Name of contact person: Will Parsons
Email address: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
Telephone number: 027 448 3133
Facebook: Marlborough East Coast Protection Group and Limestone Coast Restoration Project
Purpose of group:
1. To protect and enhance the coastal environment and biodiversity.
2. To increase awareness amongst both visitors and local community of the unique plants, animals and landscape along this coast.
About the group:
We formed in 2017 following the uplift of the shoreline after the Kaikoura earthquake, November 2016. We cover 42km from Marfells Beach south to the Waima (Ure) river mouth.
We currently have 25 members, 7 of which are on the committee, plus 3 part-time employees. We work closely with the Marlborough District Council Biodiversity team, local Dept. of Conservation staff, 2 local schools, University of Canterbury scientists and members of the community.
Our activities:
Since we formed in 2017, we have been focussed on getting the council to pass a bylaw to ban vehicles from driving on the beaches.
Other activities include…
1. Monitoring wildlife - especially vulnerable shorebirds such as banded dotterels and variable oystercaters
2. Predator trapping. We have 240 traps along the coast.
3. Weed and invasive plant control.
4. Planting to restore habitat (spinifex, pingao, and coastal shrubs found here).
5. Raising public awareness of dog control and shellfish restrictions, by encouraging local council and DoC signage, plus working with local school children and their families.
Volunteers carry out most of the the work, however since August 2021 we have employed 3 people, each for 20 hours per week, under the Jobs for Nature programme to take over predator trapping and carry out regular wildlife monitoring, weed control and some administration work.