Conceiving an unfenced urban ecosanctuary at Mātai Moana through environmental stewardship: opportunities from Predator Free 2050 in Aotearoa New Zealand

Biological invasions are becoming a worldwide concern as one of the key factors of the current biodiversity crisis. Considering the challenges associated with biodiversity loss, governments need to explore new approaches to biodiversity restoration by facilitating collaboration and self-management practices within overarching national plans. This is the case of the Predator Free 2050 (PF2050) plan, which aims to eradicate the most harmful invasive predators in Aotearoa New Zealand. To showcase the improvement of biodiversity and the socio-ecological synergies that PF2050 facilitates, this article describes the work done in Wellington City, specifically in Miramar suburb, by different organizations and community groups. Thanks to the predator suppression work done in Miramar, local stewards have been working with the Landscape Architecture program of Te Herenga Waka/Victoria University of Wellington to design the restoration of Mātai Moana/Mt. Crawford and create an unfenced urban ecosanctuary and heritage reserve. The applied methodology showcases how collaborative landscape design can maximize the ecological impact of restoration projects while facilitating community engagement with biodiversity. This case study also highlights the importance of complementing biological invasion management with community-led restoration projects. It reveals how stewardship, collaboration, and education can become drivers to the recovery of biodiversity in urban environments.