Waimakariri Habitat Feature!

Photo by Daniel Dirks, Tūtaepatu Lagoon at sunset

Five things you should know about Tūhaitara Coastal Park thanks to Friends of Tūhaitara Coastal Park 

1. The park has Urtica perconfusa (swamp nettle) sprawled throughout the major wetlands such as Tūtaepatu Lagoon. This branching herb with red or green flowers is endemic and at risk due to threats from wetland drainage and habitat degradation.

2. Coastal wetlands found in the park act as the kidneys of the land which effectively trap sediment and contaminants to improve water quality.

3. In Tūtaepatu Lagoon there is a large resident population of Australasian shoveler ducks (Kuruwhengi) local to the southern hemisphere. However, a local resident of Pegasus Township who is a keen birder and former DOC ranger for 30 years has spotted a Northern Shoveler individual in the Lagoon from the northern hemisphere that must’ve gotten lost along the way.

4. Kowarō (Canterbury mudfish) found in specially marked biota-nodes along our trails can survive by burying into the mud and absorbing oxygen through their skin during summer months when their habitat can dry out.

5. New Zealand is considered the sea-bird capital of the world whereby 80% of our birds that breed here are found nowhere else in the world. In the park we see countless bird species on the beach throughout the year and many visit and rely on our wetlands for a reliable food source.