Whangamata Harbour Care

14/06/2026

🐦Spotted a bird with bands? You can help tell its story...

A small metal or coloured band on a bird’s leg can tell researchers where that bird travels, how long it lives, and which places it depends on.

We’ve put together a quick guide on what to look for and how to report a banded bird in NZ.

Don't forget to share the shore — enjoy the harbour while staying clear of fenced-off nesting and roosting areas, to give our birds plenty of space to thrive.

👉 Read more:

Every now and then, if you’re watching birds around the harbour, you may notice something small and unusual on a bird’s legs. It might be a metal band, a coloured band, or a combination of several colours.These bands are part of an important conservation and research tool that helps scientists, ...

16/04/2026

Great mangrove seeding working bee on Wednesday! 20 volunteers chopped seedlings at the causeway, helping prevent the spread of mangroves in the harbour. Next session is on Saturday 12:30 at Humphrey. Come and join us 😊.

13/04/2026

Mangrove working bees - https://mailchi.mp/2b4b9e268412/reminder-volunteer-thank-you-sunday-4pm-17245813

04/04/2026

We’ve installed skink monitoring stations at Hetherington Reserve, with help from Samantha from Coastcare - Waikato to position them in promising spots.

We’re using two methods: artificial cover stations and tunnel houses with inked tracking cards to record footprints.

One month in... well it’s just mice and cockroach prints so far (this is what their prints look like, in case you're wondering).

We’re looking forward to seeing what turns up over time as the stations settle in – and hopefully spotting some skinks before too long!

There are 78 species of skink in New Zealand but new species are still being discovered.

In Whangamatā and the surrounding Coromandel area, you can find a mix of native and introduced skinks, including the Northern grass skink (common in coastal areas), the Shore skink (found on sandy beaches and rocky coastlines), and the invasive Plague skink (also known as the rainbow skink). Native Moko skinks have also been historically identified in the area.

Trying to identify a skink? If you can safely photograph it without causing disturbance, the most helpful photos are taken from both above and the side.

30/03/2026

A freshen-up for Harbour Care 🌱

You might notice a few small updates around Whangamatā Harbour Care.

We’ve given our logo a light refresh to make it clearer and easier to use across things like signage, newsletters and social media — keeping the same overall feel, just making it work a bit better.

You may also spot our volunteers out and about in new high-vis vests, making it easier to identify Harbour Care members around the harbour.

If you see one of us while you’re out walking, feel free to stop and say hello 👋

25/03/2026

POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER

Organisers have decided to postpone Friday’s AT220/ecological monitoring workshop at the Opoutere Hall.

The Hall is on a flood zone and it looks like we are in for a decent rain and wind event.

New date: Friday April 24, the day before Anzac Day. 9.30-12

EVENT Postponed

With yet another weather event on the way, potentially affecting our meeting at Opoutere we have decided to postpone. New date TBC

25/03/2026

We love this photo of a young lynx catching a rat — one of the worthy winners in last year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Unfortunately, unless you’ve got your own lynx on rodent patrol (your household mouser is definitely not a reliable service), you’ll need to sort out your bait stations and rat traps yourself.

As the weather cools down, rats and mice start looking for warm, dry places to shelter — roof spaces, sheds, garages, boats, campervans and more.

Now’s the time to:
- top up bait stations
- reset traps
- check for signs of activity

If you need supplies, contact Lyn on 021 1515 607 for bait, rat traps or mouse traps.

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/peoples-choice

17/03/2026

Predator Free Hauraki Coromandel Community Trust is hosting a workshop on the morning of Friday the 27th of March, at the Opoutere Community hall.

Pop along to join the ecological monitoring discussion, get to grips with the AT220 traps, and meet other local pest trappers!

EVENT Postponed

With yet another weather event on the way, potentially affecting our meeting at Opoutere we have decided to postpone. New date TBC

11/03/2026

After a day of passing showers, the rain cleared just in time for our Whangamatā Harbour Care volunteer thank-you BBQ at Williamson Park on the 15th of February. More than 40 optimistic volunteers turned up to celebrate the incredible work happening around our harbour.

We were also grateful to have local representatives join us and acknowledge the impact our volunteers are making.

👉 Read the full story
- https://mailchi.mp/c9dfb423bfc9/reminder-volunteer-thank-you-sunday-4pm-17244480

21/02/2026

Thank you to everyone who came along to the Enterprise Whangamata Lunch en Blanc yesterday. This year’s event proudly supported Whangamatā Harbour Care, and what a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon — meeting new people, enjoying the beautiful weather, and sharing a picnic in the park.

A big thank you to Sally and the team at Enterprise Whangamata for bringing it all together, we really appreciate your support.