News

A group of people got together for a pingao workshop at Lincoln on Saturday 11 June.

The workshop was part of a larger project, the aim of which is to build an ongoing, collaborative, knowledge-sharing network of iwi, weavers, scientists, social scientists and conservationists interested in the biology, ecology, conservation, restoration and traditional use of New Zealand taonga plant species. It is a collaboration between two Māori Organisations (Te Taumutu Rūnanga and Ngāti Hinewaka) and two universities (Lincoln University and Victoria University of Wellington).

Please check out their revamped website: https://pingao.wordpress.com/. Here you can find a full description of the project, the main people involved, a summary of the workshop (as well as those held in 2014), and resources such as the posters that were displayed at the workshop. They are also starting a blog under the “News” section where they will post regular updates of what they’re up to with the research side of things. If you use twitter you can also follow @buckleyhannah and @StaceyBryan3 for updates on the project.

Many people asked about how to get copies of the Coastal Restoration Trust information booklets. These are available through the following website: http://www.scionresearch.com/general/publications/reports/coastal-dunes. There is similar information available on our Coastal Restoration Trust Websites. Specifically check out these articles that are part of our handbook for dune restoration:

7.3 Pingao - Ecology
7.4 Pingao - Establishment
7.5 Sustainability for Weaving

Please note it is really important that any pīngao you are planning to plant are ecosourced. That is, the seed must come from the area that you want to plant in. This is so essential for maintaining the high degree of genetic diversity among pīngao populations. Keep in mind that plants from other parts of New Zealand may not grow as well in a different place and if they interbreed with the existing populations, this may also affect their health. If you are interested in restoring your local pīngao population, please get in touch with your local Council or Coastal Restoration Trust representative, because they can advise you on how to do this best.

The project in Uawa/Tolaga Bay that we visited as part of our conference this year has won the Green Ribbon Award for Protecting our Biodiversity this year.

The Minister for the Environment, the Hon Dr Nick Smith, and the Minister of Conservation, the Hon Maggie Barry, announced the winners of the 2016 Green Ribbon Awards at a ceremony at Parliament on 7 June 2016.

From the MfE website:

Collaborative and innovative, the Uawanui Project has taken a whole-community approach to improving the environmental health of the Kaituna Estuary, by managing the activities in the catchment that impact on the estuary – a “mountains-to-sea” approach.

Input from marae, iwi, individuals, business, primary industries, landowners and schools has developed a project that enables the community to manage the catchment in their everyday activities, with direct benefits to both the community’s and the environment’s health. Activities have included trapping pests, weed control, planting and monitoring. Creative thinking has led to planting of seeds from Cook’s first collections, transit of Venus celebrations, and archaeological investigations – building on the area’s history, and adding to the local community’s knowledge of their culture and where they have come from.

For more information about the Uawanui Project go here:

To see this year’s other Green Ribbon Award winners, check out the MfE website.

A charity whose business involves getting their hands dirty is to set up in Northland, having pulled millions of litres of rubbish from New Zealand seas.

Seacleaners charity founder Hayden Smith was in Whangarei last month to meet with sponsors, with a view to getting a full-time operation set up in Northland within the year.

Since forming in 2002, the trust has collected 27 million pieces - about 3.4 million litres - of rubbish, mainly from Auckland’s harbours, using community volunteers.

Read the full story.

The tsunami risk for Gisborne is lower than estimated in previous reports but is still up there as one of the most at-risk areas in New Zealand, experts say.

The dunes west of Gisborne city would block a lot of a tsunami but there were city areas with a moderate to
high level of risk, such as along the riverside walkways, the logging terminals, the lower ends of Customhouse and Grey Streets, and the Waikanae campground.

Wainui properties would also be protected by the dunes, but some areas up and around stream outlets had a moderate to high level of risk.

Read the full story.

The New Zealand Coastal Society has published Adapting to the consequences of climate change: Engaging with communities to assist coastal professionals, decision-makers and communities in preparing for sea-level rise and the associated effects of climate change.

The aim of this publication is to encourage the development of best practice in working with communities as they adapt to the consequences of climate change.

The publication includes examples of how local authorities are engaging with the public and working to create climate-smart communities. Some of this work includes considering when and how to engage with communities in planning processes, as well as how to make general and site-specific information, such as estimated sea-level rise, available in a way that supports better decision-making.

The publication is divided into three sections:

• Section 1 is an overview of the national landscape in addressing the consequences of climate change.
• Section 2 provides a discussion on engaging with communities on this issue.
• Section 3 looks at how Coastcare groups and communities are addressing climate change. The case studies were prepared in collaboration with the Coastal Restoration Trust.

Much of the information in this publication is based on presentations that were given at the 2015 Australasian Coasts and Ports conference that was held in Auckland last September.

For more information, images or to set up interviews, please contact editor Shelly Biswell at [Enable JavaScript to view protected content] or 021 985 843.

The New Zealand Coastal Society is an IPENZ technical group that was formed in 1992 to promote and advance knowledge and understanding of the coastal zone. It provides a forum for those with an interest in the coastal zone to communicate amongst themselves and to the public.