It’s a Good Friday to celebrate World Heritage

Elizabeth Marenzi —  18/04/2014

You probably don’t need me to tell you that today is Good Friday, but you could be forgiven for not knowing that today—18 April 2014—is also World Heritage Day.

To celebrate, we’re showing off New Zealand’s 3 stunning World Heritage sites.

Representing the best of the world’s natural (and, in some cases, cultural) heritage—and rated alongside places such as the Grand Canyon, the Serengeti, and Mount Everest—these are places that we should be immensely proud of…

Tongariro National Park

Tongariro National Park was the first national park to be established in New Zealand, and the fourth in the world. It is a dual World Heritage area, a status which recognises the park’s important Maori cultural and spiritual associations as well as its outstanding volcanic features.

Mt. Ngauruhoe. Photo: Matti | CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Mt. Ngauruhoe, Tongariro National Park

Emerald Lakes. Photo: Matti | CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Emerald Lakes, Tongariro National Park

Te Wāhipounamu – South West New Zealand

Te Wāhipounamu covers 10% of New Zealand’s landmass (2.6 million hectares) and contains many of the natural features which contribute to our international reputation for superlative landscapes: our highest mountains, longest glaciers, tallest forests, wildest rivers and gorges, most rugged coastlines and deepest fiords and lakes…

Lake Matheson. Photo: Geee Kay | flickr | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Lake Matheson

Milford Sound. Photo: CameliaTWU | flickr | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Milford Sound/Piopiotahi

New Zealand’s subantarctic islands

New Zealand’s wild and beautiful subantarctic islands have not only been honoured with World Heritage status, but they are also National Nature Reserves—the highest possible conservation status.

Home to some of the most abundant and unique wildlife on earth: many birds, plants and invertebrates are found nowhere else in the world.

Enderby Island, part of the Auckland Islands. Photo: Austronesian Expeditions | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Enderby Island

Subantarctic plantlife. Photo: Su Yin Khoo | CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Subantarctic plant life

I hope this glimpse into our World Heritage has made your Good Friday even better.

Have a great long weekend everyone!

World Heritage Day is officially known as the International Day for Monuments and Sites.

Learn more about World Heritage on the DOC website.

In Central North Island, Fiordland, Islands , , ,
permalink

Takahē mission in the Murchison Mountains

Department of Conservation —  17/04/2014

By Helen Dodson, Takahē Engagement Ranger

What do an All Black and a DOC takahē ranger have in common? Tricky footwork and some good catching skills!

Nifty cornering and tackling are a pre-requisite for catching a takahē in a small pen, but substitute that pen with a 50,000 hectare mountain range and you really have your work cut out for you!

DOC rangers banding a takahē in the Murchison Mountains.

Banding takahē in the Murchison Mountains

In early autumn the ‘Tark Team’ (DOC takahē programme rangers based in Fiordland) headed off into the Murchison Mountains to catch takahē. We wanted to get an idea of how many chicks had successfully hatched over the summer, fit them with identifying leg bands and transmitters and change some transmitters on adult birds. It was also a good chance to get a rough census of the wild takahē population too.

The Murchison Mountains.

A fine day in the Murchison Mountains

Luckily for us, about half the birds in the Murchison Mountains are fitted with transmitters which helps narrow the search considerably. We also had our team supplemented with some specially trained DOC species dogs, including takahē tracker extraordinaire “Yuki”. But it still didn’t all go our way.

Looking for takahē.

Looking for takahē

We used the radio signals emitted by the transmitters to locate the takahē in the large alpine basins. Alternatively the dogs would signal the presence of birds without transmitters.

Then, hunkered down behind tussocks, we played recordings of takahē calling to coax birds toward us, or at least get them to call back and reveal their exact location.

Takahē are territorial and will often reply to the call and even move to intercept an interloper. Our strategy seemed sound, and it worked… mostly…sort of.. except for those birds in Takahē Valley who consistently evaded us.

If you’ve ever seen a takahē, they look large and slow and act quite casual and relaxed. But be aware that it’s all a front. They are fast on their feet and amazingly skilled at ducking and dodging. Our best hope of catching them was when they froze under a tussock thinking we couldn’t see them. The trouble is quite often we couldn’t… and once we could they were gone!

Here’s where I admit I’m not an experienced takahē catcher. Scrambling through and over thick scrub is not a problem and launching into a dive tackle is okay, but the speed that the birds can change directions and appear somewhere completely different to where they were the moment before, is mind boggling.

Thankfully we do have some experienced folk so, if the All Blacks coach is looking for a new wing, I can recommend ranger Glen. Second five eight call ranger Martin and for an open-side flanker you just couldn’t bypass ranger Phil!

A juvenile takahē.

Caught! A young takahē

The good news is we’re fairly confident that this season we’ve got 8-10 new takahē chicks in our wild population in the Murchison Mountains. The other news is sometime soon we’ll be spending a few more days trying to catch those birds that outsmarted and evaded us in Takahē Valley.

In Fiordland, Native animals , , , ,
permalink

Photo of the week: Long Gully, Otago

Department of Conservation —  16/04/2014

Today’s photo of the week is from Long Gully near the Clutha River in Otago.

Long Gully near the Clutha River in Otago.

Long Gully is the site of the newly formed Mata-au Scientific Reserve. This 165 hectare block was originally used as farmland but has been retired from farming and now is managed by DOC as a scientific reserve.

There are several nationally threatened native plants here. You can also find grasshoppers, moths, butterflies, native bees, and in summer, hear the steady drum of cicadas. Ground nesting banded dotterel and pipits also breed here.

In Otago, Photo of the week , , , ,
permalink

Tackling Pirongia’s Mangakara Walk

Department of Conservation —  15/04/2014

Des Williams takes a 30 minute drive out of Hamilton to walk the popular Mangakara Walk in Pirongia Forest Park.

Continue Reading...
In Waikato, Walking/hiking/tramping , , , , ,
permalink

Pests galore at Picton Pestival

Department of Conservation —  14/04/2014

By Wendy Sullivan, Partnerships Ranger

Combine a festival of music, local food and beverages, with a pest eradication theme and you get the Picton Pestival! Over 600 Picton locals and visitors enjoyed the event, celebrating Kaipupu Point Sanctuary’s first year anniversary of being open to the public.

Face to face with a tuatara at the Pestival.

Meeting a tuatara

The popular conservation zone drew crowds, with delighted children and adults having the chance to touch the tuatara and get up close with a falcon from the Marlborough Falcon Trust.

Kaipupu Point Sanctuary.

A rat being held by a boy in a deer costume.

A rat!

I attended, along with other DOC staff and a host of different community groups. We were on hand to give out information on pests, pest control and native flora and fauna.

There was an interesting line-up of speakers, discussing the current Battle for our Birds campaign and the innovative local Putanui Point pest control trial.

DOC’s Roy Grose took out Pest Contest and caught a whopping 11 different pest species, unfortunately highlighting how many pests there are in Marlborough area.

Organising an event such as this is not without its challenges or expenses, but kudos goes towards the small committee of volunteers who kept people entertained, watered and fed throughout the day.

The Pestival is growing into a much anticipated Marlborough event.

Kapahaka entertainment at the Pestival.

In Animal pests, Nelson/Marlborough , , , , , ,
permalink