June 2007 Manawatu, Royal Forest and Bird Protecton Society Newsletter

8/8/2019 June 2007 Manawatu, Royal Forest and Bird Protecton Society Newsletter

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ISSUE 19 - JUNE 2007

Upcoming EventsFriday 22 June

Were Invited to catch the Kimbolton Schools inspiration @ Kimbolton Bush Reserve

11.00am Green Team Tour1.00pm Replanting5.45pm Potluck Dinner and DVD

RSVP 06 328 5880

Tuesday 10 JulyBranch Night "New Directions for DoC, Wanganui Conservancy"Speaker: Damian Coutts, Conservator Wanganui ConservancyHeld at Te Manawa, Palmerston North

Saturday 14 JulyWorkparty Rata Planting in the Gorge

Leader: Chris Thomasen 06 323 6876

Tuesday 14 AugustBranch night Avian Malaria in Native BirdsSpeaker: Isabel Castro, Ecologist Massey UniversityHeld at Te Manawa, Palmerston North

Saturday 18 AugustWork party at Sixtus Lodge, Apiti

Leader: Midge Jansenn - 06 357 4877

Forest & Bird Manawatu Branch

50 Year Anniversary

50 Years and Growing!Branch Founded: 1957

November this year marks the half century for Forest & Bird Manawatu Branch.Celebration planning is underway now.

If youd like to offer ideas or help plan the party ~ give Brent a ring on 06 357 6962.


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Manawatu Branch Newsletter

Forest and Bird Manawatu Branch NewsletterIssue 19 - June 2007 Page 2/10

Aotearoa Environmental Film Festival

Opens 26 July

Globe Theatre Palmerston North

Screening the best environment focused films in New Zealand

Water ~ Wilderness ~ Nuclear ~ Climate Change

Visiting Producers :: NZ Premieres

$15 / $10 concession

Phone TicketDirect on 0800 4 TICKETwww.aeff.org.nz

Subscribe Now! F&B e-NewsThe official email newsletter of Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society.

If you would like to have the Forest and Bird e-zine sent quarterly to your PC, please send a request [email protected] identifying yourself as a Society member and requesting that your email

address be added to the list.

Last Issue of eNews:Set nets are death traps for Hectors dolphins

1080 updateHihi back in the Waitakere Ranges

New Tapuae marine reserve approved

World's biggest tui lands in WellingtonNotice of 84th Annual General Meeting


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2007 Leonard Cockayne Memorial Lecture

-The promotion and advancement of science and technology in New Zealand

7.30 pm, Tuesday 19 June, Education wing, Te Manawa, 326 Main Street, Palmerston North

Birds in paradise:The role of birds in shaping New Zealands terrestrial biodiversity

-Dr Bill Lee of Landcare Research, Dunedin

The native birds of New Zealand are highly unusual in several respects. They have dominated terrestrialecosystems for millions of years in the near absence of mammals, and have evolved some extraordinarylife-history features. Furthermore, the magnitude of post-settlement extinctions amongst native birds (abouthalf of all terrestrial bird species) has drastically changed the character of the entire New Zealand biota. Wenow have a reasonable understanding of the range of species and life-history traits of indigenous birds,along with the factors that caused their extinction or decline. The reasons for the success of a subset ofintroduced bird species are also becoming clear. The lecture will examine the interaction between birds andthe environment during the history of New Zealand, and discuss the role of birds in ecosystem processes,their effect on plant and vegetation development, and on other animals. It will also look at the magnitude of

the ecological functions undertaken by birds, and the extent to which introduced species can ecologicallycompensate for those that have recently become extinct. Finally, it will be argued that birds have a specialrole to play in ensuring the functioning of New Zealand ecosystems, and that all species should bewelcomed.

~~ All interested in our plants or birdlife are most welcome to attend ~~

The Cockayne Memorial Fund was established by public subscription to commemorate the life and work ofLeonard Cockayne (1855 1934) by the encouragement of botanical research in New Zealand. In his latteryears he founded the unique Otari Open-air Native Plant Museum in Wellington. Each three years an awardis made to permit a national speaking tour by a distinguished botanist.

