Volunteers wanted!
We are currently seeking volunteers who are keen to help out as marshalls for a few hours during our school multisport race on May 26th, please get in touch with Hilary if you are interested to find out more at educ.met@gmail.com
We are also looking for volunteers who are keen to check a trapline every couple of weeks to help keep predator numbers low throughout Manawahe. Please get in touch with Peter if you are keen to learn more about what’s involved with this; petewfergusson@gmail.com
Indigenous Forestry Presentation – Saturday July 2nd
Join us for a presentation by Dr David Bergin from Tane’s Tree Trust where he will speak about his work within the indigenous forestry, revegetation and carbon sequestration space. There will be a Q&A session where he can discuss options for landowners looking to retire marginal land and replant with native trees for multiple benefits including creating wildlife corridors. A light lunch will be provided. Gold coin donation appreciated. Spaces limited, please be sure to RSVP to secure your place.
When: Saturday July 2nd, 10am – 12pm
Where: Manawahe Ecological Community Centre (the former school), 1913 Manawahe Road
Contact: Hannah Flatman – manawaheecotrust@gmail.com
Please RSVP by May 27th to secure your place
Education Update: Hilary Hurst
We had a lovely term one with Whakatane Intermediate coming along – one class per day for nineteen days.
Each day we met at Karaponga Reserve for an adventurous walk to the waterfall – If you haven’t been there yet you should definitely go – it’s so peaceful with lovely groves of nikau and siilver fern along the way. The canopy is mostly tawa with emergent rewarewa
We always saw fantail, occasionally robin, sometimes a frog and one class even saw an eel in the pool at the base of the waterfall. The students especially appreciated that while it is a good track – it is rough in places which gave them a happy challenge
During the upcoming year the area will receive some information boards about the power station and other features
Back at the school we did some team-building games before they left for swimming at Lake Rotoma
The main kaupapa of the trip was to learn about recreational opportunities in their “backyard” to learn a little about the forest, and to get to know each other better
Students and teachers from Rangiatea (Whakatane) also visited – learning about trapping, and the interconnectedness of all forest creatures. Surprised by weta in the weta houses, challenged by building box traps, and relaxed by the old stories about birds and by doing leaf rubbings (art). It was a happy day
This weekend we are hosting an Outdoor First Aid course for the first time ever, and,
In a couple of weeks (May 26) the Manawahe Multisport challenge will take place. This involves cross-country running, mountain biking and some environmental challenges.
If you have some kids (yr 7-10) that are keen, I can forward you an entry form ( hese have gone out to the schools but I may have missed some) teams of two.
WANTED (for this event) Would you like to be a marshall? This involves either directing competitors or overseeing mystery activities –
Your task will be done by 1.30pm if not sooner. Thursday May 26
Otakiri School, Awakeri School, Special Ed, and the Outdoor Ed classes from Whakatane High are booked come over the next few weeks
Predator Control – Peter Fergusson
Baiting
The rats have had a good summer and we are catching lots in our traps and have also caught 5 weasels in the last month. Our pre baiting rat monitor was 6% tracking which is higher than usual but lower than in some other local areas. The target level for kokako recovery is less than 5% tracking, so we are close.
We had a very successful baiting day with 37 volunteers and have now got all 340 bait stations filled. We put out 500g of Pindone and also feratox on some of the lines which will knock the rats and possums back for winter. On a positive note there was a lot of bird life in the cell tower, however there was quite a bit of pig and deer damage The kokako trust has also completed their autumn baiting and between the two groups over 240 volunteer hours were spent filling bait stations.
A huge thanks to our wonderful volunteers and our BBQ team
Trapping – We are still short of a couple of trappers so if anyone wants to pick up a trap line we would love to hear from them.
I have put 6 of our bait dispensers produced by NZAT, out in the field with three different lures and cameras on each one. This is to get an idea of the wallaby numbers remaining in the cell tower and also to trial the concept of using bait pumps and cameras as a monitoring tool for wallaby.
I continue to service cat traps and the AT220s with battery changes, bait pump checks and also replace faulty DOC 250s
The caravan club had a successful stay at the centre and I gave them a presentation on what we do in the Biodiversity protection area. They seemed to enjoy the talk and we had lots of questions and discussions. There is another group booked for June
In response to some landowners expressing concern about deer and wallaby damage in their bush blocks MET has employed a professional hunter. He has made four visits so far to two properties and has removed a couple of deer and a couple of pigs and has shot a number of wallaby on in the McIvor Rd. area. His view is that there is a lot of damage in parts of the forest but that the deer are transitory and move in and out crossing property boundaries. This makes control difficult as not all land owners recognise the damage they are causing and support their control.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is also increasing wallaby control and has engaged experienced contractors to carryout wallaby night-shooting in Manawahe. If you own or manage land in the Manawahe area, that has or adjoins areas of forest or scrub that harbours wallabies, expect a phone call or a visit from a Regional Council staff member or a contractor to discuss this proposal.