Letter to the Editor

 

Who’s watching who?
Some misunderstanding has arisen over who is keeping a watch on the endangered fairy tern breeding on the Mangawhai Wildlife Refuge Reserve, known as the spit.

The New Zealand Fairy Tern Trust based in Mangawhai and established in 2008, in co-operation with Department of Conservation, is responsible for monitoring birds on the spit and trapping predators.

The Trust is not funded by the Tara Iti Golf Club through money raised by its Spirit of Mangawhai Charity Golf Tournament, which makes a contribution to the Te Arai & Mangawhai Shorebirds Trust.This Trust was set up as part of the Auckland Council’s resource consent for the construction of the course. 

The Shorebirds Trust employs a ranger to patrol the beach and dunes south of the Mangawhai spit reserve. The spit is watched over by volunteers from Mangawhai community.

Ron Taylor
Mangawhai