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More than two decades of community pest control and conservation on the shores of Kaipara Harbour will be marked next month, when Tapora Land & Coast Care Group celebrates its 21st anniversary on Saturday, January 25.
The day will start with a pōwhiri and official welcoming ceremony at Tapora Community Hall at 10am, followed by the official opening and naming of the group’s new native plant nursery that’s been developed behind the hall.
There will then be a hangi lunch and community market, before a guided tour around key sites on the Ōkahukura Peninsula, where significant pest control and planting efforts have been carried out throughout the group’s history.
In addition, there will be a special commemorative booklet available, produced with the assistance of Auckland Council conservation adviser Cheryl Krull, which includes information on taonga species in Tapora, as well as a history of the area and the group.
There’s also an anniversary calendar with photos of local birdlife, the coastline and conservation activities.
The group was originally started with the aim of making the peninsula predator free to restore indigenous wildlife, with the initial focus on targeting possums. These days, education and raising awareness of the area’s unique history, environment and wildlife is as important as the grunt work of controlling pests while restoring and replanting the peninsula foreshore and Manakapua Island, as group chair Earle Wright says.
“Raising awareness is a huge part of this kaupapa. This is my home and continuing the storytelling of this place is a personal journey for me,” he says.
“This is an opportunity for the Tapora community and supporters, past and present, to gather and reflect on the achievements of the last 21 years and to share in our future vision.”
Admission to anniversary celebration events starts at $10.
Info, registration, booklets and calendars: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/taporalandcare21
