My Account
The population of the Hibiscus Coast is growing rapidly, with an increase of 16 percent recorded between the last two censuses. None would doubt that the expansion continues, based upon the scale of house building that we all see and the traffic snarl-ups we get caught up in.
Many, like me, were attracted here for a lifestyle using our parks, beaches and waterways for recreation. A great way of developing a sense of belonging in a new community is by helping to care for this natural environment. You can join an organisation or simply get in touch with like-minded neighbours and give it a go. You will soon be making a difference.
It can be easy to see this as a responsibility of Auckland Council. But it’s not that simple. The Council’s resources are limited and no one wants to pay more rates than they have to. The Council will, though, help those who help themselves. If you have a go, you will find councillors and local board members ready to listen. Support and funding will soon follow. Alice Eaves Reserve is an example of this. It has the finest stand of kauri in the district. Volunteers of the Eaves Bush Appreciation Group have been building boardwalks, putting up signs, clearing weeds, re-planting and controlling pests for nigh on 15 years with full backing from the Council. The residents in the vicinity know and love this area of bush. It’s not surprising that a number of them are enthusiastic about looking after it.
Other such stories can be told. At the Weiti River mouth there is an NZ dotterel colony. Hibiscus Coast Forest & Bird was asked to help out with pest control in the vicinity several years ago. It turned out that help was close at hand.
Local residents at Stillwater were dead keen to do their bit as soon as they knew there was a need. It was on their local patch and they already liked going down to the Karepiro Bay shore.
Where might your bit of paradise to look after be? The Orewa Estuary walkway is enormously popular. I bet a fair few of the walkers and cyclists frequenting it would be glad to help out with the conservation of the gullies and bush clad hillsides along the route. If only someone were to ask them.
Recently I spied on Google Earth a reserve on Kowhai Rd, just a stone’s throw across the Orewa River from the burgeoning Millwater community. I have never been there. I wonder what delights lie there for a venturing resident to take under their wing?
There are more opportunities for conservation volunteers than our growing population can ever meet.
