Castlecliff Coastcare celebrating the Coastal Restoration Trust award

Great evening last night with Castlecliff Coastcare celebrating the Coastal Restoration Trust award of the Pīngao & Toheroa Trophy Award to Graham & Lyn Pearson.

Read more about the award here

It’s the second time the award has come to Castlecliff with one of NZ’s top botanists Colin Ogle taking it out in 2021

That is of course on top of Castlecliff Coastcare winning the Coastal Restoration Award in 2020 and Best Coastal Community Group Award in 2012

As well as celebration attendees watched a selection of the excellent “Our Coast” video series (well worth a watch)

The evening was rounded off in poetic fashion with a video reading of “Ode to the Pearsons” from Rhona Vickoce

The Coastal Restoration Trust award post reads…

This year, the Pīngao and Toheroa Award went to a couple for the first time. Graham and Lyn Pearson compliment each other so well, and do such excellent work as a team, that they qualified for this honour together.

Graham and Lyn have been the heartbeat of the Whanganui community for years, and attended CRT conferences since 2011.

It is through their efforts that the Castlecliff Coast Care Group has gone from strength to strength. They work with university students, both local and international, to help with their research. Young school kids get invaluable education through planting days with the group, and each patch has a signboard to honour the class that planted it.

Graham and Lyn continue to take on wattle and replant at their own pace. They arrange community driftwood sculpture competitions and will always be there to present evidence based arguments if they don’t agree with proposals for Castlecliff.

They have always had enlightening and engaging presentations in the regional roundups at conference, which focus on a learning point for the year.

Their immense achievements in their community and coastal area makes Graham and Lyn the perfect double recipients of the Pīngao and Toheroa Award, and the Trust was thrilled to present them with the beautiful trophy that was designed and carved by James te Tuhi.