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A collaboration between Forest & Bird’s Big Manly Dotterel Minders, Restore Hibiscus & Bays and Auckland Council saw the community come together to plant 500 native plants on the beach front at Big Manly last month.
Forty local residents of all ages, including Albany ward councillor Wayne Walker and Hibiscus & Bays Local Board member Jake Law, planted the native spinifex and muelenbeckia to help both stabilise the small sand dunes and create more refuge areas for the beach’s resident Northern New Zealand Dotterels.
Forest & Bird volunteer Derek Kelsey approached Ranger Dan Marrow about the initiative last year, following the loss of several dune plants to storms and the area being a regular haunt of the at-risk dotterels. With the assistance of planting expert Deborah Colson from Restore Hibiscus & Bays, a plan was put in place.
Ranger Dan discussed the benefits of with beach front residents, and although those involved would like to see the newly planted area more formally roped off (while retaining the existing accessways) a budget decision is yet to be made on this.
