News

The Coastal Restoration Trust’s committee is very pleased to announce the winner of the Coastal Restoration Trust Post Graduate Scholarship for 2025 is Natalie Prinz, a PhD candidate at Waikato University.

The aim of Natalie’s research is to determine if tuangi, New Zealand cockles, can help restore degraded estuaries.

Tuangi, Austrovenus stutchburyi can help reduce the mud content of estuaries and enhance oxygen flux into, and ammonium and phosphate fluxes out of, sediment, which supports estuarine health.

Natalie will hold a two-day wānanga with local iwi, hapū, scientists and the local community to increase awareness of her research findings. She will also organise a Restoration Education Day open to the public of Tauranga to share her findings.

Natalie will share her research with the Coastal Restoration Trust, providing updates for our newsletter and will also present her findings at a future conference.

Congratulations Natalie! We look forward to hearing from you later this year.

Our Autumn newsletter has been sent to out covering our 2025 Ūawa conference and is full of interesting articles.

If you haven’t received it, contact [Enable JavaScript to view protected content] or check your spam folder.

Are you a post-graduate student enrolled in a programme of study that involves work about the coast?

Do you know about an individual’s post-graduate level research in the field of coastal restoration?

If so, please consider applying for the Coastal Restoration Trust Postgraduate Scholarship or sharing this news item in your networks!

The purpose of this scholarship is to provide funds to assist with an individual’s post-graduate level research to improve knowledge in the field of coastal restoration.

For more information and application forms click here.

Applications closed on 14 February 2025.

Nau mai, haere mai, welcome to the 2025 Coastal Restoration Trust Conference: Taihuanui - A Bountiful Coast.

Join us at Uawanui a Ruamatua Tolaga Bay from 12 -14 March 2025 at the historic Reynolds Hall as our venue.

Also enjoy marae accommodation at Hauiti marae and the hospitality of the local iwi, Te Aitanga a Hauiti.

Click HERE for more information on the conference website.

Click HERE to be taken directly to the conference registration form.

Photo ot Tolaga Bay with mihi overlaid & CRT logo.Haramai ki Taihuanui

Ko Titirangi te maunga

Ko Uawanui a Ruamatua te awa

Ko Te Aitanga a Hauiti te iwi

Welcome to the bountiful coastline

Titirangi is the mountain

Uawanui a Ruamatua is the river

Te Aitanga a Hauiti is the iwi

Calendar the dates for the 2025 Coastal Restoration Trust Conference.

Join us at Uawanui a Ruamatua Tolaga Bay from 12-14 March 2025 where you can enjoy marae accommodation and the significance of the venue, historic Reynolds Hall.

Ūawa Tolaga is blessed with a beautiful beach and is known for its very long wharf which is something of an icon of the local area. Historically, Ūawa Tolaga is a site where Captain Cook made a landing on his circumnavigation of Aotearoa.

There will be a free Dunes 101 pre conference workshop with Jim Dahm at 4pm on Tuesday 11 March at Ūawa Tolaga Bay. As part of conference proceedings, Graeme Atkins will be sharing his knowledge about rare coastal plants and Manu Caddie will be talking about sustainable land management. Dr Murray Cave, chief scientist at Gisborne District Council will also be speaking.

More details to come with future announcements about speakers as well as updates about registration.