This article was first published in the Tararua Tramper Volume 90, no 9, October 2018
Beach clean-up: all grades
August 22, 2018
The TTC Wednesday groups have carried out a conservation project every year for the last several years. We’ve dug up horned poppy at Baring Head and bagged rubbish along the Makara and Pukerua Bay coasts, all somewhat exotic locations with lovely views, a whiff of sea air and (sometimes) a treasure trove of finds.
This year’s commitment was an urban coastline – Porirua’s inner harbour. The amount of household waste and other dumped rubbish was sobering and very hard work. The Mediums began at the mouth of the Porirua Stream and advanced along the shoreline to the beach opposite Whitireia Polytechnic, while the E and EM groups continued picking up along to the Titahi Bay boatsheds. The MF team began at the Paremata Bridge and worked their way down the coast towards the city centre.
All groups reported a phenomenal amount of rubbish, from thousands of small bits that were back-breaking to pick up to a number of large items like tyres. In all about 40 of us filled at least 50 bags.
Sadly, amongst all this urban trash, there are royal spoonbills, pied oystercatchers, herons and hundreds of threatened red-billed gulls trying to get a life.
Charmaine Berkland from the Porirua City Council thanked us very sincerely for our efforts, which will make the job more manageable for local groups to maintain in the future.
Lynne White was the organiser for this venture.
- Party members
- Lynne White(leader), Marg Pearce(scribe).