Members of many faiths gathered together near Mt. Wellington on Saturday, 1 September to help the Tamaki Estuary Protection Society clean the beach along the Panmure Basin.
- Cleaning the Coast
- Two smiling volunteers
- Group with Bags of Trash
- Handful of Dirt
- A volunteer pauses to rest
- Patrick O'Meara
- Cleaning the Beach
- Cleaning up Trash
- Group walking with trash bags
- Girl Cleaning Trash
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The volunteers were part of an interfaith service group, and included people from multiple countries and members of the Sai Organisation, Ratana Church and the Islamic community. Three of the volunteers were young members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Auckland.
Volunteers cleaned plastic and rubbish from the beach and nearby waters and helped the Tamaki Estuary Protection Society take a bird count of species in the area.
The Tamaki Estuary has experienced high levels of contamination for the past few years, to the point that Protection Society members said it’s rare to find fish in the waters. Discarded waste and industrial by-products make it difficult for the local flora and fauna to survive and thrive.
Terri Marchant, the events and education officer for the Tamaki Estuary Protection Society, said anyone willing to help with estuary clean-up is always appreciated.
“We love it when people come to volunteer,” Marchant said. “The estuary needs our help so badly, and we always need more people to be involved.”
Volunteers said they enjoyed getting a chance to gather as members of different faiths and serve for a good cause.
Kiri, Ratana Church member and self-declared Morehu remnant, said she loves volunteering with people of other faiths. She said that love is what the world needs most right now, and activities like the estuary clean-up help increase love for other people and for the planet.