News • Southland Ecological Restoration Network

Kaka in the Eglinton Valley

The Eglinton Valley is the longest ongoing intensive research site for an upland beech forest in New Zealand. It is home to an extensive ground pest control programme by DOC field workers, and other volunteers. Kaka in the valley have been studied for more than 15 years. Researchers study nesting success, adult and juvenile survival, as well as kaka movements and habitat use. Kaka do not breed every year, usually only laying eggs when there is plenty of food, such as during seasons when the beech trees flower. From ‘Behind the Scenes’, DOC Te Anau newsletter. http://www.doc.govt.nz/about-doc/news/newsletters/behind-the-scenes/spring-2014/

Posted on: Wednesday, 12 November 2014

Southland Forest & Bird's Te Rere Wins Award

At the recent Environment Southland Environment Award evening, Southland F&B’s Te Rere restoration project won first place in the Community Award section. Te Rere is one of Southland’s longest standing restoration projects, with extensive native plantings in to what was once open pasture land along the Catlins coast where the world’s rarest penguin, hoi ho (yellow eyed penguin) was known to nest. Over the last decade predator control has also been undertaken so that today not only yellow eyed penguin nest at Te Rere, but also good numbers of little blue penguin. The latest addition to the biodiversity here are titi (mutton bird), who are also known to have nested. Many hours of voluntary labour have gone in to creating a habitat that nature is making the most of.

Posted on: Monday, 11 August 2014

OLG celebrate 10,000 hours of work!

Since the Otatara Landcare Group began the Bushy Point restoration project in 2000, many voluntary hours have gone in to plant propagation, planting, maintenance, weed control, predator control, along with running events and producing newsletters to promote the wonderful natural values of the area. This weekend the OLG celebrates this achievement with a gathering at the Otatara Community Centre. Congratulations to everyone who helped to reach this major milestone, bringing that vision of joining the two forest remnants with a corridor of natives and enhancing birdlife in the area, to fruition.

Posted on: Wednesday, 2 July 2014

Mike Joy speaks about Water Quality

On Saturday 14th June Mike Joy, one of NZ’s leading fresh water ecologists, spoke to an audience of 80 people in Invercargill about his concerns for the ongoing decline in the state of NZ’s water ways. Land use intensification is seen to be the issue, with conversion to high production dairy farms resulting in a source of nitrates entering our streams and groundwaters which are difficult to manage. The result of these high nutrient levels is increased algal growth, reducing natural flora instream and lowering oxygen levels. He commented that the number of our native fish species in the threatened category has increased from less than 30% to 74% over the last two decades due to loss and degradation of habitat.

Posted on: Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Nature Centre An Exciting Place to Explore

The opening of the Nature Centre at the Southland Community Nursery last Friday offers great educational opportunities. An exciting and colourful room with stimulating environmental murals, it is a place that schools will be able to make great use of. Chris Rance’s vision of providing an all weather facility is an extension of the work that she has already done with many schools. Numerous school pupils have used the nursery and the restoration area for studies in the past, but not always easy in bad weather. Now with this new facility, teachers will be able to rest assured, knowing that regardless of the weather the pupils will be able to enjoy the wonderful natural environment, undertaking indoor tasks in comfort and getting outside when the weather breaks.

Posted on: Monday, 11 November 2013

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