Letter to the Editor:SirOur Palmerston North waterways have been having a rough time lately.Accidental or intended, theres been oil, diesel, and raw sewage findingtheir way into fresh-water. Tim Browns column alerted all men to afeminine hormone problem in our water. The hormone issue may be just asmall problem, but being smaller is exactly what worries most men.Whats worse? The current spills, or that the citys freshwater stream was already so polluted it was hard tofind any wildlife affected by the oil spill? Or is it even worse that you are hard-pressed to find anything in ourlocal government draft annual plans that would bring the fish back to our local city waterways?Lets get serious about clean rivers and streams, before trumpeting on about being a sustainable community.Donald Kerr, Advocacy CoordinatorForest & Bird Manawatu Branch


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Bioblitzby Viv McGlynn, Trip Leader

This snail was only 3.3mm.(Photographer - Vic Vercoe)

The baby bioblitz was a successful and fun sunnyday out in Totara Reserve Fern Walk.

Thanks to our kind volunteer experts, we foundover 50 species of invertebrates! This in additionto 22 snail species from a previous casualcollection of litter, and 100 species of snails frompitfall traps over 2 years. This all tells us that theforest floor is heaving with biodiversity! The daywas also a good practice run for a proper 24 hourbioblitz for which planning is underway - watchthis space!

BioBlitz is an event focused on biodiversity. In thefull scale version, a team of experts assemblesfor 24 hours to spot and catalogue as muchbiodiversity as possible in a single area.

Our day got off to a great start, we had barely gotout of the car and our landsnail guru Vic Vercoewas bent over a wooden log with his hand lens,producing tiny insects and snails, proving hiseyesight is just as good as it ever was. Thechildren from Kiwi Conservation Club were asfascinated by the funky fungi and small crawleythings as were the adults.

The in stream fish traps unfortunately did notyield anything this time but one set in a quietbackwater provided a koura for us. We thankentomologist Dr. Ian Stringer from Department ofConservation, soil ecologist Dr. Masha Minorfrom Massey University, and two Massey zoologystudents, Michael and Rachel, for coming alongand providing expert knowledge.

Mick Pettifer, who in the 1990s helped build theFern Walk, and his wife Hazel, then guided usaround the loop, providing the historicalbackground of this beautiful track. We werepleased to be accompanied by botanist MichaelGreenwood who filled us in on the history of theforest, and the fires. Along the way we spottedsome giant trees, including the huge NorthernRata pictured.

So next time youre walking in the bush treadcarefully as theres a whole lot of life happeningunderfoot.

Some of the 20 in the BioBlitz team relaxing along theFern Walk. Track builder Mick Pettifer and wife Hazel

and front and centre with walking poles. Mick iscredited with being half of a two man construction teamthat single-handedly built the Fern Walk in the 1990s.

(Photographer - Viv McGlynn, F&B Manawatu)http://soilbugs.massey.ac.nz/terms.php


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Word Search Win Tickets to the Film FestivalNative Parrots and Passerines

W K G K N Z V E A X U G T W D

O A A L N I T B U E R P I H R

K K S K I E B R V E K I T I I

A A U I M A R O Y F C P M T B

B R K S L S T W R O H I O E N

D I J A W V A N K K P T T H R

R K T Q P R E C A C C G H E E

I I H C B O R R R F O A J A F

B O S L R J S E E B S R L D L

H F E J H H F E I Y C F P B T

C R C R E H Y P W M E B X O F

T S M H W D A E H W O L L E Y

I B E L L B I R D S Y S K V O

T S A D D L E B A C K H I U T

S N A M E L F I R K O K A K O

BELLBIRDBLACK ROBINBROWN CREEPER

FANTAILFERNBIRD

GREY WARBLERKAKA

KAKAPOKAKARIKIKEA

KOKAKOPIPIT

RIFLEMANROCK WREN

SADDLEBACKSILVEREYESTITCHBIRD

TOMTITTUI

WHITEHEADYELLOWHEAD

Be in to win two tickets to the Aotearoa Environmental Film Festival.

Send your entries to Forest & Bird ManawatuAttention: Prize Draw

P O Box 961Palmerston North by July 13th 2007

eMail Addresses Wanted

We would like to keep you better connected withnature and conservation in the Manawatu.

Send us an e-mail address today at [email protected]


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Newly available at thePalmerston North City Library:

Weaving a Dream:

The Bushy Park Experience

By Penny Robinson,136 pp,

The Bushy Park Trust, Wanganui 2006.Review by Sally Pearce

Penny Robinson, a local social historian,tells the story of Bushy Park since it wasfirst established as a farm in the 1860s,drawing on some of the many voices of

people who worked at and were involvedwith Bushy Park in the last 140 years.Much of the book is about the operationof the farm for horse and cattle-studbreeding, about the homestead, thegardens and the people who looked afterthem, until the death of owner G. F.Moore in 1962.

