Events

Bushy Point Living Legends Planting Day

Otatara Landcare Group is hosting the second year of restoration plantings at Bushy Point under the Living Legends project.

SERN - Wetland Restoration Tour

A chance to see and hear about wetland restoration on private land. (Field trips to follow on from the Wetlands Symposium).

Saturday 24th March
Bus to leave Invercargill at 9.30am.
10.00am - Southern Wetland Trust - Big Lagoon. At Taramoa, west of Invercargill, Tony Reiger has restored this once large coastal lake almost back to it’s original size after having been virtually drained for decades. His interest in waterfowl and wildlife has lead to the formation of several other associated open water areas and he has seen an increase in numbers and species visiting the area. For those interested in hunting, he has one of the largest decoy collections in NZ. Lunch will be hosted here.
2.00pm - Manuka Mire Wetlands - Ron & Gay Munro have protected 64ha of peatbog on their sheepfarm at Mokotua, east of Invercargill. Using moats as the QEII covenanted wetland boundary has provided additional habitat for koura, eels and kokopu. View the several dams created, which have good numbers of waterfowl and a resident breeding population of the threatened giant kokopu. Along the Armstrong Creek, a tributary of the Waituna Creek, the main stream feeding the Waituna Lagoon, there has been riparian plantings undertaken under the Arawai Kakariki programme, as well as experimental work by an Otago University student on fish friendly drain management.
Return Invercargill approx. 5.00pm.
Cost per person $30, includes bus, light lunch and afternoon tea.

Sunday 25th March
Mini buses will leave Invercargill on the hour from 10.00am to noon.
Field trip to Brian and Chris Rance’s Southland Community Nursery and wetland restoration site. Also visit to Ian & Jenny Gamble’s where you can walk through an ecological sequence from Kahikatea forest to manuka shrubland to jointed rush on the estuary edge. The rush area has a resident population of fernbird and Ian has undertaken extensive pest control to ensure their wellbeing.
Buses will return visitors to the airport if required, or back to Invercargill by early afternoon.
Cost per person $10 for the bus ride and a light lunch will be available from noon to 1.00pm.

Registrations essential. Please email Gay Munro, [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]

National Wetland Restoration Symposium

The theme for this year’s National Wetlands Symposium in March is ‘Are we getting it right?’ Field trips are planned to Awarua/Waituna Wetlands and Rakatu, Western Southland. The National Wetland Trust, in conjunction with the Southland Wetland Working Party, are running a three day symposium in Invercargill focussing on wetland restoration. Day 1 has Guy Salmon as a keynote speaker, followed by an overview of the Awarua Waituna Wetlands Arawai Kakariki programme. A field trip is planned to Awarua Wetlands that afternoon. Day 2 - speakers from throughout NZ will cover various topics of wetland restoration. Day 3 - a field trip to Western Southland will look at the work of the Waiau Trust in wetland creation and habitat protection. Check the programme out and register at www.wetlandtrust.org.nz

Thomsons Bush Cleanup

A community ‘extreme makeover’ day, sponsored by Westpac Trust. 9.00am to 3.00pm. Watch for signs off Elles Rd. Work will include planting native trees, installing new picnic tables and a general clean up of the area. It is hoped that local businesses, schools, service clubs and the public will get involved for a fun day, with a sausage sizzle to be run throughout the day. If you’re interested in taking part with the clean up, please contact Murray Heath at Westpac on 213 5997.

SERN Spring Field Trip 2011 - Eastern Southland

A bus trip to restoration sites from the lower Mataura River to Waipapa Point to Curio Bay. Thanks to Jenny Campbell for the following article:

Inclement weather conditions of hail, rain and wind were braved by about 30 members of Southland Ecological Restoration Network ( SERN) last Saturday ( 5 Nov) as they explored sites on the south coast.

Environment Southland’s Nathan Cruikshank explained the work they are doing at Black Lagoon, in the Titiroa area with fencing, removal of crack willows and riparian plantings of about 1250 natives such as broadleaf and Pittosperum to date. “More plantings are planned later around the lagoon on this Mataura River flood plain area with the biggest issues being pest management, releasing the plants from weeds as they grow and keeping stock out,” he said.

The Forest and Bird Ericson memorial pingao restoration site, adjacent to the Waipapa Point lighthouse, was the next stop with botanist Brian Rance sharing information about the need to ensure this native plant’s special features and habitat are recognised and extended. “We are encouraging this native pingao to replace the introduced and rapidly encroaching marram,” he said.

One of the Equity Managers involved in South Coast Dairies, Lynsey Stratford explained their commitment to riparian fencing and native plantings and fencing off a wetland and native podocarp bush area which have all contributed to improved water quality. Changing from a beef and sheep property to dairy has brought new challenges but installing a stock water scheme, doing native plantings around a reservoir and ensuring they have 120 days storage for effluent rather than just the mandatory 90 days gives them more options. “We can wait until scientifically monitored soil and weather conditions are more suitable before we irrigate meaning we can manage effluent discharge effectively,” she said. “We try very hard not to cause any bad effects, doing it right from the start, with a lot of help from local authorities staff such as Environment Southland.”

At Curio Bay, South Catlins Development and Environment Trust has purchased an area of about 15 hectares of podocarp forest, fenced it and are planning to put a walkway through with interpretation panels. This newly protected area of living forest is adjacent to the Curio Bay petrified forest, making it more significant as a link. Trust Chair Greta Buckingham explained the differences they have seen already in the regeneration of the rata, manuka and rimu forest, now stock has been removed. “Pest control and fundraising are the main activities at present with everyone welcome to join in the mystery challenge event soon,” she said.

“It was a very informative and enjoyable day ,in spite of the weather,” SERN member Gay Munro said. “We appreciate the financial support from Environment Southland which enables us to have a bus and to talk to people as we travel.”