About 40 volunteers took part in Makorori Environmental Protection Society's first dune planting of the season over the weekend. Photo / James Pocock
About 40 volunteers took part in Makorori Environmental Protection Society's first dune planting of the season over the weekend. Photo / James Pocock
Volunteers from Makorori, its surrounds and as far afield as Scotland gathered to tackle coastal erosion with the first dune planting of the season.
About 40 people turned up on Sunday to support the Makorori Environmental Protection Society’s efforts at the beachfront along Makorori Beach Rd.
A statement shared byMEPS committee member Nicki Davies said the community group mobilised after Cyclone Hale and Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 when they saw “significant erosion of the vulnerable dune system”.
The incorporated society secured funding from the Department of Internal Affairs’ cyclone appeal to launch its restoration project, focused on removing exotic weeds, planting natural dune species, reducing accessways across the dunes and erecting educational signage to raise awareness of the work.
By the end of it, the group aims to have planted more than 8000 native plants covering 3000 square metres of dune area, set up more than 250m of protective fencing, removed more than 100 cubic metres of invasive weeds and established a community shed for tools and health and safety equipment.
The group also hopes to upskill volunteers in safe chemical handling and storage.
Makorori resident Gwen Hinga, of MEPS, said there had been a couple of weeding days earlier in the month to prepare the whenua.
Last weekend’s outing was the first of three planned planting days.
“Last season we started some backdune planting ... with wiwi and that was really successful,” Hinga said.
Wiwi is a variety of coastal rush.
The council donated plants through local providers.
“Makorori has a lot of exotic weeds that are really stifling the whenua, so it is unable to do the job it is meant to do, which is to protect the land from Tangaroa’s encroachment,” Hinga said.
“By strengthening our dunes we allow proper sand movement, which allows for erosion and accretion. By having good backdunes we can create the right environment for foredunes.”
Hinga said the plants they were working with were kōwhangatara (spinifex) and pīngao (golden sand sedge), which they were trying to reintroduce to Makorori.
She said there was a “good mix” of local volunteers and those from outside the area on Sunday.
The volunteers included Martin and Charlotte Friel, from Scotland, who were visiting relatives and decided to pitch in.
Martin and Charlotte Friel, from Scotland, were visiting relatives and decided to pitch in on the dune planting day. Photo / James Pocock
“We have a lot of locals who are super into this and come down to help when they can because there is a lot to do,” Hinga said.
“Ngā mihi to the community for turning out today.”
She hopes the kaupapa will eventually extend along the area’s entire coastline.
“It will be awesome to share that with our people because a lot of people have forgotten why we have sand dunes.”
She acknowledged the volunteers and key partners, including the district council, Fulton Hogan, Eastland Port, the Women’s Native Tree Project Trust, Tairāwhiti Coastal Care Group, Coastlands Plant Nursery in Whakatāne and Ngāti Oneone.
MEPS received a Coastal Restoration Award at the Coastal Restoration Trust conference in Ūawa earlier in the year for its work.
