Te Kohuroa Rewilding Kelp Restoration Day - November

Join us for a day of marine rewilding. Te Kohuroa Rewilding will begin with an introduction to the kaupapa, a deep dive into the stressors affecting biodiversity and habitat abundance on our rocky reefs, and an overview of the kelp restoration site and harvesting protocols.

Once participants have had a chance to ask questions, Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust’s (MTSCT) Experiencing Marine Reserves team will take participants through a safety briefing and skill run down for the kina harvesting process. Participants will then snorkel out to the reef to harvest kina.

After lunch, project volunteers will participate in a citizen science process to assess kina wellbeing and understand changes in the health of kina living in and around TKRI’s kelp restoration site. The harvested kina will then be shared with participants and the wider community for kaimoana (seafood).

This event is funded by Auckland Council, Foundation North, Restore Rodney East, Rodney Local Board, and private donations.

When

Saturday 14th November

9.30 am - 10.00 am – Welcome, karakia, whakawhanaungatanga and H&S briefing

10.00 am - 10.30 am – Introduction to Te Kohuroa Rewilding Initiative

10.30am - 11.00am - Kina harvesting tikanga and breath hold exercises

11.00 am – 11.15am Break

11.15 am - 1.15 pm - Kina harvesting (Advanced snorkelling)

1.15 pm - 1.45 pm - Lunch

1.45 pm - 3.00 pm - Kina citizen science

3.00 pm - 3.30 pm - Debrief, sharing circle and packdown

Where

Matheson Bay Reserve, End of Grand View Road

Registrations (essential for all participants)

Minimum age for the activity is 12 years old, children 15 years and below need to have an adult supervisor present. Prior snorkelling experience and strong swimming ability is required.

Bring your own gear or get free hire of our mask, snorkel, fins and wetsuits. Please also bring an underwater camera if you have one (please note that it will be under your own liability). Experienced guides and advanced safety procedures will be in place on the day.

Backup date – Saturday 21st November. Please ensure that you are available on both the scheduled date and the backup date, in case we have to reschedule due to poor weather. A final weather call will be made on the day before the event.

Cancellation – Please notify us with at least 24 hours notice if you can no longer make it.

About Te Kohuroa Rewilding

Te Kohuroa Rewilding is a community-led project working to restore the marine ecosystem at Matheson Bay. Our community is working with iwi, organisations and local groups to build a ground-up approach to healing Te Kohuroa Matheson Bay’s marine ecosystem through a long-term program of voluntary restoration.

TKRI leads a rocky reef restoration program to support kelp regeneration within the bay. This work is being carried out through a Special Restoration Permit issued by MPI that allows the management and removal of overpopulated kina within the project’s restoration site. Learn more about our kaupapa here: www.tekohuroarewilding.org.

Diversity and inclusion statement

Te Kohuroa Rewilding believes in a 'whole-community' approach to rewilding participation, and works to create pathways for people with diverse backgrounds and needs. If you require support to participate in this event, please contact our project team at [email protected] to discuss how we can help.