National Sea Week was last week, March 2 – 10 and hundreds of Taranaki locals celebrated our moana (ocean) by attending various events held over the week.
The week began with a Ngāmotu Beach Community Snorkel Event hosted by national marine conservation education programme, Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR). Over 50 people attended the third and final community snorkel day, part of the 300-plus people who attended Sea Week Events.
Other Sea Week celebrations included a beach clean hosted by Taranaki Conservationists, a sea-themed Crackerjack pre-school reading session at Puke Ariki, an Author Reading by Neville Peat, author of The Invading Sea, the Hāwera Pool Snorkel Trail and a Project Hotspot Citizen Science Workshop. Many Taranaki schools also celebrated with their own beach cleans and other conservation-related activities.
For the first time, EMR brought their snorkel programme down to South Taranaki with their Hāwera Pool Snorkel Trail where over 30 participants of all ages attended.
Karen Pratt, a volunteer who assisted with the event, was pleased with the results.