CUE Haven has been restored into a community native forest reserve to be used for education and quiet enjoyment. The 24+ hectare property overlooking the Kaipara Harbour, is a former dairy farm and since 2008 over 5,500 volunteers have planted 175,000+ native trees and built over 3km of walking tracks and boardwalks.
Due to lack of secure storage facilities, entry to the reserve has been by appointment only. To enable the public to visit CUE Haven at their convenience, we needed a secure storage facility for the ute, tools and equipment. Additionally, we needed space for educators and researchers to store their test kits and other supplies. We also needed to reconfigure the entry to the reserve to create car parks and install a new entry gate and a pedestrian entrance so visitors could come and go freely and safely.
A grant to CUE Haven from The Jenkins foundation has helped towards achieving this goal.
The grant funds assisted with some of the costs of renovating the old milking shed into a secure garage and storage area this year. We then had artist Doug Ford paint murals on the exterior of the renovated building to make it a more interesting space. The murals depict the Kaipara Harbour and native New Zealand forest and birds.
The renovated shed was formally blessed by elders of our local hapu, Ngāti Rango of Ngāti Whātua at a ceremony on October 10. The event was attended by some of the individuals and organisations who supported this project and helped make the shed renovation a reality. The CUE Haven Community Trust trustees were delighted and honoured to also have Mark and Margaret Jenkins join us for the special event.
CUE Haven was the beneficiary of The Jenkins Foundation’s inaugural grant in 2020 and the CUE Haven trustees feel privileged to have their continued support. C-U-E stands for Cultivating, Understanding and Enlightenment, and the values of CUE Haven are closely aligned with all six of The Jenkins Foundation focus areas: global warming, conservation, education, community, arts and public amenities.
The CUE Haven Community Trust is very grateful for the support from The Jenkins Foundation for this project. More of the community will be now be able to access CUE Haven at their convenience and get the benefits of being and learning in nature.
See www.cuehaven.com for more information.