January 2010 North Shore, Royal Forest and Bird Protecton Society Newsletter

8/8/2019 January 2010 North Shore, Royal Forest and Bird Protecton Society Newsletter

1/6

NoRTh ShoRe BRANch APRIL AUGUST 2010

forest and bird nortH sHore branCH Po boX 33-873, taKaPUna 0740

WeeDBUStiNG at tUff crater

Well, I was wndering w t apprac tis editinwen it dawned n me tat it was King Gerge VIw said tat wildlife is nt urs t dispse f as we will.

We ave it in trust and must accunt fr it t tse w

cme after. Instead f reprting te news abut ters,

Radi New Zealand (RNZ) itself was recently featured

in te news fr getting its bradcasting budget cut by

Gvernment. A public utrage ensued. our deputy cair,

Ricard hurstuse, tweeted an RNZ pdcast f utspken

scientist, envirnmentalist and science cmmunicatr David

Suzuki being interviewed abut ur canging wrld. he was

nt talking abut scietal cange nr was e talking abut

natural cange in rder fr species t survive frm genes

t landscapes. he was talking abut rapid canges taking

place in te bispere as a result f adverse uman activity.

But fr mst peple it may nt seem s bvius, altug

yu talk t anybdy tat spends time utside, talk t a

fiserman, talk t a lgger, talk t abriginal peple w

are ut in te real wrld and tey will tell yu funny tings

are appening...

from

the eDitor

WINDS OF CHANGE

ARE BLOWING

I ventured into Tuff Crater one Saturday morning(running late): not a soul in sight but arrows to guide

me... Kept walking still not a sound but as Ipassed a huge clump of elaeagnus (guaranteedto get Richard going!) I heard a rustle andthought, A rat! The rustle increased mightilyand I thought, Its a dog!; peered throughthe dense undergrowth and spied a memberof Homo sapiens one of our dedicatedweedbuster volunteers sweating profusely,

brandishing a saw and weedkiller and lookingtriumphant. This breed is hard to spot when

in full flight; you can hear them from time totime, but they are largely hidden, until suddenly you may hear a cry of Ive found a baby puriri! This

weedbusting lark can become addictive: theres huge satisfaction in combating the enemy and findinghidden treasures, knowing that small native seedlings will now have a chance to thrive. Richard sets anexample to all (I wish we could bottle his energy and enthusiasm); everyone heaves a sigh of relief when hesays, Coffee time, and we al l compare notes while munching on various goodies. Then its back to work.If you havent been down to Tuff Crater, youll be amazed by the transformation thats taking place. The

He prayeth well, who loveth well, both man

and bird and beast.qu

ote

The Ancient Mariner

welcme t a place were strange creatures lurk!

contractors have been in attacking pampas,etc. but so much of what is being achieved

is due to the dedicated volunteers who givetheir time and energy. Its great feeling partof a common cause and you leave with a realsense of achievement. Give it a go!

Liz Anstey


2/6

from the chair - an esn

access to ministers in the Beehivein Wellington has become a lotmore difficult for F&B staff, even tothe ministers of Conservation and theEnvironment.

As a result, the branches are beingasked to step up and carry the fight tolocal MPs to make sure that our voice isheard. So the Committee is preparingto meet with all three local MPs,all of whom hold ministerial posts:Murray McCully is Foreign Minister,Wayne Mapp is Minister of Defence,and Jonathan Coleman is Minister ofBroadcasting and Immigration.

We have decided that our first prioritywill be to notify the Government ofour opposition to plans to open upthe conservation estate to mining. Wehear a lot about how New Zealandshould be trying to catch up with

Australia. But we simply dont havethe mineral resources that Australiahas and we are only 1/30th of thesize of our competitor. New Zealandsprincipal mineral is coal the dirtiestfuel and main contributor worldwideto CO2 emissions. Gerry Brownlee istelling us that we can mine surgicallybut this is a myth. Nearly 70% ofcoal mined in New Zealand is bythe open-cast method. Easily minedminerals have already been taken andextraction of lower concentration oresrequires more rock to be removed withconsequentially larger impacts on theenvironment.

Management of environmental impactsis governed by the RMA, a pieceof legislation that this governmenthas constantly attacked, and in factcampaigned on, in a promise to reduceits powers. The costs of mining damage

are borne by the taxpayer. The bill forclean-up of the toxic residues fromthe Tui mine at Mt Te Aroha was $10million. The consequences of decisionstaken today will not be felt for manyyears, long after the politicians whotook these decisions are gone frompower. Interestingly, mining accountsfor only 3% of NZs wealth, comparedto the 20% contribution made by theconservation estate.

