Season 1
Kūaotunu Dune Care had a perfect weather day on April 29th when a dedicated group of 30 volunteers gathered to put in 90 hours of collective volunteer time to plant a number of front dune , mid dune and back dune plants. The species were chosen to help stabilise the dunes, restore biodiversity and strengthen the long term resilience of the coastal environment.
Since the 1990s, the back dune area at Grays Beach has undergone a significant ecological shift. While local volunteers planted natives throughout the area, exotic species gradually began competing with the restoration plantings. In preparation for this project, these exotics were sprayed out to help restore the natural balance of the dune system.
To give the new plants the best chance of survival, volunteers placed biodegradable wool mats around many of the plants to help retain moisture, suppress weeds, and slowly release nutrients back into the soil as they break down over time.
The work doesn’t stop once the plants are in the ground. Kūaotunu Dune Care volunteers continue regular pest trapping and ongoing weed control across the site to help ensure the restoration effort thrives into the future.
What Went In
- Henge Henge (Geniostoma ligustrifolium)
- Kōhūhū (Pittosporum tenuifolium)
- Rēwarewa (Knightia excelsa)
- Makaka Marsh plants (Plagianthus divaricatus)
- Rengarenga (Arthropodium cirratum)
- Tarata (Pittosporum eugenioides)
- Whau (Entelea arborescens)
- Spinifex (Spinifex sericeus)
- Pīngao (Ficinia spiralis)
- Pōhutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa)
Total planted: 2000+ natives.
114 of these were from the GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL - Kaitiaki initiative.
Backed By
This season was supported by:
- Lukes Kitchen
- Coromandel Mountains Manuka Oil Company
- Sarah Bennett Midwife
- Kūaotunu Dune Care
- Thames Coromandel District Council
- Destination Hauraki Coromandel
- Visitors, locals, and the wider tourism community
