Friends
of the Farm has teamed up with Sustainable Coastlines for the second year
running, facilitating a clean-up of the whole of the Mangere Bridge
foreshore. Our clean-up last weekend
coincided with other events around the Manukau Harbour; at Onehunga, Waikowhai,
Cornwallis and Waiuku; and it was great to know that we were all contributing
to the improved health and wellbeing of our moana.
Friends
of the Farm set up base at the Mangere Boat Club again and we’re grateful to
the club for generously allowing us to use their kitchen and bathroom
facilities during the clean-up and for the loan of their BBQ. Willing helpers came from our local community
and further afield, with promotion of the event by Sustainable Coastlines, in
addition to our usual local advertising.
Participants
were given a short safety briefing and information about the effect of rubbish
on the eco-system, before spreading out along the foreshore armed with gloves
and sacks. As with all our clean-ups,
the rubbish collected was a mixture of single-use items discarded at picnic and
carpark areas and on our streets (cans, bottles, straws, plastic bags, nappies
etc), and items that have probably been brought into the area and dumped (car
parts, wire, ceremonial goods, clothing, building material).
As the
full sacks made their way back to base, we were once again amazed and shocked
at how much rubbish is lurking along our foreshore. Several people commented that they hadn’t
realised how much was there until they started looking closely. In total, an
unbelievable 12,000 litres of rubbish was collected by 412 volunteers from
around the Manukau Harbour in one day!
While it
can be disheartening to see our beautiful moana being trashed, one participant reminded
us about how much things have improved since the 1950’s, when abattoir waste
and raw sewerage were dumped directly into the harbour. Thankfully, things have improved considerably
since those times.
We’re
very grateful to all the wonderful people who lent a hand on the weekend! Thanks also to the people passing by who
stopped to find out what we were doing and to offer their help at future events. Together, we can continue to make this a
beautiful harbour again, for all of us to enjoy.
