Sunday's strong winds didn't deter about 100 people from touring Umutekai near New Plymouth on Sunday to mark World Wetlands Day.
World Wetlands Day, observed internationally on 2 February, is designed to draw attention to the environmental and practical benefits of wetland protection.
Umutekai wetland covers almost 50 ha and is the largest remaining remnant of swamp forest that was once common on poorly drained but fertile land throughout the Taranaki ring plain.
The survival of such a large area of natural bush on private land is due to the foresight of the Rumball family who 'retired' half of the area they leased from the Crown in the late 1950s for dairying. The Rumballs began replanting the wetland and corridors of native species throughout the farm, after freeholding the property in the mid-1970s.
In recent years the Taranaki Regional Council has been working with the three landowners, including the Cowleys and the Zimmermans, whose properties also include parts of Umutekai, to protect and enhance this special wetland.
Wetlands generally have important indigenous biodiversity values. The Council works with the landowners of wetlands such as Umutekai, that have been identified as Key Native Ecosystems, to develop biodiversity plans to c-oordinate actions to protect and enhance their biodiversity values. Typically, the work involves possum and predator control, invasive weed control and wetland fencing and planting.
As well as a tour of the property, Sunday's open day included presentations from representatives of QEII National Trust, the Taranaki Tree Trust, the Taranaki Regional Council, Department of Conservation and Fish and Game Taranaki.