Events

SERN Spring Field Trip 2014

A trip to the Catlins to celebrate restoration work in the area. Biodiversity Southland coordinator, Janet Gregory, Landcare Trust updated attendees on wider Southland biodiversity happenings as well. The annual spring field trip run by the Southland Ecological Restoration Network (SERN) visited a number of restoration sites in the Catlins on Thursday 6th November. The day, run in conjunction with Biodiversity Southland, was a celebration of people’s efforts to enhance and protect our native habitats and species. At Waipapa Point, Forest & Bird Southland are undertaking pingao plantings, although the lumbering of fur seals through the area is proving a challenge. The forest remnant near the Curio Bay Camping Ground, purchased and protected by the local Development Trust, now has a track through it to allow people to enjoy the experience of the living forest so close to the renowned petrified forest. The Leith family from Waikawa, for decades involved in possum eradication around Southland, are also making their environmental contribution through native plantings and wetland creations.

The younger generation, Vincent Leith, spoke to the group about his vision for the future of the land he owns at the mouth of the Waikawa Stream. His connection to the land, the flora and fauna, bedded in his ancestor’s cultural use of the area, was clear and expressed with passion. Of the small stream that ran in to his place from the nearby hill, Vincent said, “Come here any night and shine in a torch and you will see native fish – kokopu, inanga, bullies, eels and koura.” He has fenced the stream off with help from a Biodiversity Southland project in the Waikawa Catchment. Looking in to a rushy gully he said, “Fish & Game have helped to work out levels to build a series of dams here. The ponds will provide habitat to the fish and waterfowl. I enjoy hunting a few mallards!” He also said that they still saw grey ducks in the area. The recent return of the land adjacent to the Niagara Falls to Ngai Tahu recognises this area as a Nohoanga site, where whanau would camp to gather food , like the kana kana (lamprey). Further work supported by the Living Streams project was visited in the upper Waikawa catchment on the Bergius property. Ross and Ana have been busy undertaking extensive riparian plantings, including reintroduction of ribbonwood (Plagianthus regius) along smaller streams and ditches on their property. Karl Erikson, Environment Southland Land Sustainability Officer, told of their wetland story. “Instead of draining it, when they realised the natural values there and the significance to water quality, the Bergius’s decided to protect and enhance it”, he said.

Omaui Reserve Restoration Plantings

The Invercargill City Council and Omaui Community are jointly hosting this event promoting the ongoing restoration of the Omaui Reserve. The event starts at 1.00pm. Bring along your spade to help plant native shrubs. A free sausage sizzle will follow. The Omaui Landcare Charitable Trust will be on hand to explain the predator control programme they have been carrying out. There will also be information about the proposed extended walking track into the adjacent DOC reserve. For further information contact the ICC Parks Division on (03) 219 9070.

OLG Living Legends Planting Day

The Otatara Landcare Group continue their restoration plantings at Bushy Point with their 4th Living Legends Planting Day. From 2011-2013 there have been an additional 10,000 native plants grown, planted and maintained under the “Living Legends” project at Bushy Point, the Otatara Landcare Groups major restoration project on DOC land at Otatara. To join the OLG for this year’s event, meet at 10am at the Bryson Road entrance, where there is off road parking. FREE SAUSAGE SIZZLE - email us on www.otataralandcare.co.nz to let us know how many of you would like a sausage, before 6th September. Same email if there’s anything else you would like to know. All gear provided - bring your friends and family.

Forest & Bird Te Rere Working Day

Join Forest & Bird for the winter planting day at Te Rerepenguin colony on the Catlins Coast. Bookings essential (see below). Southland Forest & Bird’s Te Rere is one of the longest standing restoration projects in the province. Initially started to preserve yellow eyed penguin habitat, with native plantings and predator control, this has become a biodiversity hot spot. Not only do the YEP nest here, but more recently little blue penguins and even sooty shearwater have been recorded coming in to the area through the breeding season on a webcam. Come along and explore this special place, making your own contribution by helping with this year’s plantings. Contact leader, Brian Rance on 213 1161 to join the minibus on the day.

SERN Spring Field Day 2013

Trip to Gore, Pukerau and Waimea Plains Restoration Sites. The Southland Ecological Restoration Network (SERN) Spring Field Day was held on Saturday 9th November. The annual bus trip this year explored restoration sites around Gore. The first stop was at Mataura, where the Hokonui Runaka plantings along the river bank north of the bridge were admired. The field trip in 2007 had visited this site at which stage it had just been planted out. The plants are now well established and are a great beginning of the vision of the runaka to bring the natives back to the banks of the Mataura River from here to Tuturau. The next stop was at Gore’s Hamilton Park, where the Gore & Districts Amenities Charitable Trust have spearheaded the vision of Margaret and Don Lamont, with the restoration of the old Gore dump site with natives. Work began in 2008 and already along the banks of the Waikaka Stream there is a fine stand of natives. With gum trees having been planted a number of years ago, these provide good shelter for the plantings being undertaken. The long term vision is to have a forested area that will encourage the native birds to visit here from the nearby Hokonuis and for the people of Gore to enjoy walking or biking through. The plantings are being overseen by Arne Cleland of Pukerau Nursery, with assistance from Janet Gregory, Landcare Trust, and other locals. With a total area of 13ha, this is a long term project, with currently about 200 plants going in per season. The group is hoping to be able to get funding to employ someone to undertake more bulk plantings to help the project along the way.

Towards lunchtime we headed on to Pukerau, checking out Environment Southland’s ripairan plantings on the Waipahi Stream, adjacent to Highway No 1. These plantings have a mix of native species and were set up using different management techniques as a trial, to establish best practice for riparian planting. With ribbonwood, cabbage trees, Pittosporum, toe toe and red tussock all doing well here it is a good example of what can be achieved. Lunchtime enabled the group to hear about the Cleland’s work at the nursery, as well as from Pukerau School pupils about the work that they have been doing to help restore the nearby DOC Red Tussock Reserve. They have been carrying out red tussock plantings in the reserve where a black backed gull colony had destroyed the wirerush vegetation and introduced exotic grasses. As well as that work, they have been creating a lizard friendly area at the school to encourage skinks back into the area. The final stop for the day was at Grant & Bernie Weller’s to hear about their environmental protection through good farming practice. The hills on their farm are carefully managed to retain the natural tussock cover, which they see as a valuable asset for stock shelter and water retention. They have two areas of forest and an area of Olearia shrubland that they have fenced and protected with QEII National Trust covenants. Riparian plantings and the creation of series of ponds in gullies as sediment/nutrient traps are further testament to their ethos of sustainable farming. Travelling back to Invercargill over the Glenure Hill, there was discussion on weeds, in particular barberry. Information from Environment Southland advised that biocontrol for this pest plant is hopefully to be released this season. The goal of SERN is to bring people together to share information about restoring our native habitats and inspire people in this work. Again this spring field day accomplished this with those attending being inspired by the work that is being undertaken in the Gore area to help protect and improve our environment.