Trip intentions

Wellington is taking part in the global wildlife count, City Nature Challenge! This is an collaboration between the VUW Tramping Club and SCB Wellington. The City Nature Challenge is an annual global event where cities from all the over world compete to see who can document the most nature observations on iNaturalist app over four days. It's a great way for people in urban areas to get outside, explore their local ecosystems, and contribute to scientific research, all while having a bit of friendly rivalry with other cities. It is a wonderful way to connect to Te Taiao.

It's a fantastic challenge that promotoes environmental awareness, citizen, science, and the appreciation for the natural world. Even if Wellington doesn't end up on of the leaderboard, the real winner is our connection to Te Taiao, the natural environment that sustains us all.

What To Bring

• Sturdy footwear
• Water and snacks
• An device that can use the iNaturalist App (recommened)

We'll meet at the Aro Valley Great War Memorial and walk along the bushes of Waimapihi Reserve.

Follow these steps to get set up on iNaturalist:

1. Download the iNaturalist app and create an account.

2. Take photos of wildlife around you.

3. Upload your observations to share with the iNaturalist community. Learn more as your finds are identified by experts.

VUWTC heads out every few months to Opau Bay (near Mākara) for an awesome day walk and beach cleanup event!

We partner with Sustainable Coastlines to clear rubbish from the beach. We then count it up to help scientists and policymakers deal with pollution. Along the way there'll be plenty of yarns and laughs. You'll get gloves and pink fluoro vests (to stay safe and stylish)!

Cost: $3-5 for petrol.

Plan:

1. Meet at Kelburn campus at 9:30am

At the Hunter carpark, we'll sort out car groups and split up survey gear.

2. Drive 30min to Mākara Beach carpark (arrive about 10:15am)

DRIVERS! We need people to get us there, with no Mākara bus. Drivers will be reimbursed for fuel costs.

3. Walking time! (10:30am to 12:30pm)

Trek up Mākara hill and down to Opau Bay (2hr with breaks). This is a medium walk, with a STEEP bit at the beginning, a flat bit in the middle, and then a meander downhill to the beach. We'll pass old military bunkers, windmills, sheep, cows, and great views. If we get a clear day, the South Island will be visible!

4. We pick up rubbish!! (about 1pm)

After lunch, we'll set up a 100m x 20m area and collect all the rubbish inside. Equipment provided: gloves, funky pink fluoro, bags, mallet! There'll be a health and safety briefing, then we'll search for one hour.

5. We walk back to the cars via the coast! (about 2-3pm)

We'll return to Mākara by walking across the rocky beach. This is an easy walk, just long!

6. Return to uni! (about 3-4pm)

We might stop at Mākara's nice coastal cafe (open on public holidays)!

7. Sort and weigh rubbish at uni (4-6pm)

We'll count up the amount and weight of rubbish we found. This info goes into an online database to help map Aotearoa's plastic pollution. This might sound boring, but it's actually super fun. We should be done by 6pm. If you need to leave once we get back to uni, no problem! :)

What to bring:

• Lunch and snacks

• A full 1-2L drink bottle

• Warm and windproof layers, PLEASE have long sleeves and pants to reduce the chance of injury

• IMPORTANT: Sturdy closed toe footwear, as we'll walk over pebbles and driftwood (PLEASE NO crocs/sandals/jandals etc.)

• Sun smart gear (sunscreen/hat/sunglasses)

• Hand sanitiser

More info on Sustainable Coastlines

Mākara walk info: https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/wellington-kapiti/places/makara-beach-area/things-to-do/makara-walkway/

Data from our last survey in Jan: https://litterintelligence.org/data/survey?id=3390

The Paekakariki to Pukerua Bay Escarpment Track, part of the greater Te Araroa Trail, offers an exhilarating hike along the stunning Kapiti Coastline.

Bring: Sturdy footwear, sufficient water and some snacks

Plan: Meet at Paekakariki Station at 10:00 am. You can get there via car or train along the Kapiti Coast. It'll take a few minutes to walk towards the track, which is 9.1km in length, the highest point is 217m and typically takes 3 to 4 hours to complete, but it will take longer since we will stop a few times. The Escarpment Track runs from Paekākāriki to Pukerua Bay, taking in sweeping views of the spectacular Kāpiti Coastline and Kapiti Island, so we'll end the trip once we reach Pukerua Bay Station at the other end of the track. The difficulty is moderate to hard.

Mid-break tacos! Bring some taco ingredients to contribute :) 

Sign up and we'll email you the address on the day (it's not where we usually live).