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Following a ‘call to arms’ by Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society (MHRS) chair Peter Wethey, a band of willing volunteers headed to the Distal Spit on June 5 to make a start on the annual sand fencing programme. A window of perfect weather amid the early winter rains allowed the group to install 100 metres of fencing, which will help trap the sand. Work to construct a further 100 metre is planned for later in the month. Built of decomposable materials such as hardwood stakes, untreated sisal twine and hessian, the fences protect the thousands of spinifex coastal grasses planted by volunteers and are vital in helping to stabilise the dunes. Protection of the spit is essential as it shields the mainland from the wild coastal weather. A second ‘call to arms’ will be going out soon to help with planting the spinifex in early July.
For more info about the great work of Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society or interested in volunteering for Distal Spit duty, visit www.mangawhaiharbourrestorationsociety.coms.
