Welcome to the February/March issue of our newsletter. No Images? Click here Celebrate Sea Week 2-10th MarchDunedin Coastal Clean Up: Tiakina o Tātou Mōana – Care for our Seas” Seaweek is New Zealand’s annual national week about the sea. Hosted by the NZ Association for Environmental Education (NZAEE), Seaweek focuses on learning from the sea. It’s about exciting and inspiring all New Zealanders to renew their connections with the sea! Not just for children or those involved with formal education – it’s a time for all of us to get to know our ocean, its habitats, characteristics and inhabitants better and learn how to care for it.
NoticesLead the WayLead the Way is a programme that educates Dunedin dog owners how to be better prepared for interacting with our spectacular coastal wildlife. Come along to the Coastal Otago Sea Week event at Marlow Park on the 2 March to learn more about Lead the Way and how to share the beach with our treasured wildlife. Become a Water ChampionHave your kiwi guardians got their Toa Tiaki Wai medal yet? What better way to get it than during Sea Week 2019! Check out the Toyota Kiwi Guardians Website to find out what your tamariki will need to do. Hint: There's a couple of events happening over Sea Week that will definitely help get the medal! Check them out in this newsletter! Seaweek Virtual Field TripThe team from LEARNZ have collaborated with the Sustainable Seas Science Challenge to develop a virtual field trip during Seaweek called “Sustainable seas – essential for NZ`s health and wealth” (Term 1 starting 5 March 2019). On this trip your students will tackle a major New Zealand problem: the conflict between the many uses of our marine environment. On this field trip you will travel to Tasman Bay at the top of the South Island. Here you will join Sustainable Seas researchers who are developing new tools and knowledge to help everyone manage the marine environment. Marine scientists will take you through their latest experiments and explain their research findings from the Sustainable Seas research programme.
DOC Community FundThe DOC Community Fund/Putea Tautiaki Hapori is open for applications on the 25th February. The fund is directed towards practical projects aimed at conserving New Zealand’s indigenous biodiversity. There is now two different application processes. One for grants under $20,000 and the other for over $20,000. EventsKeep Dunedin Beautiful and Our Seas Our FutureTiakina o Tātou Mōana – Care for our Seas Expo and Clean UpSaturday 2 March, 10.30am-12.30pm, Free Join us for a family fun event at Marlow Park (Dinosaur Park) to learn about our special coastal environment and how we can help it flourish. The Aquavan from the University of Otago Marine Studies Centre will be joining us, bringing live marine critters and touch pools to create awareness and understanding of our special marine environment. There will be interactive educational games from DOC and Keep Dunedin Beautiful to teach us about what threatens the health of the marine environment and what we can do to help it. Finish off the fun by getting stuck in and cleaning up the beach. Bags and gloves will be provided at the site. All the event details can be found on Our Seas Our Future Facebook Page or the Dunedin City Council Events listings. Quarantine Island/Kamau TauruaSeaweek at the IslandSaturday 2 March,$20(Adult)and $10(Child) It’s Seaweek, so explore the rocky shore, help with a beach clean-up, and have fun in the water, in addition to all the usual activities. If you’d like to have even more time to relax, stay overnight in the St Martin Lodge. For more information or to book your trip email Dries at quarantineisland@gmail.com Volunteer activitiesOur Seas Our Future/Keep Dunedin BeautifulSea Week Beach Clean upSaturday 2 March, 10.30-12.30 Get your friends and family together for a great day out while doing something good for our environment. Care for our local Moana by gathering the troops and getting out onto the beach/back dunes to do a clean up. Rubbish bags and gloves will be provided, collect them from the Dinosaur Park from 10.30am and then hit the beaches to keep plastic from entering the ocean! Check all the event details here Orokonui Estuary Care GroupPlant care and WeedbustingSunday 24 February& Sunday 31 March,9.30 am -12pm Orokonui Estuary is home to an on-going revegetation project to support native fish and birds. Join our regular group of volunteers working with the plants. The photos show before and after work on plantings near Orokonui Creek by January volunteers. Tools and gloves are provided, also morning tea. Lifts from town are available. Contact orokonui.estuary.group@gmail.com to join our email list and more information.
Otago Peninsula Biodiversity GroupOff the Beaten TracksTuesday/Thursdays, 5-28 February, 9am-3pm With over 17,500 possums removed from the peninsula we are witnessing the biodiversity benefits – tūī and kererū are taking up residence in areas where they have not been seen for years and native tree canopies and understories are flourishing. Our track networks need to be kept clear so we can undertake monitoring to identify where the last possums are hiding out. Tuesdays and Thursdays are our field days so if you are keen on joining us on the peninsula for some track clearing in spectacular places get in touch! Contact us direct volunteers@opbg.nz
Orokonui EcosanctuarySanctuary VolunteersEvery Tuesday/Thursday The operations team at Orokonui are keen to recruit regular volunteers to come up on either Tuesdays or Thursdays and give them a hand with whichever task is the priority for that day. Moderate fitness would be required.These tasks change as the year rolls around but can include:
Email volunteer@orokonui.nz to find out more
Quarantine Island/ Kamau TauruaWeedbusting TripSunday 3 March, 9.30am-4pm To continue celebrating Sea Week , why not head to the island for a wild day of weed busting! This is a great way to explore the island and help keep the native plant biodiversity keep free of pesky pest plants! Being a weedbuster will also get you a half price trip on the ferry! Check out the details on the Kamau Taurua website Save The Otago Peninsula (STOP)Smiths Creek Working Bees Sundays 9.30-1pm Thousands of trees that have been planted over the last few years in the Smiths Creek Catchment all need releasing if they are to thrive, and in some cases, even survive. So please come to one of the regular working bees on Tuesday or Sunday mornings to assist. Dogs are welcome in the fully fenced revegetation area. Contact Lala Frazer stopincsoc@gmail.com, Text 027 8756 020
West Harbour Beautification TrustNative Plant Helpers On-going We're looking for volunteers to help us at Pete’s Patch” ( an approximately 2ha green-field restoration site) – Sawyers Bay To do planting and releasing of plants, Weeding and transplanting in the Sawyer’s Bay Community Native Plant Shade-house, Seed collection, propagation and plant donations for native micro-restorations locally after sycamore removal and for occasional sycamore killing sessions. Contact Matt Thomson. matt@monowaiecological.nz or 021392983 Department of Conservation Dunedin War on Weeds We're making the most of the sunshine and light nights with 9 Field missions over February to keep you all busy! From urban sanctuaries to the wild peninsula there's something for everyone. Field days are emailed out monthly and advertised on Facebook ! Register Here to keep in the loop. Happy weed busting! Be a Wildlife GuardianSandfly bay is not only a popular spot for tourists, but is frequented by Hooker's Sea Lions/whakahao, New Zealand fur seals/kekeno and Yellow-eyed penguins/hoiho. We need your help to protect the wildlife at Sandfly Bay. Join us to help educate visitors about the special wildlife that visit the beach and how we should share the space with them . You will also be able to help with wildlife management projects such as pest control and wildlife monitoring. The season has begun but we still welcome new applications ! Email: kconnor@doc.govt.nz for questions and to register. Looking for a volunteer opportunity for your staff or group?Get in touch with our friendly Volunteer Project FacilitatorAre you looking for a fun volunteer experience for your staff or group of friends to get involved with but don't know where to look? Get in touch with Catherine! She can help match you with current projects that suit your interests and needs, or help create something new that ticks your boxes! Email: catherine.hosted@dcc.govt.nz
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