to protect and restore the natural environment of our region for generations to come.

Volunteer Hours Logged

1,774

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3000km for Aroha Cambridge! We made it Team! What an absolutely amazing adventure!
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3000km for Aroha Cambridge, the Final Day. Well Team, we have made it to the last and final day, what an amazing adventure it has been to watch Di and Nicola venture down the country. The photos, the scenery, the updates, the stories, and then the support from everyone. Through financial donations, comments on posts, likes and sending messages to Di, the support has been one which many of us have been in awe of. We wish both Di and Nicola a safe and speedy final day, with aroha and support all the way to Bluff. A message from Di.... Tour Aotearoa really is a full frontal tour of all our motu has to offer. Slow travel by bike allows one to strike up great conversations, go to remote places and accept that in-between the beauty is functional stuff, like highways to get you there. Each day has dished up different challenges, scenery and cuisine! As I head into the last day of biking 3000km for Aroha Cambridge, and myself, I know it will take a looong time to fully digest the trip and the thousands of photos. I am moved most of all by the support from friends, family, sponsors and supporters. The interest and support has simply been amazing. I am not short of crazy ideas - and riding the length of the country with rats attached to my helmet while fund raising for Aroha Cambridge is just another of these wild ideas. The difference these funds will make to our charitable trust is HUGE. And you have helped. I am so grateful 🙏 But even more than that, I have loved to see people engaging with my posts online (written blary-eyed at the end of long days). You have come on this journey with me, making each pedal stroke so much easier and even more fun 😊🚴 Nga mihi nui, Di Final donations can be made through our website https://arohacambridge.nz/buy Link in our Bio We will be doing the final tally up over the weekend. Thank you all for your on going support through this journey.
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3000km for Aroha Cambridge As Di and Nicola enter the last two days of cycling the country we thought it best to finish these days hearing directly from Di about their journey. Leaving this morning from Cromwell.... Life on the bike-packing road doesn’t allow for much downtime. There's early morning starts - as well oiled machines we can get the pedals turning one hour after slipping from the bed sheets but add another half hour if exiting a warm sleeping bag in the tent. We average about 6-7 hours moving time on the bike during the day and 2-3 hours of breaks depending on the weather and scenery. At the end of the day there are bikes and bodies to get cleaned and calories to think about. Its a balancing act to eat enough nutritious food on the go, without carrying too much, as food is heavy! We are always looking ahead to shop closing times! So, all that said after 27 days on the road we are tired! With a southerly headwind forecast through the Nevis Valley today it will make the last of our wilderness riding that much more difficult. So, after a rest day we will take on Duffers Saddle (the highest road in NZ at 1275m) on Day 29 with rested legs and bottoms. Ahhhhh. Not being slouchers we are still aiming for a Bluff late Friday afternoon. Di and Nicola 🚴🚴 Still time to get in those final Donations - Donate via our website - https://arohacambridge.nz/buy Link in our Bio Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support!! @ni.cola1569
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It was a whirlwind 1 hour of knowledge absorption yesterday evening with Karen during our Trap Placement in the Field workshop. A small group of us went through placement of a Rat Trap and Tunnel set up. Lets just say that Blaze mix really is the way to start a party! Blaze is mixture of 4 parts flour to 1 part icing sugar plus some vanilla essence. It's a way to get the senses activated and spark interest close to or on a path of travel for rats. Making sure to sprinkle a trail to the entrance and the exit of the tunnel brings the party to the trap and tunnel. With so many tips in the notebook, we will be sharing more right here so keep an eye out for more tips to come. Interested in learning yourself about trap placement? We have one more workshop happening on Saturday 21st March at 9am, register via our website. https://arohacambridge.nz/events/trap-placement-workshop-saturday
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3000km for Aroha Cambridge 2 days left in the pedal powering field for Di and Nicole. With Thursday and Friday the last days of riding for the team as they take a well deserved rest day today before the final big ride. Thank you to the additional donors who came through yesterday, we raised an additional $180! Every km donation counts! Donate via our website - https://arohacambridge.nz/buy Link in our Bio Di Tocker
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3000km for Aroha Cambridge The final countdown is on, today is the 3rd to last day and as we count down to Bluff we are so close to the goal, help support us to get there! $1599 to go, every little bit helps, raising $3 per km, one km supported helps support towards removing pests from our through purchasing lure, key ingredient's for blaze mix and more! Purchase a km via our website - https://arohacambridge.nz/buy Link in our Bio
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Volunteer Trapline Spotlight - Lindsay Park, Leamington Hearing direct from our team who manage the Lindsay Park trapline Geoff and Janette on how they got started - When it comes to motivation, nothing quite compares to spotting a rat running along the concrete strip by your back fence - which is exactly what happened to us in Feb 2023. Janette and I already knew the damage introduced pests and plants cause to Aotearoa’s native ecosystems, but seeing one of the culprits in our own backyard made it personal. We were already involved in another conservation project, so this felt like a second chance to do something practical. Janette contacted Waipā District Council and was put in touch with Karen Barlow from Predator Free Cambridge (now Aroha Cambridge). Karen visited and helped us set up a small trap line. Our property borders Lindsay Park, along with one other home on the southern end of its eastern boundary. The area has mature tōtara and oak trees, plus a fair bit of undergrowth (and the inevitable privet). Our line is made up of five wooden tunnel boxes with T-Rex traps. Even though it’s a relatively small setup, it has noticeably reduced the rat activity around our place. Usually, when we check the traps, any rats caught are well and truly dead. However, one memorable check revealed a rat very much alive - which was a bit confronting for someone who’s not exactly the hunter-gatherer type! By sharing a small part of our conservation journey, we hope it encourages others to get involved in whatever way they can, big or small. Geoff and Janette Mannell
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Trap Placement in the Field TUESDAY 17TH MARCH 2026 - 6PM - 7PM Join Karen Barlow for a practical trap placement workshop. Be guided through a portion of our Te Ko Utu trapline and learn on site tips on where best to place traps for effective trapping, when to consider moving the trap and what to take into account in your surroundings. Increase your confidence in moving traps for best practice. Limited spots available, Please register via our website under events - link in Bio
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