Community conservationists are celebrating the planting of 100,000 natives as part of a decade-long restoration project in the South Island’s largest semi-enclosed estuary.
Volunteers helped to reach the milestone at the Waimeha/Waimea Inlet in Tasman Bay through the Battle for the Banded Rail initiative, amid signs that numbers of some endangered birds in the estuary were increasing.
Project co-leader Kathryn Brownlie said more than 60 locals turned out to help plant the 100,000th plant on Bronte Peninsula in Māpua.
“It’s a huge milestone, and it’s a big investment as well, because … it’s all been funded through grants that we’ve had to apply for. “We’re very grateful to all our volunteers – we simply couldn’t do something of this scale without them.”