While mining contributes just $1.6 billionto the economy, tourism, over half ofwhich is attributable to the conservationestate, contributes $21 billion. Miningprovides 5800 jobs compared to 108,000

jobs in tourism. We cannot stand by andwatch the Government put our mostvaluable asset the conservation estate at risk of damage for what can onlybe a peripheral benefit to the economyat best.

LOCAL BRANCHES TO TAKE UP LOBBYING ROLE

Tuff

progressSince the last Habitat of December,weed control work has continued withvolunteer work days once a month.

These have been well attended withup to 20 volunteers. Many hands reallyhelp! We have been cutting elaeagnusand privet and painting the stumps withgel. This seems to be working, but somestumps are resprouting so we will needto go over some of these again.

Contractors have been in and drilledself-sown phoenix palms, which areslowly dying as a result. In addition,climbing asparagus and pampas grassat tank sites 1-3 have been sprayed inNovember. There has been a good hitrate with this, but the contractor will bereturning regularly to ensure the job isdone properly.

Work days will continue once a monthso if you would like to help, pleasephone or email us to be added to ourworking bee email list.

Our planting day is on June 13, whenwe will be aiming to plant more than1000 plants!

Richard Hursthouse

Hobbs Beach, atTiritiri Matangi

Island, was desertedthat summers day.The tide was comingin, and would behigh at about 06.20 safe enough fora 20-minute swim.I checked theshallows. The waterwas a little murky,a little stirred up bythe wind. It had been blowing from thewest all day. I swam out to a distance of

about 200m.As I headed back to the beach, about20m from the shore, I turned my headto the left to breathe, and a tall fin wasslowly approaching... Then I saw a smallerone on its seaward side. Shark? No, orca.Sub-adult male and his mother? The tallerfin looked massive! All I saw was the hugedorsal fin which came within three metresof me before veering away. It was such athrill! I watched as the orcas travelled on.

Suddenly, rays were everywhere. SteveIrwin sprang to mind. Adrenalin kicked

in as I swam like mad for the beach.The orcas fins were still visible, headingsouth towards the wharf, entering LittleHobbs Bay. I counted 12 eagle rays in the

shallows. The orcas hadherded them in!

The days that followedwere full of reflectingon my luck. People haveasked if I was scared. Theanswer is, yes, but briefly.The sight of big finsmade me stop swimming.There was very little timebetween when I firstsaw the fins approaching

and when I realised they were orcas, notsharks. My encounter had lasted about10 seconds. Ingrid Visser says orca have

never hurt humans in New Zealand. I amso grateful that I was in the right placeat the right time, enabling me to have aone-in-a-million experience to treasure forthe rest of my life.

Margi Keys

Margi has led a group of 22 Forest &Birders to Tiri Island on 22 November 2009.The group was treated to the sight of a pairof kokako on the path to Tiritiri MatangiPa, as well as a pair of brown quail at the

top of Kawerau Track. Next time whenyou head out, remember Margis story andkeep those eyes peeled for the unexpected Ed.

A gift frm Tangara


3/6

The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful!Wen Alan became cairman, e remembered tat we ad ad a traditin f Native f te Mnt, ably presentedby Linda Underill at ur public meetings, wen e first jined te branc in 2002. A gd cuple f years passedbefre its absence became nticeable. S we started by asking Margi t resurrect tis and sn realised tat Ricard culdaugment it wit a weed! Ricards passin is weedbusting and e as an eagle eye fr weeds werever e ges. Addinga mt n te lines f te spagetti western, Te Gd, te Bad and te Ugly, inevitably became ur regular featuredubbed Te Gd, te Bad and te Beautiful! Let us nw lk back in a bid t find sme f te igligts...

Native of the Year

Actually, there is no such thing as native of

the year. But my favourite NZ native treeis the kauri, otherwise known as Agathisaustralis or king of the forest. Australis

means southern.Kauri only growsnaturally northof a rough linedrawn betweenRaglan and TePuke. However,it is growingperfectly wellsouth of this

line too, and infact, there ared e c e n t - s i z e dspecimens inDunedin andQueenstown. To

propagate kauri is simple if you can climbtrees just at the right time, which is inMarch or April before the host tree lets theseed cones go. It helps if you have a youngchild who likes climbing trees because theripe seed cones, which contain about 70winged seeds each, are usually at the endof very small branches. It is unusual to find

an intact, ripe seed cone on the ground, asthey tend to fall apart on impact. Sow theseeds immediately, as they don't hold theirpotency for long.

