2015 Auckland Council Dog Bylaw review & Signage

Submissions were heard at the Rodney electorate offices in Orewa at a special consultative procedure public deliberation, which I attended and presented a slide show with my findings and statistics on the Shorebirds at Snells Beach before the board.

In summary I asked for the northern end of the beach to have higher recognition and protection as a wildlife area and restrictions for dogs in that area to support the Shorebirds.

In that hearing the northern end was recognized as a wildlife area and the board ruled that dogs would be on leash only from Sunburst boat ramp north.

A huge win for our roosting and nesting shorebirds as dogs were now are not allowed to chase them.

This was also the year I first started making my own signs, you can see it stapled below, it was about the migration of our Godwits.

When I look at it now its was a bit sad, black and white and no good photos however it was so interesting to see that almost everyone stopped to read them, I put them on posts, seats and fences along the beach.

After a big storm I went down to find one had ripped off its bottom staple, someone had found a piece of flax and tied the bottom to the post so it wouldn’t be lost.

When given the opportunity people want to learn and are quite fascinated by our amazing birds.

Below is the first series of signs I made in 2015.

These are some of the summer 2019/20 signs I made and installed, you will be pleased to see I have improved them, I just needed a little more time and money to make them nicer, I printed and laminated 5 of the migratory signs which I installed late summer however the story of ABW I installed early when I first saw this special bird was spending the summer with us so you could see how truly special this bird is.

These signs were a wonderful success, I was amazed to see that virtually 99% of people stopped to read them, I would then see people pointing and discussing the birds.