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Dune Rehabilitation

Hunter Ririnui —

Last week eighteen TGC students participated in the Students 4 the Environment Dune rehabilitation event on Sunday 27 March.

Students 4 the Environment is a project run by The Rotary Club of Tauranga Sunrise that aims to give students the opportunity to make a positive contribution to the environment. Every month Students 4 the Environment runs a ‘student centred’ volunteering event on a Sunday morning. In the past, these events have included tasks such as planting, weeding and trap-management. These events are only a few hours over a weekend, so are a perfect opportunity for students to give back.

Last week's Dune Rehabilitation event was organised by Coast Care. The purpose of this event was to remove invasive weed species from the Mount Main Beach so that the sand dunes could thrive without having to compete for the nutrients in the soil. Students completed tasks such as weeding, fertilising the dunes closest to the shoreline that are affected by erosion, and picking up rubbish found in the dunes.

TGC students did a fabulous job caring for our native dunes, and found the event a thrilling learning experience.

"It made me more aware of my carbon footprint on these local communities, and how us humans affect our natural environment." - Erina Islam

"It was rewarding to give back to the natural environment surrounding us, so neglected and affected by people. The dunes are a beautiful environment that protects us, therefore, deserve our protection." - Bree McTavish-Huriwai

It’s great to see students being proactive in the community and putting in the mahi to better the environment. Keep up the great work!