Kauri is controversial. Ask anyone theiropinion on the ones that were plantedalong Glenfield Rd between Bentley Aveand Chivalry Rd. Personally, I like thosespecimens. They are doing fine up there onthat ridge. It will be interesting to see howlong they survive. I was recently told thatthe largest kauri on the North Shore is inEskdale Bush. This is not true! The largest

kauri on the North Shore stands in all itsmajesty in Leigh Scenic Reserve, Bayview. Itis known as Glenfields best-kept secret... Itrivals the big one in Albany Scenic Reserve(which is actually in Rodney District).

Weed of the Year

The award just has to go to Elaeagnus x reflexa. This native of Japan was oncegrown as a hedge. It has dark greenleaves, brown and furry underneath. Stemshave multiple spines making weed controldifficult. It produces copious orange-redfruits which are eaten by birds and spreadinto remnant bush areas. The plant forms adense, spiny, vigorously scrambling shrub.At Tuff Crater, it covers whole cliff sidesspanning about 50m or so in diameter. Itforms dense stands which can climb metersup into established bush, displacing nativespecies up to mid canopy. Volunteers havemade a big dent in the elaeagnus at TuffCrater by cutting the stems and painting

them with Vigilant gel.

Moth of the Year

When I presented my first Moth of theMonth in October 2008, it was almosttongue in cheek. My first beauty wasDeclana atronivea or the North Islandlichen moth a big, boldly marked insectthat I was fairly sure hardly anyone inthe audience would have seen or evenbeen aware of. I was really pleased withthe response; people seemed genuinely

interested and there were many commentsand questions during supper. I have since,predictably, brought along big, iconic specieslike the puriri moth and the convolvulushawk moth, but also smaller, less striking

insects that have often been matched toMargis native plant by associated hostrelationships. It has always been fun and,after waxing lyrical about some delicatewee creature, I am often challenged overtea with Its not really orange, is it?or Youre stretching it a bit when youdescribe those markings as delicate lime,arent you? Even better, I have received anemail from a member with The Beautifulin the subject line and a photograph of atruly gorgeous moth she photographedwhile on holiday in South Africa.

This was from Fran Garside and I was reallythrilled to have Robert Hoare from LandcareResearch identify it as the reticulate bagmoth, Anaphe reticulata. Many othermembers have brought specimens theyhave caught in their houses or gardens.I have even had a member recommendan historical novel she read in which theheroine was a pioneering lepidopterist(moth and/or butterfly collector). So thegame will continue and I just know thatnow, when people see a moth at the

window, they might pause and wonder. Margi Keys,

Richard Hursthouseand Alan Emmerson

Anaphe reticulata or processionarymoth as it is also known. The larvalstage is often displayed as a columnof caterpillars in procession (hence thename). [Photo by Fran Garside]

Welcome New Members!A hearty welcome to Pat Hosking, Daniel Wilson, Kiwi Water NZ Ltd, Kate Jackson, Bruce Wood,

Marie Brown, Jacqueline Taylor, Margaret Breakspear, Karen Rutherford, Glen Urquhart, Sarah

Harper-Gibbs, Chris Wedding, Hilary Ann Barry, Tui Ellison, Barbara Brodie, Rick Mason and Takapuna

Beach Holiday Park who recently joined North Shore Forest & Bird. May you enjoy partnering with

us in conservation initiatives on the Shore!


4/6

Send newsletter contributions to Victor Meyer, PO Box 33873, Takapuna

or email [email protected]

april aUGUSt 2010 NEWSLETTER OF THE ROYAL FOREST AND BIRD PROTECTION SOCIETY TIAKI TAIAO, NORTH SHORE BRANCH

The Forest and Bird LibraryCollection is now at AwatahaMarae, 58 Akoranga Drive.Open Mon - Fri 10am to 3pm.Phone 486 5467

Habitat is printed on paper produced from ECF (elemental chlorine free) pulp of cultivated trees.

Fundraising:Volunteers neededDo you have a passion for the environment andthe ingenuity to raise funds for North ShoreForest and Bird? If so, please contact Claire on419 1233 or email [email protected].

