Dune Restoration at the Nagti Mutunga and Ngati Haumai Pa Reserve.

Trustee's George Hough, Irleen Whitiri and George Day of the Pa Reserve and the Trustee's of

CHART Lois Croon, Tom Lanauze and co-ordinator of CHART obtained permission to visit the Tioriori Dune Restoration.

The day was fine with a good breeze with 4wd motor bikes and a 4wd toyota we made it safe to Tioriori with no mishaps as can often happen.

We spent several hours at the site with all trustee from both organisations exploring the dune site.

We all were excited and saw that it was very possible to achieve at Waitangi and were happy to model from the Tioriori site.

In September AkeAke seedling that had been sowen were pricked and put into tree trainers with the help form visitors on tour with Kay Robarts. A very special thank you to the visitors who were all Friends of the National Park. Two thousand trees were pricked into tree trainers and taken to George Hough's who looked after them untill planting time.

In April we planted the trees along the top of the second swale spraying was not needed as the ground was sparsley covered with coastal herbs and grasses.

Thank you to all of those who came to support CHART's planting day at the Ngati Mutunga and Ngati Haumia Pa Reserve. We planted 2000 akeake trees which are now growing well. This is a great start to the project which we hope to complete over the next 5 years. Our vision is to remove some of the weeds that are present in the dune area and replace with our native species that once dominated the unique coast line of the Chatham Islands.

We really appreciate all the effort and support by everyone who as been involved with CHART and the dune restoration.

It has been an amazing year.  I am overwhelmed at the community support for our organisation.  I need to thank the Department of Conservation on behalf of CHART for their support and help they have given this organisation to establish. Alex McKillop, Ken Hunt, Alan McKenzie and also Dave Houston.

Alex and Ken have mentored us through this year, Alan McKenzie helped by giving us valuable contacts such as Collin Ryder to help write the Trust Deed, the lawyer and the sponsoring of our first printing of our pamphlet. Dave Houston for setting up our website and email and having patience to help teach Abby and myself on how to load information onto the site. A few more lessons are required.

Our first year has been putting things together getting organised.  This year is projects and funding applications.

The two projects are the Nursery and the Dune Restoration for the Ngati Mutunga Recreational Reserve.

Both project plans are here tonight for perusal.

Fund raising is something I find difficult, our funds so far are from our subscription or a donation which I barter for with a plant or two to the visitors and when they ask how much I ask for a donation and hand them our pamphlet.

Any ideas on fund raising would be helpful.

Having such a small population and the isolation of our islands does have its down falls.  If you have seen our pamphlet you will see the tour group who were all friends of the National Park lending a hand to prick the trees into tree trainers. The National Park friends are in the hundreds and live all over NZ they help when ever help is needed with the National Parks projects.

Saturday at Admiral Farm we are pricking seedlings of Mahoe into tree trainers potting over some Forget me nots and beaching to take cuttings of the geranium starting at 10am any volunteers to help would be appreciated.

CHART is approached with projects people wish to do although these are just verbal the interest is out there and many in the community know to approach CHART to help them. This to me is all good.

I am hopeful that we can get projects on the way it all seems to slow for me at times, like waiting for quotes that have to come by snail mail getting the funding applications right.

Maybe I had better take the advice of a friend good things take time.

Lois Croon