Protecting our wetlands and critically endangered wildlife
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.
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
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Poll: What do you think of the new police move-on powers?
Central Hamilton businesses are welcoming police being given new powers to move on vagrants, with a city retail advocate saying the previous hands-off approach wasn’t working.
On Sunday the Government announced it would grant police powers to order any individual rough sleeping, begging, or displaying disorderly behaviour to move on.
What do you think of the new police move-on powers? Tell us more in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
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78.6% They're needed
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7.1% They won't change much
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14.3% I'll wait and see
Chiefs resist rushing Damian McKenzie back for Super Rugby Pacific final
The Chiefs are keeping Damian McKenzie on ice, with coach Jono Gibbes resisting the temptation to throw his star playmaker straight back into the fray against the Crusaders in Hamilton on Saturday night.
Having sat out the opening two rounds of the Super Rugby Pacific season on paternity leave following the birth of his first child, son, Louie, in the first week of February, McKenzie has re-joined the franchise for training this week.
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