The Sacred Heart College Interact meeting was held on Tuesday and a presentation was given by Debbie Monahan CEO, and Belinda Sleight Community Liaison, from Biodiversity HB.The focus of the presentation was The Gap at Westshore and the desire to restore it back to how it might once have been.
The Gap is the 10-section wide area at Westshore (The Esplanade) where there are no houses; it is house-free due to it being the approach for the cross runway at Napier airport. The area is one of the only largely unmodified gravel beach areas in Napier and is rare throughout the HB coastline.
There are four rare native plants that inhabit The Gap; these are low-growing species that have adapted to the harsh environment and, in turn, help to stabilise the gravel.
The Gap is in need of weeding out plants that should not be there, preserving and tagging the plants that should, and then further tending TheGap as it regenerates.
Biodiversity HB is currently working with HB Airport, lock residents and local Taiwhenua to restore the area. We hope that Interact Sacred Heart (under the auspices of Ahuriri Sunrise) will also become a partner.
After the Interact meeting, I went and took a couple of pics of the area and one of the tagged plants that have been identified.
Another visit is planned for next week for Elaine Cook to inspect the site.
Lynne Trafford
The Gap is in need of weeding out plants that should not be there, preserving and tagging the plants that should, and then further tending TheGap as it regenerates.
Biodiversity HB is currently working with HB Airport, lock residents and local Taiwhenua to restore the area. We hope that Interact Sacred Heart (under the auspices of Ahuriri Sunrise) will also become a partner.
After the Interact meeting, I went and took a couple of pics of the area and one of the tagged plants that have been identified.
Another visit is planned for next week for Elaine Cook to inspect the site.
Lynne Trafford