A bumper crop of mangrove seedlings led Friends of the Farm in Māngere Bridge to host a pop-up mangrove seedling pull on Saturday morning, 29 February 2020.
More than 25 culturally diverse community volunteers of all ages, with the support of Ambury Farm Rangers, turned out to weed the harbour. Seeking to maintain existing bird roosts and the beautiful harbour vista enjoyed by so many residents, walkers and cyclists along the Esplanade, these hardworking volunteers gathered 65 bags of seedlings – a record number – within two hours.
“Usually we do the mangrove pulls in May but this year the climate and tides produced the perfect storm that swept in thousands of seed pods into our little bay. If you wait too long the job becomes overwhelming,” said Meredith Fountain, a long-time community volunteer and local resident who organised the event. “For Friends of the Farm, it’s all about looking after our patch and creating opportunities for local residents to do the same.”
Most volunteers worked by the old bridge and in the first bay, but others worked further along the Esplanade, near where they live.
For new resident Luisa and her family, taking part in the working bee was a way to connect and give back. “We’re new to the community and I’m currently at home looking after our baby. Our family wanted to do something in the community to help out and this is a great way to get to meet other local people. The working bee only takes two hours, so it’s doable, and it’s environmentally friendly.”
Corinne came with her two daughters, Emily and Charlotte. “We swim a bit further along the Esplanade, so for our family the harbour is an extension of our home. The girls try hard to show manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga in what they do, so a working bee is a great opportunity. And, it’s fun to get muddy! People walking by stop to ask what we’re doing, so there’s a chance to also educate them.”
Long-time resident Karen has been helping out at Mangrove working bees for years. “I came out today because I’ve never seen such an intense lot of seedlings. Before we began this morning, it looked like a green carpet on the seabed.” Karen sees an opportunity to harness the interest and commitment of others to help look after the harbour. “We need more of a media spotlight to attract other residents, community groups, school students and companies who want to be helpful and do some good in the community.”
Don Tilbrook is the treasurer of the Mangere Bridge Residents and Ratepayers Association, which has been a long supporter of the working bees and in earlier times organised them. “I enjoy my involvement in the community and do other things such as removing the invasive moth vine plant. We’ve lived here for five years and I want to see our bird habitats protected from mangrove encroachment. I like the idea of community getting together to do something good for the benefit of the community and others who visit this beautiful place in which we live.”
Ben brought his two sons, who enjoyed playing in the mud and searching for crabs. Ben also attends Mangere Bridge Residents and Ratepayers meetings and is keen to do further mangrove maintenance and get others involved.
There are so many ways to contribute. A resident on Kiwi Esplanade got out his hose and offered it to muddy volunteers. Darren, another long-time community volunteer, helped out at the welcome table where volunteers received gloves, buckets, bags, sunscreen, advice, and health and safety instructions. He recognised a Cook Island family who are regular walkers along the Esplanade. They stopped to ask what we were doing and offered their encouragement before continuing on their way. They later returned with a few dozen bottles of water for the volunteers. “We would have got in the mud with you, had we known about the working bee,” they said. “Keep up the good work!”
Ambury Farm Rangers brought heaps of moral support and worked alongside volunteers, pulling mangroves and later collecting all the bags for disposal. All up, it was a very satisfying morning, looking after our patch. Further mangrove pulls are planned and will be posted on our Events Calendar and on the Friends of the Farm Facebook Page – click here to open in new window.
