Bullets on the beach
Live bullets and a birth certificate from 1919 were among the unusual items uncovered at a Horowhenua beach during a community clean up.
How they got there remains a mystery as more than 50 people took to the shore at Foxton Beach yesterday in an event organised by resident Rachael O’neill as part of World Clean Up Day.
The movement started 10 years ago in Estonia, Northern Europe, when 4 per cent of its population banded together to clean illegally dumped waste around the country. It captured the attention of people worldwide, who were inspired to follow suit.
O’neill said the items may have floated down the Manawatu¯ River, which flowed through Palmerston North.
Volunteers filled the back of a ute with mainly plastic waste that had gathered at the Manawatu¯ Estuary, an internationally significant conservation site.
O’neill said days like this were vital to preserve the Horowhenua wetland.
A total of 93 different bird species have been identified at the estuary and small plastic items were a threat to them and aquatic life, she said.
‘‘There was an absolute pile of rubbish there. Most of it comes down from the river, and goes out to sea and comes back.
‘‘Coming down here and seeing how disgusting it is ... If the people I know don’t do it, it’s just going to sit there and build up.’’
O’neill was also part of the newly formed Greenheart Hub, an organisation in Foxton promoting sustainable living practices and making art and useful objects out of waste.
About 20 Taihape residents also scoured the town’s streets on Saturday.