Young artists promote Auckland's marine reserves
Date: 18 February 2008
Four North Shore budding artists were lucky enough to spend a day exploring the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park on Wednesday 3 February, courtesy of the Department of Conservation (DOC).
Amy Yalland, 18, Madeleine Thom, Kimberley Bellas and Tom Gray, all 10 years, won the trip as a prize in a poster competition open to schools throughout Auckland to raise awareness of marine reserves.
DOC Ranger, Vivienne Parker, said the quality of the posters was exceptional.
"The children had really put a lot of time and effort into creating these posters, and the research they had put into marine reserves and how special they are was evident in the great slogans they came up with," she said.
Kimberley Bellas, Tom Gray, Madeleine
Thom and Amy Yalland (left to right)
The posters will be used to promote the importance of Auckland's marine reserves.
The trip took the children out to Te Matuku Marine Reserve at the south-east corner of Waiheke island, past Gannet Rock to see the birds, and on to Tiritiri Matangi island for lunch and a chance to look around the island. The group was led by DOC Marine Ranger, Karl McLeod, who was able to teach the children more about marine reserves and point out sea birds and sites of interest along the way.
He said it was fantastic to see children so informed and enthusiastic about conservation.
Te Matuku is one of three marine reserves in the Auckland area, along with Long Bay-Okura Marine Reserve on the North Shore and Motu Manawa (Pollen Island) Marine Reserve in the inner Waitemata Harbour.
Marine reserves are established in areas that contain underwater scenery, natural features, or marine life of such distinctive quality, or so typical, beautiful or unique that preserving them is in the national interest.
They are open to the public, and people are encouraged to visit and enjoy them, however, it is illegal to fish, disturb or take any living thing from within a marine reserve. Offenders can have their boats and fishing gear seized, be fined up to $10,000 and imprisoned for three months.
DOC encourages people to report any illegal fishing on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).