118 days ago

Protecting our wetlands and critically endangered wildlife

The Team from Momentum Waikato

Wetlands are a precious part of our ecosystem, acting like the kidneys of the earth, cleaning the water that flows into them. They trap sediment and soils, filter out contaminants; can reduce flooding and protect coastal land from storm surge; and return nitrogen to the atmosphere. In New Zealand they support the greatest concentration of wildlife out of any other habitat and yet 90% of our wetlands have been cleared.

Many of the community conservation groups in the Hauraki Coromandel are working to protect remaining wetlands and the endangered species that inhabit them, such as the Matuku-Hūrepo or Australasian Bittern, pictured below.

This is a strikingly beautiful and secretive wetland bird that has perfected invisibility. Its colour and striations exactly mimic the close, vertical world of reeds and raupō, especially when it lifts its dagger beak right up, narrows itself to angular reed-thinness and sways gently with the wind-rustling stems. The male’s distinctive mating call is a sonorous, haunting boom that reverberates through its wetland habitat - the call of the wild.

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More messages from your neighbours
4 hours ago

Sunday prize draw!

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Congratulations to the winners of this week's prize draw who will receive a $50 cafe voucher.

The winners are:
Sarah McGarry from Tawa
Jenna Holland from Woolston
Tobias Nash from Northland
Sascha Howie from Tauranga

Get in touch with the Neighbourly team here if you are on this list.

Not a winner? Maybe next week you will be!

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1 day ago

Show us your projects

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Whether it's craft, haberdashery, woodwork or upcycling, we'd love to see what you've been working on lately.
You may even spark someone else's creativity...

Tell us about your current project or show us a picture in the comments below...

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4 days ago

Poll: Is your nearest emergency department up to scratch?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Concerns have been raised about Nelson Hospital with complaints of lack of staffing and excessive wait times. Do you have confidence in your local emergency department?

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Is your nearest emergency department up to scratch?
  • 36.4% Yes, it serves us well
    36.4% Complete
  • 62.8% No, I have concerns
    62.8% Complete
  • 0.8% Other - I'll share below
    0.8% Complete
1320 votes