From then, the focus moves to howForest and Bird was bequeathed the

property and to the conservation work

that has followed over the decades.Weaving the Dream: the Bushy ParkExperience culminates with Bushy Parkachieving the status of a mainland island,with the construction of a 4.8 kmpredator fence, and with thedevelopment of Bushy Parks special roleas a kiwi crche and educational centrefor school children.

Weaving the Dream: the Bushy ParkExperience would be of interest to thosekeen to learn more about Kai Iwi historyfrom a European point of view, to learnabout the development of a conservationproject, and to understand the history ofBushy Park. This coffee-table sized,soft-cover book is full of recordedmemories and diary entries. Lots ofinteresting photos add stimulus to aninformative read.


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Recommended Websitehttp://www.werc.usgs.gov/sattrack/shorebirds/overall.html

Godwits' epic journey trackedBy Kim Griggs Wellington, New ZealandThe kiwi might be New Zealand's iconic flightlessbird, but another inhabitant of these antipodeanislands more than makes up for the kiwi's grounddwelling nature.

The bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica baueri) or kuaka in the Maori language - sets off at theend of each austral summer for Alaska, stoppingen route in Asia.This year, for the first time, scientists havetracked the godwits' northern route with satellitetags. And it shows the godwits really are thechampion migrants of the avian world.

Under threatAnd the godwit population is in decline.New Zealand hosts 70,000 godwits each

summer, but it used to be home to 100,000. It isthe same throughout the East Asian andAustralasian flyways, where up to 85% of theshorebird populations are declining.Just what is going on is part of what the godwittracking and the broader Pacific ShorebirdMigration Program, a joint initiative between theUS Geological Survey and PRBO ConservationScience, hopes to find out.The increasing reclamation of tidal mud flats inKorea and China, and the changes in geographydue to projects such as the Three Gorges Dam,are part of the problem, Dr Battley suggests.

"Everywhere is under threat to a certain degree.You just have to zoom in on any spot around theYellow Sea [on Google Earth] and it's gettingreclaimed in one way or another."But one thing the godwits are probably not is apotential carrier of avian influenza, scientists

believe."It's clear these birds are going straight up to theirdestination and that's where they are stoppingand then moving on," says Dr Battley."It's not like they are going around the coast ofSouthern China and stopping off in lots of placeswhere they have the potential to pick this up."Four of the tagged godwits have now left Asia forthe 5,000 km (3,000 mile) journey to theirbreeding grounds in Alaska.That's where they will stay for the NorthernHemisphere summer before returning inSeptember to New Zealand. BBC Front Page

The Three Gorges Dam is accused of damagingbird habitats


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Meet the Committee ChairBrent BarrettRole Chair Favourite Native Bird KokakoJoined Committee 2003 Favourite Native Plant Nikau Palm

Beginning my second year chairing a Forest& Bird Branch in New Zealand comes as asurprise. Arriving from Washington State in2000 (4 days before GW Bush waselected!), Brent says he wouldnt havethought hed be in the country more than 2years, and I certainly had no plans to getinto conservation society work. But achildhood of fun in the great outdoors and aschool programme strong in field biology sooncaught up with him, and saw him join thecommittee as Secretary in 2003. Since firstarriving in NZ Ive been fascinated by thebiodiversity, and cringe as I see it taken forgranted and often shoved aside or ignored for ashort term financial gain he says. I suppose thereal reason I joined the committee was that I felt itwas a meaningful way I could contribute tosociety, and Im loving it! says Brent. Ive got a

great committee all keen to advancenature conservation in the Manawatu andbeyond, a real pleasure to work with.Asked what is favourite conservationmoment is, Brent says it was seeing theManawatu Estuary declared a Wetland ofInternational Significance, and realizingall the incredible hard work that went intogetting that recognition for it. That, he

says, is truly inspiring.

During the days, Brent works at AgResearch as aplant breeder; and in spare time enjoys sharinghobbies with his wife Julie in their home. In 2004,Brent co-founded the Aotearoa EnvironmentalFilm Festival, now in its third consecutive season.

tell Terry you saw it in the F&B newsletter!

~ Your Manawatu Native Plant Experts ~For shelter, contract growing and re-vegetation projects

-call Terry on 356 1557 for local knowledge and expertise.

tell Terry you saw it in the F&B newsletter!


