At the helm of Sea Cleaners is Hayden Smith, its founding trustee and recipient of the 2017 Local Hero Award - part of the annual Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards. Since 2002, Hayden has been out on the waters and the foreshores around the Waitemata and Manukau Harbours, five days a week, with his team of volunteers and full-timers, removing rubbish and making our ocean a safer place for us and the marine life living in it.
“This is the third year running we’ve been involved with Ray White Damerell Group” he says, “...and it’s been bigger and better each time - to see the community pulling together and getting involved, that’s what really inspires us.”
In total, the Cox's Bay Clean up held on 17 September helped to remove an estimated one tonne of rubbish from the bay and neighbouring creek - unfortunately a whopping feat repeated every 12 months. However, on a positive note, the attitude towards rubbish and responsibility for our environment is changing, noticed particularly in the number of children and adults that are keen to participate in the clean up each year.
The team at Ray White Damerell Group would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who helped with the clean up. These events certainly do not work without you! A special thanks to the Hawke Sea Scouts and Sea Cleaners for your help in organising and running the day, and Yeah Naan for your delicious refreshments.