💧 A Nelson pilot team

Adopt a Plot — restoring Todd Valley Stream

A youth-led effort to help restore the wetlands of Todd Valley Stream in Nelson's Wakapuaka Sandflats — inviting the community to "adopt" a plot and back the restoration.

Led by teenagers passionate about climate action, the project ran in collaboration with Nelson City Council and Kūmānu Environmental, as part of their existing Todd Valley Stream restoration work. Todd Stream connects the Wakapuaka Sandflats to the Haven estuary and supports an incredible community of native species.

Why restore Todd Valley Stream?

Bird paradise

Restored wetlands provide foraging, roosting, and nesting habitat for South Island fernbird, banded rail, pied stilts, banded dotterel, and many more wetland and wading birds.

Native fish haven

Safe spaces for redfin bully, kōaro, longfin eel (tuna), and banded kōkopu — and potentially rare species like giant kōkopu and lamprey.

Inanga nurseries

Todd Stream is one of only 13 inanga (whitebait) spawning sites in Nelson. Restoration creates the conditions these migratory fish need to spawn.

Flood protection

Wider streams mean less flooding for Nelson families — while also improving water quality and storing carbon.

What the team did

The team built "Adopt a Plot" — a way for families and schools to take ownership of small sections of the stream by supporting the planting and restoration. By adopting a plot, people helped fund native planting and connected personally to a local waterway many had walked past for years.

📚 Key learnings Personal ownership increases care, and simple tools make monitoring accessible. Along the way the team learned about water-quality indicators, mapping, and local ecosystems — and how to work alongside council and environmental partners.

Part of the Earthminds Nelson pilot

This was one of six youth-led projects in the 2025 pilot.

See all six teams Get in touch