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Motu Manawa Trip Report Sunday 6th of October 2019 |
Images from the day |
Video |
When I arrived at 11am, everything was almost setup and good to go. We had 7 volunteers (Denis, Max, Jack, Caroline, Ella & me). Lorna & Sophie leading the group with Courtney as 2IC.
The Saturday event was cancelled due to bad weather and all the participants had to be accommodated in the Sunday event. Auckland Sea Kayaks (ASK) stepped up and organized two sets of crew and equipment. Lorna predicted a wild day, with so many people & trips happening simultaneously.
On the water, the main part, we had people of all ages and sizes on the kayaks having a good time. It was a first EMR event for many of them. We saw a dotterel and few oyster catchers which was pretty cool. I had the opportunity to accompany Lorna (slot 1) & Sophie (slot 3) and their knowledge about marine ecology was astounding. Both kept the crowd engaged, answered questions and intrigued the children to learn more about the environment. Each group had the chance to kayak for about 45mins. The ASK team ensured everyone were safe and having fun.
Meanwhile, on land, Caroline setup an impromptu weaving session with harakeke (flax). It was a runaway hit. Random people who were visiting the park came up to take weaving classes. Personally, I haven't done craft in a very long time and this was very satisfying.
At 5pm, we finished loading all the kayaks back to their trailer and packing the EMR equipment. During the de-brief, we discussed things that could be improved and the feedback by today's attendees (92).
EMR is doing a great job for the community. Helping families explore their environment in a fun way. It wouldn’t be possible without the support of the sponsors and volunteers. As volunteers, EMR provides an awesome opportunity to work together with other people and make an impact for the community.
I'd like to thank team EMR for another successful event and looking forward to the other events throughout the year.
