Read the latest SERN related news, and other news on restoration in general.
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22/6/2010
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Hokonui Tramping Club Hits Pests on the Head.
Peter Thompson reports: “The trapping programme at East Peak has gone extremely well since starting in November, with a small group of dedicated helpers checking and rebaiting the 50 DOC 200 traps every weekend. Fresh rabbit & hare bait has been used throughout the summer but now have changed to salted bait which will be checked fortnightly throughout the winter until spring.
Our catch totals as of the end of May are: Stoats 49, Ferrets 15, Weasels 8,
Hedgehogs 20, Rats 36, Mice 15 (The latter were caught with mouse traps in the
tunnels after the mice kept eating the bait.)
There is a growing interest in the programme & we are presently working on a display for the club photo box in the Main Street, Gore.”
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11/4/2010
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Another helping hand for Pateke in Fiorldland
One of Fiordland Conservation Trust's latest projects is the Pateke/Brown Teal transfer which is happening in the Arthur Valley, Milford Track. The pateke is endemic and is New Zealand's most endangered species of waterfowl.
In March 2009, twenty young pateke were released into the Arthur Valley in Fiordland. This was the first large release of pateke in the South Island and has been one of the most successful releases of pateke anywhere in the country.
The Fiordland Conservation Trust, in partnership with Ultimate Hikes, has just released a further forty pateke in to the Arthur Valley, and hope to do another forty in 2011. The plan is to build a self sustaining population by 2014. For more information on this project, please look at FCT's website www.fiordlandconservationtrust.org.nz.
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20/1/2010
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Successful Kakapo AI a World First.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) kakapo recovery team has carried out a world first – the successful artificial insemination (AI) of a wild bird population.
Paternity tests confirmed artificial insemination, assisted by international bird reproduction expert Dr Juan Blanco, produced two chicks from two different females this breeding season.
“This is a major break through for the recovery programme,” said kakapo recovery manager Deidre Vercoe.
Go to www.kakaporecovery.org.nz for more information about this exciting development in the kakapo recovery programme.
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13/11/2009
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Exciting Projects for Fiordland Conservation Trust
The first Fiordland Conservation Trust annual report shows how community conservation involvement in Fiordland National Park is booming. Rachel Cockburn, FCT's Manager writes, "The 2009/10 year looks set to be incredibly busy." Projects include the Sinbad Sanctuary, supported by Southern Discoveries through a $35,000 p/a donation and Indian Island pest eradication, to name a few. She reports, "A key focus for the coming year is the Kepler Peninsular "Backyard Birdsong" project which is still in its planning stages. The project will be run in conjunction with the long term and very effective trapping project currently carried out by the Kepler Challenge Committee."
For more information on the Trusts activities visit www.fiordlandconservationtrust.org.nz
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23/10/2009
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Pomona Island Stoat and Rat Free for over 2 Years.
No stoats or rats have been caught on Pomona or Rona Islands now for over two years. This is largely thanks to the extensive trap network which is now set up on the mainland opposite both islands. Thanks to generous donations from the Gary Chisholm Family Trust of Christchurch the Trust now has 72 stoat/rat traps opposite Pomona and 44 opposite Rona. Viv Shaw, Pomona Island Trust member, reports "These are checked monthly and with the predicted beech mast a reality we are catching a fair few rats and mice each month".
Earlier this year 51 South Island robins were released on Pomona and 20 on Rona. The birds have been pairing up and Trust members are hopeful that they will start to see juvenile robins on the islands before Christmas.
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24/9/2009
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Sirocco, the Kakapo - The Not so Flightless Parrot
Sirocco, a hand reared kakapo from the early days of the breeding program, considers himself more aligned to humans than his own type. Because of this he has become quite a celebrity, appearing on numerous occasions as the face of the kakapo. Having just flown to Auckland in early September for a stint at the zoo, he is now back in home territory and about to entertain visitors to Stewart Island. If you would like to see Sirocco, in residence on the amazing Ulva Island between 26th September and the 26th October, then check out http://stewart-island-news.com/kakapo.html for more details.
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24/9/2009
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High Value Area (HVA) Surveys – A Work in Progress
In May and June this year, thirteen rapid ecological assessments of HVAs were conducted on nine private properties in the Waituna, Mataura and Longwoods districts. This assessment system has been developed by Environment Southland staff based on current best-practise ecological survey methods. The survey is undertaken by an independent contractor, who then compiles a report for each site, which provides factual and reliable information about the natural and ecological values present. They also present a range of management options for the natural areas to ensure they are there for future generations to enjoy. These reports are given to the landowner and have been very well received for those done to date. Funding to continue and expand the HVA programme for the next three years has bee
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24/9/2009
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Wairaurahiri Jet Extend Predator Control Work
With assistance from Biodiversity Southland Co-ordinator, Janet Gregory of Landcare Trust, Joyce Kolk and Johan Groters of Wairaurahiri Jet have been able to extend their pest control work along the South Coast Track from the river to the Percy Burn Viaduct. An application put together by Janet to the Biodiversity Condition Fund round announced in May 2009 was successful and with the grant and other sponsorship they purchased 50 more traps. In the three months (June to August) these traps have been in place they have caught 15 stoats and 15 rats. With the original trap line down the Wairaurahiri River, in the past 6 months they have caught 13 stoats and 42 rats. Joyce comments that it is interesting to note that when they first started trapping down the river the stoats outnumbered the rat
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19/8/2009
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Waituna Gravel Pit Reveals Great Diversity.
