Breeding season is coming up for the little blue penguins that live on Moturiki Island at Mount Maunganui, and they are needing plenty of vegetation around to help build their nests.

Western Bay Wildlife Trust and Tauranga City Council will be hosting a planting and rubbish clean up event on Sunday July 28 to help improve the penguins habitat.

'We're doing it in conjunction with TCC,” says Western Bay Wildlife Trustee Melissa McLuskie, 'and the goal is to put in more plants so we can help enhance their habitat, reduce erosion and provide valuable nesting cover and materials for the penguins. We'd love anyone who is available to come and help us.

'The plants provide cover, and the penguins also use sticks, twigs and leaves in their nests.”

Approximately 800 low lying plants will be going into the ground.

'Most are provided from TCC but we've also had a wonderful donation of 90 plants from Keep Tauranga Beautiful,” says Melissa. 'They've been gifted the plants through the Paper4trees programme and Baytrust. '

The wildlife trust and council have run previous planting and rubbish clean up sessions on Moturiki, usually during winter.

The Planting for Penguins event starts at 1.30pm on Moturiki Island on Sunday July 28, and all equipment and plants will be provided.

'If you have a spare spade you are welcome to bring it,” says Melissa. 'Please wear covered footwear. And for those who are really keen to get stuck in, we'll have bags and gloves to pick up trash too. Bring the whole family!”

For more information go to the Western Bay Wildlife Trust facebook page or the Western Bay Wildlife Trust website www.westernbaywildlife.nz