KCC had a wonderful day onMotuihe Island on 24 January.There were 27 of us, 15 adults

and 12 children. The oldestchild was thirteen, and theyoungest was two. We werewelcomed by a volunteerwho explained the tracks andhelped us plan our day.

We learned that the OutboardBoating Club plays a big partin the Trust that is restoring the island,and it will be managed with recreationas well as conservation in mind. Boatiesunderstand how important it is to ensureno pests come ashore. In 2005, 27,000rabbits were killed. Since then, naturalregeneration has taken off in the native

bush patches, and many volunteers haveplanted thousands of trees.

The children were happy to get a lift tothe plant nursery in the trailer behindthe tractor. We saw volunteers work inthe summer heat potting up trees and

the smaller plants that will be plantedout in winter. After a picnic lunch, we

followed the track that led to the coastalforest. To our great excitement, we sawsaddlebacks (tieke) and heard their special

call. And there in the background wasAuckland City, so close. We also sawwetas living in a weta hotel. We didntsee the kiwi, which live on the island, butwe think we saw their droppings on thetrack. Connor, the two-year-old, provedto be a great little walker! After our bigtrek, the children were delighted that theinformation office sold ice-creams! (Thefreezer is solar-powered.) We hope to goback on a tree-planting trip and maybeeven camp overnight so that we can seethe kiwi next time.

Christine Balland Margi Keys

KCC TRIP TOMOTUIHE ISLAND

Laptop soughtOur branch would dearly like to acquire itsown laptop in order to facilitate PowerPoint/Keynote presentations. If you have a laptopthat you wish to donate or if you know ofsomeone who does, please contact us, as wecan put it to good use!

TUFF CRATER WORK DAYS

(Sat 9am start; Sun 10am start)

Tuff Crater is our key restoration project and we need your help! Work variesfrom light weeding to more energetic tasks. Draft dates are as follows:

April 3 (Sat) | May 8 (Sat) | June 13 (Sun) | July 10 (Sat) | August 7 (Sat)

These will be confirmed at

http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/saving-our-environment/north-shore-calendar+Enquiries: [email protected]


5/6

TIEKE, OR

NORTH ISLAND

SADDLEBACK,

THE NORTH

SHORE BRANCH

EMBLEM

N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E N O R T H S H O R E B R A N C H

ROYAL FOREST AND BIRD PROTECTION SOCIETY

ry fs nd Bd pn Sy Tiaki Taiao, N S Bn

PO Box 33-873, Takapuna, New Zealand | www.forestandbird.org.nz | [email protected]

The Committee 2010alaN emmerSoN Chairman 473 2216

richarD hUrSthoUSe Deputy Chairman 410 5339

JocelYN SaNDerS Secretary 479 2107laUreN poWer Treasurer 478 6103

liZ aNSteY Committee 480 1545

aNNe DeNNY Committee 480 5570

ceDric haY Committee 410 5977

Victor meYer Committee 427 5774

Sarah NoBle Committee 475 6338

claire SteVeNS Committee 419 1233heleNe WilliS Committee 480 8851

BriaN GaNNoN KCC 443 2479

KareN WealleaNS Guest speakers 410 1995

liNDa JohNSoN Habitat deliveries 413 9851

NicK KeeNleYSiDe Electronic distribution [email protected]

NeWSletter eDitor

VICTOR MEYER, email: [email protected]

BirD reScUe

SYLVIA 478 8819

Remember if you are concerned about any conservation problems in your area, get in touch with Alan or Richard.


6/6

april aUGUSt 2010 NEWSLETTER OF THE ROYAL FOREST AND BIRD PROTECTION SOCIETY TIAKI TAIAO, NORTH SHORE BRANCH

Public meetings take place on the first Monday

of every month except January.

VENUE: Takapuna Senior Citizens' Hall,

The Strand (behind Takapuna Library).

TIME: 7.45pm.

ADMISSION: Donation / koha

(please givegenerously).

We'd like to see you there!

APRIL Monday 5th

Our special conservation message Home is none other than thatof Yann Arthus-Bertrand coming to you via our big screen! It is theacclaimed documentary film about our potential extinction or howto escape from it... Fifteen years in the making, impressive aerialcinematography was used to produce a powerful audio-visual

experience which is highly recommended.

MAY Monday 3rd

Restoring dune ecosystems lessons from the Auckland WestCoast by Mark Bellingham (F&B North Island ConservationManager). Mark is a coastal planner and ecologist who establishedthe Te Henga/Bethells Beachcare group in 1993 and is the currentcoordinator. They manage dune vegetation, shore and seabirds,people and dogs at the beach. It is also our AGM which will take

place prior to the talk!

