World Wetlands Day Today

Council has installed new signs at the Grovetown Lagoon where work is continuing to restore this environmental treasure. Community volunteers, and Council, have been working for years now to remove the willows so the area can revert to the natural vegetation typical of an east coast wetland. The lagoon is home to a myriad of bird species and, eventually, pathways through the area will allow people a series of viewpoints to watch the wildlife.

The theme for World Wetlands Day today is ‘wetlands and tourism’ – and the Grovetown wetland restoration project is going to create a great opportunity for people to get close to a wetland area and all its wildlife. The new signs explain how the lagoon ecosystem works, the birds which make the lagoon home and some of the background to the joint community project to protect and promote this special area. The Council is also assisting with a formal development plan for the project, working closely with the other partners; community, iwi and Department of Conservation.