Breakfast with the birds at Maketu

Monday 29 October 2018

Breakfast with the gulls at Maketu is the adventurous twist for this year's annual meeting of the Maketu Ongatoro Wetland Society (MOWS) on Saturday 10 November.

The Annual General Meeting of MOWS is part of a morning with the birds at the Maketu Monument Reserve next to the Maketu Surf Club, starting at 7.30am.

It'll pay to arrive early to make sure you don't miss out on the guided tours of the shorebird breeding colony and a complimentary breakfast for everyone who takes a tour.

Trips across to the colony will be run every 20 minutes run by the Maketu Surf Lifesaving Club from 7.30am to 9pm. Adult lifejackets will be provided and parents of smaller children are asked to bring along their child's life jacket.

Hosted by MOWS and sponsored by Western Bay of Plenty District Council and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council the morning is a great opportunity to view the impressive breeding colony of shorebirds, including the critically endangered black-billed gull and New Zealand dotterel.

Breakfast with the gulls is all part of MOW's ongoing awareness of promoting the importance of the dune systems for providing habitat for wildlife, including the NZ Dotterel and black gulls.

Dune planting days are a highlight for local primary and intermediate students and are followed up with a public advocacy campaign where students design dune protection posters.

At breakfast with the gulls there'll be a coffee cart on site and a complimentary breakfast from 8-9am for everyone who takes a tour, followed by the AGM at 9.15am in the Maketu Surf Club.

The event is free but koha is appreciated for the continuation of the many projects that MOWS does around the Maketu area and with local schools.

Registration for Breakfast with the Gulls can be done via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/552045841885532/ or email: Tania@maketuwetlands.org.nz

If the weather doesn't oblige, the day will be postponed until 24 November with updates on Facebook.