Sea Week 2019 - Celebrating our Ocean
Seaweek/ Kaupapa Moana is New Zealand’s annual national week celebrating the sea, hosted by the NZ Association for Environmental Education. It’s a time for all of us to get to know our ocean, its habitats, characteristics and inhabitants better.
This year Hauraki DOC chose to celebrate our oceans by working with local schools to support cleaning up Tikapa Moana and acknowledging others doing great work in caring for our marine environment.
Helena Myers, a Thames High school student, organised a morning of cleaning up the mangroves near the bird hide in Thames. Helena organised her first clean up in this area two years ago after seeing all the rubbish and realising that she wanted to make a difference. She asked friends and family if they wanted to help her and they were keen to get involved.
Helena said she is amazed how much support you get when you put it out there. This year over 30 people turned up and 27 bags of rubbish were removed from this special environment. Helena said “it’s great to see the amount of waste reducing since I started. Regular action and possibly the reduction in the use of plastic bags is making a real difference.”Thames High school outdoor education senior class chose to celebrate Sea Week by visiting Te Whanganui A Hei (Cathedral Cove) Marine Reserve for their first ocean snorkel. Having already developed their skills in the swimming pool and Hoffmans
pool in the Kauaeranga river, Sea Week provided the perfect opportunity to do an extended trip to a special protected area of water and get up close to underwater wildlife.
DOC staff worked with two schools to do beach clean ups. The Natural High outdoor class of Thames High School got into the thick of it wading through the mud of the mangroves at the head of the firth to remove rubbish. Old burley bags and other fishing debris were common finds but there were also a number of drink cans, old car tires, plastic bags and a hubcap. 16 Thames South School children from Ngaa Kahui Whetuu class (NKW2) did a great job picking up all rubbish they could find at Kuranui Bay. This beach is regularly cleaned by members of the public however the children still managed to remove one large bag of rubbish. During their time they also learnt about some of our marine wildlife and gathered materials for creating art projects back at school.
Poll: As a customer, what do you think about automation?
The Press investigates the growing reliance on your unpaid labour.
Automation (or the “unpaid shift”) is often described as efficient ... but it tends to benefit employers more than consumers.
We want to know: What do you think about automation?
Are you for, or against?
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9.5% For. Self-service is less frustrating and convenient.
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43.4% I want to be able to choose.
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47.1% Against. I want to deal with people.
Thames Branch NZ Society of Genealogists
Our genealogy adventures begin with us and what we know. Learn how to take the research journey back in time with like-minded people. Come along to the Thames Branch NZ Society of Genealogists monthly meeting, every 3rd Wednesday of the month. All welcome.
Purple Poppy Day Saturday 21st February
Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga is delighted to be working with Thames RSA to hold our town’s first Purple Poppy Day on 21st February. Purple Poppy day is held throughout the Commonwealth to honour the animals that served and died during WWI and WWII and continue to serve in current conflicts.
Our inaugural Purple Poppy Day features creatures from glowworms and pigeons to camels and elephants.
The competition on the day, PEOPLE AND PETS WEAR PURPLE and/or KHAKI is a fun way to get involved, with lots of neat prizes.
PEOPLE AND PETS WEAR PURPLE and/or KHAKI will be held weather permitting. All other activities will take place inside the museum is the weather isn’t so good.
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