INLET PLANTING PROJECT

We would like to acknowledge DOC's Community Grant that has made this possible, as well as Porirua City Council for the invaluable logistical support.

 

Our last planting day on 20 November was very successful. 

Our location was Ivey Bay. All three hundred sea rush were dug in by a team of volunteers and GOPI members.

 

This is the end of this programme and we want to thank all who took part over the last two years. Your efforts are already showing results and the positive effects to the Inlet will improve as the new plants spread, reducing pollutants flowing into the Inlet and developing nesting sites for our native birds.

 

 (view all the details HERE).

 

What to Bring - warm clothes, footwear that does not mind getting wet, hat, sunblock and water.

Planting equipment will be provided.

 

Ensure that you park at the Ivey Bay parking lot and use the pedestrian underpass to get to the Inlet.

 

If you are keen to help out - Please register your interest by contacting Andre van Halderen (pauainlet@gmail.com)

Include numbers - in your group - so that we can ensure that we have enough spades;

Contact details    - in case the event has to be postponed due to unfavourable weather.

 

 

 

Planting Event 2 July

We held a planting day on 2 July, teaming up with Porirua City Council to host the annual Aspiring Leaders Forum.

GOPI oversaw the planting of rushes at two sites, one on the Camborne Walkway and the other at Browns Bay.

 

Our 11 June planting day was cancelled due to expected unfavourable weather.

 

PLANTING EVENT for 13 February. 

The planned planting event that was to be held at Browns Bay on 13 February has had to be cancelled due to a lack of plants available for the exercise.

We are confident that further events will be organised during the year so, please check in with this website for updates to the programme which will be published here as more news comes to hand.

 

 

UPDATE 9 AUGUST 2021

  Juncus krausii
PLANTING DAY 7 AUGUST

A very big thank you to all those who were able to make the planting event at Motukaraka on Saturday 7 August. We had a good turnout and certainly couldn't have wished for better weather. Everyone really got stuck in and it is estimated that we planted about 800 rushes today - this has certainly transformed the areas where we planted. We will post some photos on this site shortly.

 

Thanks also to Rachel and Nigel (and family) from Porirua City Council for all the help with the logistics and supply of plants. And thanks to DOC for the Community Grant that made this possible. And finally thank you to New World Mana for sponsoring the refreshments. 

 

We aim to have further planting events around the inlet over the next few months, and will keep you informed.
IMAGES FROM THE DAY

Planting day 2

 

Planting day 4

 Planting day 5

 Planting day

 

UPDATE 23 July 2021

Our first planting event linked to our DOC community grant has been confirmed. The details are:

Date: Saturday 7 August

Time: 1.30 to 4.30 pm.

Location: Motukaraka Point.

Meeting Point: The memorial to the American GIs at 1.30 and head to the planting sites after the welcome and briefing.

What to bring: warm clothes, shoes that don't mind getting wet (or gumboots if you have them) and a garden spade (although spades will also be provided).

 

We will be planting jointed rush along the inlet edge at two sites within walking distance of the meeting point.

Light refreshments will be provided afterwards.

Feel free to invite friends and family.

 

KEEN TO HELP - please email Guardians of Pauatahanui Inlet at pauainlet@gmail.com to confirm, including numbers in your group (so that we can ensure that we have enough plants) and contact details in case the event has to be postponed to the 21 August due to unfavourable weather.

 

We acknowledge DOC's community grant that has made this possible

and PCC for the invaluable logistic support.

*********

In August 2020 the Minister of Conservation announced the results of the 2020 DOC Community Fund Applications.

We are pleased to announce that GOPI was awarded the sum of $41,989 for our project on Inlet Planting.

 

While this is somewhat less than we asked for, it will nevertheless be used to plant some key margins of the Inlet. 

The focus of the project is a three year plan to restore the poorly vegetated buffers at key sites around the Inlet and to re-establish saltmarsh on the beach margins. This should help reduce some of the pollutants from road traffic and, importantly, add much needed protection to feeding and breeding areas. We currently envisage predator and weed control and planting in the Kakaho estuary, the Camborne walkway, areas adjacent to the Te Ara Piko walkway, Ivey bay and Brown's Bay.

However, the project details are still being finalised with DOC and Porirua City Council. PCC is a key supporter and PCC resources will be used to implement the project.

There will be opportunities for community volunteers to help do some of the work - probably next year. We will keep you informed about this, and the project details and plans, on this webpage as they are developed.

We would like to thank Committee members Andre van Halderen and Alistair Webb for the work they have done in developing the application and getting this result. We would also like to acknowledge the strong support and help from Nigel Clarke of Porirua City Council.

 

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A more detailed breakdown of the project, as submitted with our application, is as follows.

 

• Buffer plantings to protect feeding and breeding sites for coastal bird species using key species: Apodasmia similis (Oioi / Jointed wire rush), Plagianthus divaricatus (Saltmarsh ribbonwood) and Juncus maritimus / Juncus kraussii (Sea rush).

• Weed control and restoration plantings in ecologically important sites.

• Establishing saltmarsh restoration areas.

• Predator trapping on the perimeter of sites to protect coastal bird species and encourage gecko and skink habitat.

• Monitoring the success of all buffer and restoration plantings, weed control measures and the numbers of predators in the area. The monitoring for this project will be complemented by a citizen science programme using SHMAK to carry out freshwater quality monitoring supported by NIWA, using Litter Intelligence supported by Sustainable Coastlines and Marine Metre2 supported by PCC.

• Bird monitoring undertaken by the Ornithological Society will supply information on whether the long-term outcomes of the project are successful.

• Predator trap counts will be added to the national database through PredatorFree.org.nz.

• Carry out small scale buffer planting at Kakaho Estuary and Motukaraka Point in year one, covering a distance of 100 metres, to establish success of plant guard protection in coastal locations and order plants to grow for year two and three plantings from the nursery.

• Predator monitoring based on the results from installation of A24 Goodnature rat and stoat traps at perimeter locations of four ecological sites (Kakaho Estuary, Camborne Walkway, Horokiri Estuary and Te Ara Piko Walkway edge) in year one.

• Prepare a weed control plan for the six ecologically important sites in year one. Carry out weed control for Kakaho Estuary, Te Ara Piko Walkway edge and Ivey Bay in years one, two and three.

• Establish buffer plantings at five key ecological sites (Kakaho Estuary, Camborne Walkway, Ivey Bay, Brown's Bay and adjacent to parts of the Te Ara Piko Walkway) in year two and three.

• Carry out weed control at Horokiri Estuary in year one and establish buffer plantings along Grays Road walkway in year two.

 

NOTE: We will further update this information as the project is finalised and a full project plan is developed.

 
Last Updated: 06/12/2022 7:10pm