At Maui's Dolphin Day, we collected hundreds of photos for the "Let's Face It" visual petition campaign for the Maui's and Hector's dolphins. Thank you for sharing your faces with us!

However, we have a ways to go to reach our goal of 1,000 photos and only 4 days to get there.

You can come into WEC to have your picture taken, or upload your own photo to the Let's Face It website

Forward this link on to your networks. Anyone can add their photo from anywhere in the world. Just remember, the deadline is March 20th!

http://www.lets-face-it-dolphins.com/

Perhaps they were coming to say thank you! On Sunday, March 11th, the Maui's Dolphins made a personal appearance in Raglan to put on a show for Waikato Times reporter, Tracey Cooper. They got some beautiful footage of the dolphins, just off Manu Bay. Check it out!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/6563313/Rare-encounter-with-Mauis-dolphins

Maui's Dolphin Day was a great success! No fires, lots of support from volunteers and local/national/international organizations, and an attendance of well over 500! THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR ROLES!

Xtreme Waste's recycled raft race highlighted issues of waste reduction and recycling to help clean up the waters in which the Maui's Dolphin live. While stallholders and speakers all focused on the issue of our critically endangered Maui's Dolphin! There are only about 80 Maui's left. Their main threats are unsustainable fishing practices, seabed mining, and polluted waters. Please read the articles below and continue the actions for Maui's! Links include an article about yesterday's protest, a petition to sign, Maui's and Hectors Facebook group, Let's Face it visual petition Facebook group and a beautiful video by William Trubridge, National Freedive champion.

ps. If you haven't had your picture taken with DOC's life-sized Maui's Dolphin for the Let's Face It visual petition, come into WEC. it's not too late, the dolphin is still here in Raglan!

http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/protest-raglan-against-seabed-mining/5/117309

http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-extinction-of-hector-s-maui-s-dolphins

http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/hectorsandmauissos/

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lets-Face-it/357860814237490

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6aU0O57KJQ

Watch this video to see Peggy Oki inviting you to Maui's Dolphin Day in Raglan on March 10th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2sLyx6fDV4

Come into WEC to have your photo taken with our life-sized Maui's Dolphin!

To kick off our Maui's Dolphin Day visual petition, and to celebrate Seaweek 2012, we are pleased to announce "Let's Face It."

"Let's Face It' is a visual petition campaign led by artist and marine enthusiast Peggy Oki. The aim is to create a banner of our photos to present to NZ policy makers. 

What is a visual petition? Check out Surfers for Cetaceans’ visual petition, http://www.visualpetition.com/

Please see the "Let's Face It" statement below. Feel free to download the file, add your name or changes, and send personal letters to the addresses listed.

Our hours this week are 10am – 3pm, Mon - Fri, so please come in to add your face to the petition. Or come to Maui’s Dolphin Day on March 10th, and we’ll snap your pic at WEC’s marquee.

Thanks to DOC for loaning us your Maui's...

“Let’s Face It”

A statement will be sent to the following Crown Ministers alongside the Visual Petition, with these key points

For letters to the following:

• David Carter, Primary Productions Minister

• Kate Wilkinson, Minister of Conservation

STATEMENT:

• center all Maui’s and Hector’s Dolphin management decisions and policies on the best available independent scientific information;

• develop objective, science-based, measurable and testable management targets for the recovery of Hector’s and Maui’s dolphin;

• develop a science-based Recovery Plan with the input of all stakeholders;

• fast-track full protection measures for Hector’s & Maui's dolphins against fisheries by-catch off Kaikoura, Timaru and Taranaki to avoid further avoidable deaths;

• eliminate the use of commercial and recreational set nets and trawling across the species’ range along a 100m depth contour without exception;

• implement a comprehensive, scientifically sound fisheries observer programme that includes all four Hector’s dolphin populations to inform management of fishing impacts on Hector’s and Maui’s dolphins by identifying and quantifying interactions and to assess the effectiveness of mitigation measures;

• change the reporting of unresolved Hector’s and Maui’s dolphin deaths from ‘natural death’ in the Department of Conservation’s Incidence Database.

For anyone wishing to write directly:

Hon David Carter, Primary Productions Minister
Parliament Office

Private Bag 18888

Parliament Buildings

Wellington 6160

Hon Kate Wilkinson, Minister of Conservation 

Private Bag 18041

Parliament Buildings 

Wellington 6160 

Let_sFaceItSTATEMENT.doc

Maui's Dolphin Day + Recycled Raft Race is Sat. March 10th

Raft Racers 2012 please note 

Re raft race – the race is at 12 noon sharp.

All rafts and racers need to be on site and ready for safety checks by 11 am. Please make sure that your registration is completed prior to the day and all students have permission to race. You can send these back to me.

Please ensure, that no parts of the raft are left in the water and your raft/s are taken away after the event

Everyone must wear a proper lifejacket / buoyancy aid

Dressing up is encouraged but, No Jeans, heavy clothes or shoes

All racers must be present prior to racing for a safety check and briefing and for pre race judging of the raft and it crew. This will start at 11 am, so that we are ready for takeoff at 12 noon. If you are not safety checked you can not race. 

Please note all registrations close at 11 am and no late entries will be accepted, all schools must have their registrations in by Friday. We strongly request that all registrations are submitted prior to the day. You can down load forms off our website or I can email them to you. 

Please make sure the registrations forms are filled in properly - we need your full names, age, contact details and a description of your raft and information about its design. 

Many thanks

Lindsey Turner

Race Organiser

0277 151515

Hi there,
I was just wondering if you knew of anyone in the Raglan area who hires out or would be interested in buying a ride on mower as a local share scheme?! I was reading in the 'Good' magazine about how communities should share tools and gardening equipment more and we just bought an acre property down on point street and have tons of grass to mow!
Please can you let me know if you hear of anyone who would be interested in this kind of thing.
Many thanks,
Melissa Delaux

RightHouse has 100% insulation subsidies available for Community Service Card Holders in the Hamilton area - and Raglan is included. You do not need to own the home you are in - it is available for rentals (also insulation subsidies are tagged to a property, not a person, so there is not problem with your next landlord applying for an ECCA grant if you move).

The grants are being offered for a limited time so get in quick!

If you or someone you know has a Community Services Card and live in an uninsulated house, call 0800 744 489 and talk to RightHouse NOW!