D.U.N.E.
Paraparaumu Community Beach Management Interest Group
Where can you find the group?
This group was established in 2004 and is based along the Manly Street end of the beach, just south of theWaikanae River estuary. Check out an aerial photo of the area.
Contact the Greater Wellington care group faciltator on 04 384 5708 or 0800 496 734.
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| Newly planted Spinifex trial at Paraparaumu Beach site (2004) | |
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| Spinifex trial at Paraparaumu beach after six months growth (2004) |
What has the group done?
D.U.N.E is now in its third year of Greater Wellington funding and has built good community support for its project to restore natural dunes along Paraparaumu Beach south of the Waikanae Estuary. The marram dominated sand dunes along this stretch of the beach suffer from ongoing erosion and the group are working to find solutions to this problem.
Members of the group monitor the progress of trial plots of the native "sand-binder" kowhangatara ( Spinifex sericeus). The trials were established with the help of leading coastal plant expert David Bergin from the Forest Research Institute, following a field trip to the site during the Coastal Dune Vegetation Network Conference in 2004. The plants are making impressive growth and have noticeably helped reduce erosion at the trial sites.
D.U.N.E. members have held several community planting days and planted a range of hardy native coastal plants to enhance biodiversity and prevent erosion in back dune areas. They regularly maintain these plantings to keep them free from invasive weeds while theyoung plants get established. They have also installed beachcare signs to educate and inform beach users about waysthey can help tolook after the dunes.
Current activities
This year the group are planting spinifex at several sites along the beach south of the Waikanae Estuary. The sites were sprayed to control marram grass before planting and fences erected to prevent the new plants from being trampled. By the end of the seasonlocal volunteerswill have planted around 3000 new spinifex plants.