JUNE Monday 7th

Bush Walk and Talk by Margi Keys. Come hear about thiseducational programme which has now been running for sixyears. It teaches members of the public how to identify NZ nativeplants and pest plants in the field. Margi is a long-time member ofForest & Bird and has a wealth of knowledge about native plants

growing on the North Shore.

JULY Monday 5th

Sarah Gibb will share on The Tongariro Natural History Society Friends of Tongariro. This is a group of people with an interest inthe Tongariro National Park and a commitment to conservation.Sarah will introduce the society and then go into depth describingone of their restoration projects. This will be either Rotopounamu,a forest restoration project, or Waimarino, a wetland restoration

in the South Taupo wetlands.

AUGUST Monday 2nd

A plan to extend marine protection around the Kermadec Islandsby Karen Baird (F&B Kermadec Campaigner/Advocate). Dont

miss the promotion of a new concept in marine conservation,called BIG. Karen will explain how a campaign to increase marineprotection boundaries around the Kermadecs is to be launched inpartnership with Pew Environment Group (Pew Trusts) and WWFNZ. Come hear about this bold project for which Karen will bedrumming up support!

ACTIVITIES AND TRIPSApril, Sat/Sun 24/25th.

M A U N G A T A U T A R IECOLOGICAL ISLANDTRAMP. Maungatautari

Mountain, just south of Cambridge, issurrounded by a 42km predator fence. We will

make our way to Out in the Styx at the south ofthe mountain (2.25 hrs). Options include catching abus at 9am for a walk up and over the mountain, whichtakes about 6 hours. A good level of fitness is required.Less strenuous walks are available at the southernenclosure and a visit to Jim Barnett Scenic Reserve and

Lake Arapuni Walkway are other options. We plan to stay the nightand return to Auckland on Sunday. Accommodation, ranging frombunks to double rooms, should be booked independently (www.styx.co.nz). Dinner, bed & breakfast is excellent value. If youd liketo register for the trip, or require further information, please contactSarah (ph 475 6338, [email protected]) or Jocelyn(ph 479 2107, [email protected]).

WhatS oN

May, Saturday 22nd. AUCKLAND ZOO ENCOUNTER. Weatherpermitting a trip to the zoo will include a special encounter and inparticular the Native Encounter at 2pm. This will give visitors a chanceto get relatively close to a kiwi and a tuatara! Details to be finalisedcloser to the time with a negotiable entry rate for F&B trip-goerson the cards. For enquiries and registration, please contact Helene(ph 480 8851, [email protected]).

June, Sunday 13th. TUFF CRATER COMMUNITY PLANTING DAY,10am (finishing midday). Come help restore this significant reserve the Millennium Forest under the auspices of F&Bs Auckland Naturallyprogramme and the NorthWest Wildlink (supported by NSCC). Bring aspade and gloves if you can, strong (watertight) footwear and join inour happy band of planters. Family, friends and neighbours welcome.For those driving, go to the end of Warehouse Way, through the

Warehouse car park to the lower car park on the seaward side of thebuilding. Hope to see you there! Ring Richard (410 5339) or Anne(480 5570) for further enquiries.

July, Saturday 24th. FERNGLEN NATIVE GARDEN WALK, 9am (2-3hrs duration). Join caretaker Malcolm Fisher (son of Muriel Fisher) at38 Kauri Rd, Birkenhead, for a walk around Fernglen gardens and thesurrounding bush. See podocarps planted 90 years ago and NZ plantsfrom all over the country. There is a lovely haven cottage for a cuppaand DVD for those who cannot go to the steeper parts of the property.For further information please phone Malcolm on 483 9421 or [email protected].

August, Sunday 29th. MOTUORA ISLAND PLANTING/WEEDING,8am (afternoon return). This is Forest & Bird and KCCs annualplanting and/or weeding trip to Motuora, an island sanctuary. Ferrydeparts Sandspit Wharf at 8 sharp and returns from the islandbetween 4 and 4.30pm. The fare is $20 for adults, $10 for children5-15 yrs (under 5 free). A sausage sizzle is provided for lunch.Parking in the Sandspit car park is $5. Please contact Jocelyn Sandersto book (by 20 August) and for additional information contact:[email protected], ph 479 2107.

Documents

January 2010 North Shore, Royal Forest and Bird Protecton Society Newsletter