Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari

About Us

Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari began with a dream to protect the plant and animal species living on Maungatautari. This ancient eco-system has been recognised as a reserve since 1912 and nearly 100 years later the community came together to restore and protect this precious environment with a pest-proof fence. By removing all mammals from Maungatautari it has provided a safe environment to reintroduce some of New Zealand’s most endangered species back to their natural habitat. In 2001 Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust (MEIT) was formed when the community, including landowners, local iwi and residents came together with an aim to restore and protect this precious ecosystem. The enormity of the project, at 3400 hectares, makes it one of the largest pest-proof fenced projects in the world.

With most of the mountain mature and intact conifer/broadleaf/podocarp forest, the functioning ecosystem on Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari is as close to the pre-human New Zealand environment as it’s possible to find.

Our education programme is a fully-facilitated, experiential programme. The themes have a strong focus on conservation and natural history.

Our wellbeing programme is a unique experience offered nowhere else in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Nature of Work programme is designed to enhance the wellbeing of employees and includes a range of packages which can be tailored to suit the needs of the organisation.