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Chairs Spot

2007. First newsletter to press. Youagain have the excellent good fortuneof knowing your local Forest & BirdBranch sets sail with an excellentcommittee dedicated to natureconservation in the Manawatu. Ratherlike a fine racing yacht tuned for anAmericas Cup challenge.

Victoria has stepped up and taken onthe big but rewarding challenge of editingour branch newsletter, and is alreadyexploring online options for bettercommunication within the local branch.

Jennifer is new to the team as well,helping with getting the word out totertiary students with a passion for thenatural environment. Those students areour future leaders both within the Societyand within society in general. We do wellto foster their interest in nature.

Anthea has stepped capably into theSecretarys role and has already donemuch to streamline our internalcommunications and see us though to amore efficient stance.

The new recruits are well balanced withthe seasoned crew of two past chairs

(Donald and Viv) and one pastSecretary (Jo), our returning treasurer(Leonora); plus Caroline, our KiwiConservation Club leader; and Alan, ourlongstanding Fielding representative.

Going on 50! We set sail with much tocelebrate. Forest & Bird ManawatuBranch was founded in 1957. So today,there are nearly 50 growth rings on thisBranch of the Society. This Novemberour Branch marks 50 years in natureconservation and education in theManawatu. What an achievement bydedicated Society members.

We also face challenges. Climate changeimpacts on biodiversity, industrial-scaleenergy farms in nature reserves, hillcountry slips and a polluted river system.

We are interested in your ideas andopinions. This newsletter we start aletters column, with a reprint of one ofDonalds excellent letters to the localmedia. We invite you to follow this leadand send us letters on matters youfeel are important to natureconservation and the Society.

Finally, a warm invitation to enjoy thisyears Aotearoa Environmental FilmFestival, opening Thursday 26 July in theGlobe Theatre, Palmerston North. Manyof the 2007 Festival entries are excellent~ covering the range of topics fromnuclear energy to seabird conservation in

a changing climate. The Festival is onlineat www.aeff.org.nz

Go well in the month ahead, and plan toagain hear from your local Branch on aregular basis.

Brent Barrett, Chair

Forest & Bird Manawatu Branch


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Discovery, enjoyment,and protection of thenatural wonder of NewZealand is the primaryaim of Forest & BirdManawatu Branch.Our branch has over450 members, from Himitangi toPahiatua; and is affiliated to thenational Society.All members and the public areinvited to all branch activities, workparties and meetings. Branchnights are the 2nd Tuesday of themonth from 7:30 p.m. at TeManawa~ everyone is welcome, agold coin donation is appreciated!Have a look at the Forest & Bird

website www.forestandbird.org.nzand contact us by email [email protected] at PO Box 961, P North..

Forest & Bird ManawatuCommittee Contacts

ChairChairChairChair:

Brent Barrett 357 6962

SecretarySecretarySecretarySecretary:

Anthea 353 6758

TreasurerTreasurerTreasurerTreasurer:

Leonora Pearson 354 6103

Newsletter EditorNewsletter EditorNewsletter EditorNewsletter Editor:Victoria Walker 355 2024

Advocacy CoordinatorAdvocacy CoordinatorAdvocacy CoordinatorAdvocacy Coordinator:

Donald Kerr 952 7001 x70836

Tertiary CoordinatorTertiary CoordinatorTertiary CoordinatorTertiary Coordinator:

Jennifer Lawn 326 9217

Feilding ContactFeilding ContactFeilding ContactFeilding Contact:

Alan Hawkins 323 0583

TTTTararua Contactararua Contactararua Contactararua Contact:

Val Cleghorn 376 5570

General CommitteeGeneral CommitteeGeneral CommitteeGeneral Committee:

Viv McGlynn & Jo McVeagh

Kiwi Conservation ClubKiwi Conservation ClubKiwi Conservation ClubKiwi Conservation Club:

Caroline Percy 021 264 2789

Butterfly Survey UpdateThanks to everyone who completed the 2007 butterflysurvey coordinated in the Manawatu by Forest & Bird.Special thanks to employees of MidCentral DistrictsHealth Board for joining in the project. Survey resultsare being compiled by an environment studies studentat International Pacific College, under the direction ofecologist Steve Pilkington. We will be reporting back inthe next newsletter. The Yellow Monarch is pictured.

June 2007 Manawatu, Royal Forest and Bird Protecton Society Newsletter

Documents

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