A disused gravel pit on the way to Waituna Lagoon is about to change it's looks. From being a gorse infested area, which people were inclined to use as a rubbish dump, a combined effort by the Waituna Landcare Group and AWAG (Awarua/Waituna Advisory Group) will see this area transformed over the next few years. Already a visit by the Gorge Road School pupils helped to remove rubbish and weeds from the area and DoC staff have made a great start at getting the gorse under control. A botanical survey by DoC botanist, Brian Rance, revealed 50 native plant species had already recolonised the area. As well, during the tidy up the native common skink was found to be residing there. So watch this developing natural wetland as it gets a helping hand.
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20/7/2009
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Farmers leading Biodiversity Enhancement.
With the recent launch of a book of Biodiversity Case Studies, brought together by Janet Gregory, Landcare Trust and Biodiversity Southland Co-ordinator, there is a new resource for farmers to read about how they might protect biodiversity on their farms. Covering eight different examples the book outlines how farmers went about getting funding assistance to bring to fruition their goals of protecting areas that they saw as special. The book covers topics like fencing off forest remnants, undertaking pest control, reinstatement of wetlands. If you would like a copy of the book then please contact Janet Gregory, (03) 208 7883 or email janet.gregory@landcare.org.nz
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20/7/2009
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New QEII Rep for Southland
In 1997 Gay Munro was fortunate to take over the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Representative's position from Roger Sutton. Roger had undertaken the task from the beginning of QEII in 1978. Now, on Gay's retirement, the position is being taken up by Graeme Watson, a farmer from Roslyn Bush. Graeme is a keen fly fisherman and has a very real appreciation of natural heritage values and the huge part that protection of these forest, shrubland, tussock remnants play in maintaining the good water quality in our rivers and streams. With Roger's son Mark, being responsible for QEII covenants in the Waiau catchment, Graeme takes on responsibility for the rest of Southland. If you have any enquiries about the QEII and covenants, then please contact Graeme at (03) 230 4843.
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4/7/2009
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Garston and Hedgehope Schools Lead the Way
Environment Southland judges for the School's Section of this year's Environment Awards were most impressed by the great effort of Garston School with the 1,500 hours put in to restoring the roadside bank beneath the school in natives. Garston shared first prize in the School's Section with Hedgehope School, who have had a busy year working with the community in a Treemendous Makeover of a waste area of their school grounds, planting it out in natives. They have also become involved in restoration plantings at the Turnbull Sherwood Forest.
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4/7/2009
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Guardian of Sherwood Forest Recognised
Environment Southland recognised the stirling effort by Pat Turnbull in her continued stewardship of the nationally significant matai forest remnant on her property with the Individual Award at this year's ES Environment Awards. Since the death of her husband, Derek, in 2007, Pat's continued enthusiasm for the BCF restoration work being undertaken at Sherwood Forest and her encouragement of many Southland groups to visit and become involved in that work was acknowledged by the ES judges.
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20/5/2009
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Robins back on Pomona Island
The hard work of the Pomona Island Trust volunteers eradicating predators off the Manapouri island over the last few years has come to fruition with the recent release of the South Island robin into the area. This achievement recognises the major effort of the trustees, along with the 160 plus people that they have encouraged to put in over 3,300 volunteer hours. This robin release is the beginning of the reintroduction of bird species now gone from the island, with the release of yellowhead, saddleback and then kiwi planned over the next few years, along with the ongoing pest control work. Check out the Pomona Island restoration under Projects.
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20/5/2009
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Kakapos Rock!
This Saturday, 26th May, Southlanders again have a chance to get up close with those very special birds, the kakapo. Celebrating a very successful breeding season, some of the kakapo chicks that have been hand reared in Invercargill for the last couple of months, will be on display at the Working Mans Club from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Congratulations must go to a very dedicated kakapo team that have managed to handraise 26 of the chicks. Another 7 chicks have been left with the mothers on Codfish Island, still requiring a lot of input from the kakapo team. The National Kakapo Team was started in 1995 when there was only 51 birds left, most of them being males. This year's 'boomer' breeding season brings the population of kakapo to 124.
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23/3/2009
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Pateke back in Fiordland after 15 Years
Pateke (Brown teal), one of the world's rarest ducks, has just been reintroduced back into the Arthur River, having last been recorded in Fiordland 15 years ago. A survey by DoC several years ago showed that there were no naturally occurring populations remaining. The pateke captive breeding program is a joint DoC/Ducks Unlimited project and for the last few years the focus has been to release the ducks back into areas where animal pest control is going on for other species. Prior to this, the releases into the wild have all been in the North Island, so it is exciting to have them now back into the wild on the mainland! Thanks to Banrock Station Wines, who have been sponsoring the pateke releases for a number of years, twenty pateke were let go in a quiet back water of the Arthur River
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9/3/2009
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Improved Habitat on Mararoa River
At the Landcare Networking Day at The Key last Saturday, the gathering of groups heard about the influx of nesting black billed gulls and terns just below the bridge as a result of the willow clearance project that has been undertaken over the last couple of years. Fish habitat is expected to improve as the river reforms the natural meanders, after having been constricted into channels by the previous willow domination.
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10/12/2008
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Predators Beware on Bluff Hill
Since the launch of the Bluff Hill Environment Trust in early November, trapping for mustelids has been going strong on Bluff Hill. Interestingly they have caught about the same number of weasels as stoats, the latter generally being considered the most common mustelid around Southland. If you are not sure of the difference between the two, check out the group's website at www.bluffenvirotrust.org, where you can also follow the trapping figure updates. Photos are also available at SERN's Bluff Hill Project site (Check out the Project Directory)
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31/10/2008
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Kokako Back on the Mainland.
Well, almost! In early October a transfer of North Island kokako to predator free Secretary Island was undertaken by Department of Conservation. This project was assisted by the Fiordland Lobster Company. Congratulations to all involved. It is excellent that private business and the Department of Conservation can work together to bring about these wonderful conservation gains.
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