The organisers of the Wild Dunedin festival let the sand squelch between their toes during a meeting against a very natural backdrop yesterday.
Chairs and laptops were carried across the beach at Tidewater Dr, Harwood, for the meeting to plan the city's second Wild festival, which will be held ''over the long Anzac weekend'' next year.
Wild Dunedin committee member Neil Harraway said the tidal flat meeting was a way to remind the group how close they were to nature.
''The sandflats of Otago harbour tend to be overlooked but are really teeming with life.''
The meeting was the latest in a series in which plans to expand the festival were discussed, he said.
Innovations included a ''Nature HQ'' in the Community Gallery to provide information about festival events, and the appointment of festival organiser Jeannie Hayden.
The festival would promote Dunedin's nature opportunities through talks, workshops and other hands-on activities, Mr Harraway said.
''There are so many night sky events under discussion that it looks as though our magnificent dark skies will be another theme.''
Talks were also under way with the organisers of a national planting initiative about the possibility of it being incorporated into the festival, he said.
The first Wild Dunedin festival was held in April.
