Our amazing team of participants and Restoring Takuranga Hauraki representatives before heading out on the estuary.
Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR) team were treated to a stunning day to run a different kind of marine monitoring day at Bayswater Estuary. 14 keen participants joined us at Bayswater School and Sandy Bay for a day of learning and discovery. Thanks to our partnership with Restoring Takarunga Hauraki (RTH) and our funders SkyCity, Wai Connection, Tu Manawa Active Aotearoa, and the Bobby Stafford Bush Foundation, participants were able to learn about monitoring techniques and the importance of their local estuarine environment.
Participants get familiar with the sampling gear and how to use it before heading down to the estuary.
The day started off with whakawhanaungatanga and a theory session, talking about key estuarine habitats and learning about the survey equipment. This was a wonderful opportunity to connect and discuss our diverse backgrounds and shared interest in Te Taiao. Participants then took these lessons out to Bayswater Estuary, making observations about the environment, sampling the sediment, and assessing what animals were living in and on the mudflat.
Participants search for organisms living on the intertidal mudflat, then sieve sediment cores to see what
is living beneath the surface.
Participants discovered and identified mud crabs, snapping shrimp, polychaete worms, amphipods, top shell snails, and a range of other marine invertebrates. They also observed the different sediment layers, discussing how these influenced the estuaries fauna and the ultimate impacts of our land use.
If you are keen to take part in future monitoring events or any of the free community snorkel or kayak days run by EMR, get in touch or keep an eye on our EMR Eventbrite to register.
A snapping shrimp/kowhitiwhiti moana peeks out from its hole amidst the shell rubble.
A big ngā mihi to Lance, Zane, and the RTH team, as well as all of the participants who helped make this an epic day! If you would like to support our organisation and help us reach more people with our marine and freshwater engagement initiatives, you can donate or sign up as a volunteer below.
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