News

10 year Anniversary for Hollyford Conservation Trust

The Hollyford Conservation Trust is celebrating ten years of achievement in the more remote of community project areas. The tenth year has seen the traps increased to 1459 ‘stoat tunnels’ (doubleset DOC200s) with a 127km of new tracks bringing the total to 367km for the dedicated volunteers to check between 8 & 10 times a year. This year they have expanded into the Kaipo Valley with a focus on maintaining the whio population here. Take a look at the website, https://www.hollyfordconservationtrust.org.nz/, or request a copy of their impressive Annual Report for more details.

Posted on: Friday, 16 August 2024

Friends of Thomson's Bush making changes

FOTB are active every Wednesday morning 10am (meet in the car park) - noon. They have been tackling the English ivy which is densely covering the forest floor and climbing up a lot of the trees. The difference is really impressive!

If Wednesdays are no good for you and you are keen to lead a weekend day, do get in touch with the group and it can be arranged.

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 August 2024

Friends of Kew Bush getting busy!

A big turnout at the weekend to give Kew Bush a bit of a tidy up before the biosecurity conference NETS delegates visit at the end of the month. Some of the volunteers who have worked for years will be there to talk about the history of how the transformation of this piece of forest started to where it is now. Several students from SIT will be taking a leading role in carrying out the next stage of restoration and will be running regular workdays. Everyone is welcome - keep an eye on the Friends of Kew Bush fb page for details.

Posted on: Tuesday, 16 July 2024

NZ Nature Fund seeks donations to help save our Southern Dotterel

The Southern NZ Dotterel is one of the closest birds on the planet to extinction. There is estimated to be just 101 individual birds as of April 2024— representing a 19% decline since 2023.

Rakiura is the last refuge for these birds, but it is still not safe. Feral cats frequently predate on adult birds and their chicks. White-tail deer and rats have also been observed scavenging dotterel eggs.

New Zealand Nature Fund has committed to raising $400,000 to help save the Southern New Zealand Dotterel. Donations will be used to cut more tracks in and around the bird’s breeding areas; build bivvies so the DOC team can stay longer in the remote alpine area and to increase satellite tracking of the birds.

Supporting this cause will aid desperate pest control efforts in remote dotterel breeding habitats, helping to protect the birds when they are most vulnerable. Additionally, it will help fund monitoring and research of the species.

A recent contribution of $20,000 from Southland Forest & Bird, has meant funds raised to date stand at over $100,000, which is a great start in just a few months. If you would like to help with a donation go to https://nznaturefund.org/projects/southern-dotterel-tuturiwhatu/. Check out the excellent video there with Invercargill’s Daniel Cocker, now a DOC Ranger working with the Southern Dotterel.

Posted on: Wednesday, 29 May 2024

New start for Friends of Thomson's Bush

Following an initial meeting with ICC recently, keen volunteers will undertake weed control and restoration management to this beautiful remnant of kahikatea forest.

There will be a site meeting (meet Wednesday 22 May 11:30am in the carpark off Queens Dr) to look at where the first project activites will get started and to learn more about other work which is happening in the forest area.

If you are interested in joining the group, do come along or send an email (see lisings) to hear about future working bees.