To mark the Club’s 75th Anniversary, Rotary Newmarket has partnered with The University of Auckland to fund a post graduate research project -The Hauraki Gulf Environment Scholarship with Sophie Roberts as the inaugural winner. Sophie is pictured with Club President Scott Burridge (right), Professor Andrew Jeffs and Community/Environment Chair Boyne Drummond (left).
The full story of the club's environmental achievements is below.
Preserve Planet Earth, the 1990 Rotary International theme was the inspiration for Rotary Newmarket to form an environment committee and undertake a reforestation project on Motutapu Island in the Hauraki Gulf. The project, partnering with the Island’s Restoration Trust, has been a great success with threatened native birds such kiwi and takahe now flourishing on the island.
The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park covers an area of more than 1.2 million hectares. There are more than 50 islands within the park including Motutapu. The marine park lies on the east coast of the Auckland and Waikato regions, and includes the Waitemata Harbour, Firth of Thames and eastern coastline of the Coromandel Peninsula.
In 1991 the club was allocated an area in Mullet bay on Motutapu for the native forest restoration. Weeding, pest eradication and planting were the main tasks. The involvement with the Island flourished with projects such as the development of the Rotary Centennial Walking Track, restoration of the Red Barn and the Reid Homestead. In addition, the club has regular working bees at the island’s Outdoor Education camp which enables children to gain confidence in the outdoors and hosts around 5,000 children every year.
“Supporting the Environment”, the recently added pillar of Rotary International has therefore been part of Rotary Newmarket’s DNA for over 30 years.
To mark the Club’s 75th Anniversary, Rotary Newmarket has partnered with The University of Auckland to fund a post graduate research project -The Hauraki Gulf Environment Scholarship. Scott Burridge, President of Rotary Newmarket said “we have a long-standing partnership with the University of Auckland with our very successful Oncology Award with the Medical School, the Maori & Pacific Islands top student award and soon to be announced Heart Research Award.
The club is a member of the University’s Sir Douglas Robb Society for donations of $100,000 to one million dollars. Our support for various University awards over the past 20 years would be approaching half a million dollars. The club has had an environment award for a number of years but partnering with the University will ensure a sustainable pipeline of outstanding young researchers to work on projects that will enhance our local marine environment.”
Sophie Roberts is inaugural winner of the 75th Anniversary Hauraki Gulf Environment Scholarship and she was introduced to our members & partners at a recent club meeting. Sophie is a doctoral student, supervised by Andrew Jeffs, Professor of Marine Science at the University. Sophie’s research is on mussel reef restoration in the Hauraki Gulf and will involve community, schools and Iwi groups to monitor & report restoration efforts. Boyne Drummond, Chair of Rotary Newmarket’s Community & Environment Committee said “we were impressed with Sophie’s passion for the Hauraki Gulf, the quality of her presentation and the fact her project will involve the community, ticked a lot of boxes for Rotary Newmarket.”
“Rotary Newmarket’s 75th Anniversary Hauraki Gulf Environment Scholarship will ensure our commitment to Supporting the Environment will be a legacy project for our club and will lead to new innovations that will enhance our local marine ecosystems” President Scott Burridge added.