Check out a day in the life of a park ranger, get clued up about environmental issues in Asia and see amazing conservation feats – all from the comfort of your living room, too easy!
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Ipipiri - the eastern Bay of Islands
Project Island Song is on its way! Now that all the stoats and rats have gone from the eastern Bay’s islands, the Guardians of the Bay of Islands, a local community group, can get on with the job of planting trees and bringing back the birds.
After a day's hard work creating the Project Island Song Centre
Here I am (middle left) with Guardians of the Bay of Islands volunteers and families in front of the newly revamped Project Island Song Centre, in Otehei Bay on Urupukapuka Island.
Lots of hard work was done that weekend bringing light back to a cold grey building. The launch of the centre is today – just ahead of Conservation Week. Over a hundred people including kids from three local schools, kaumatua and kuia from the local community as well as DOC and ExploreNZ staff and others passionate about restoring the islands, will be helping to celebrate this occasion.
The Centre, staffed by Guardians volunteers, will be opening at Labour Weekend. So come and visit! But before you leave the mainland, you can do your bit to keep these islands pest-free – please stop, check your gear for pests (rats, mice, stoats, ants, weed seeds) and then go!
Want to know more about Project Island Song? Go to:
Remind you of the song by Europe… set your heart racing? It’s all about to happen for Conservation Week 2009!
Tomorrow night we are launching our event locally with a wine and cheese event at Aratoi. Here guests are going to vote for the best photo in our competition (25 entries all together) and listen to local conservationist and photo journalist Dave Hansford. The evening is to thank those who’ve organised events, sponsored prizes and generally supported conservation around Wairarapa. It gives everyone the chance to mingle, hear about the programme and hopefully relax for a hour before the outdoor fun begins.
Blessing of kokako at release in 2004
However, we’ve already had our first cancellation. The ‘Great Kokako Count’ was to be held in Pukaha forest on Saturday and the weather is against us for this day (rain and wind for Wairarapa). Pukaha forest has been managed under community pest control for most of the 21st century. Kokako and kaka have been released in the area and they breed in the wild. It’s estimated by local rangers there are around 40 kokako but we were going to run a count. Hopefully we’ll get a group out there again soon.
The magnificent Rocky Lookout completed in May
On Sunday 13 September Chris Peterson, DOC caretaker at Holdsworth road-end, is hosting a guided walk to Rocky Lookout at the top of the recently upgraded Rocky Lookout walk. I took my dog for a walk up there on Sunday and its a gorgeous spot and having Chris’ incredible knowledge will bring the area alive rather than charging up the hill (quite steep in places) like I did.
Then the fun of Conservation Week really begins. From Monday we’re averaging at least two events per day and hopefully I’ll be well on my way to my target of 5,000 people getting involved. Hope to see you there!
Wouldn’t it be great if you could create a slice of wild New Zealand in your own backyard?
But where to start?
Well you could start by replacing your weeds with native plants. With a bit of careful planning, consideration and patience…who knows…you could also attract a range of native birds, lizards and invertebrates. I’m organising Wellington City’s 5th Weed Swap on September 19th and hope that once again Wellingtonians will turn out in numbers clutching their garden nasties to swap for free native plants. Since the first Weed Swap in 2005 thousands of native plants have been handed out and tonnes of weeds collected and disposed of.
What is a weed?
In a nutshell it’s an unwanted plant with the potential to cause damage to our native ecosystems. So, for example, you may not think of your agapanthus as a weed but once it escapes into the wild it can become a serious problem, forming tough, dense clusters at the expense of native plants- and they’re very hard to eradicate. In any case, why plant agapanthus when you could plant native rengarenga lilies? Why have a sycamore when you could have a totara? Why let birds disperse holly seeds when they could be dispersing the native tarata or pigeonwood?
Woody Weed- Weedbusters mascot
75% of the weeds that are invading our bush and replacing our native plants originated in peoples’ gardens usually as popular garden plants. At Weed Swaps people can get involved in learning how to identify, eradicate and dispose of these weeds and kick start their own native garden with a free plant!
For those who want to continue creating their native havens the DOC publication Plant me instead offers suggestions on garden alternatives to weeds. Most, but not all the alternatives are natives but if you are going to concentrate on natives then try to get eco-sourced plants (plants propagated from local areas). For a start, they’ll adapt more easily to your garden and if you plant a range of shrubs, climbers, and ground covers that provide shelter and all-year- round fruit, seeds and nectar you’ll have a higher chance of attracting native birds, lizards and insects!
Weed Swap 2008- Civic Square
So how does the Weed Swap work?
Simply bring in your weed, we’ll help you identify it and then you choose from a range of native plants- one weed and one free plant per person. There are spot prizes for particularly ‘nasty’ weeds and information and displays on gardening to attract native animals. It’s at Wellington’s Civic Square, 1-4pm, Saturday 19 September.
Hope to see you there!
The hunt is on for hidden 'treasure' on Matiu-Somes Island
You might be surprised to discover that all around you, hidden in nooks and crannies, are secret treasure boxes. There are dozens in the capital – several are hidden just a few minutes walk from the Department of Conservation’s Wellington office – and there are literally thousands across the country. Every day, people from all over the world are discovering them right under our noses.
All this may sound slightly subversive, but it’s actually part of a very popular game called Geocaching. Here’s how it works: People hide containers – called caches – and list them online along with their GPS coordinates and additional location clues. To find a cache, you enter the GPS coordinates into a portable GPS receiver and track to the general spot.
Following the GPS receiver to the cache coordinates
The receiver gets you close, but actually finding the cache can be tough! They’re often cleverly hidden using magnets, camouflage and other devious techniques. Part of the game is to keep the cache’s location a secret, so you have to be discreet. Inside the cache there will be a log to sign and possibly even items to trade. If you take an object, be sure to leave something behind.
What does all of this have to do with Conservation? Well, put simply, it’s a great excuse to get outdoors, having some fun and exploring conservation places. It’s also important that DOC is aware of recreational activities of all kinds and that our visitor facilities and policies are supportive while also ensuring no harm comes to the natural environment.
Geocaching is a great family activity
One way that geocachers can help is to always follow the Geocachers Code. Another is to try Earthcaching. This variation on geocaching is a good option for ecologically sensitive places because there’s no container. Instead, Earthcaches use natural landmarks as the object of discovery. To claim the find, you’ll have to answer questions about the place and the answers can only be found by visiting in person. So, in addition to being eco-friendly, Earthcaching can teach us about ecology, geography, cartography and technology.
Exploring the contents of a cache
If you’d like to give geocaching a go, try visiting Matiu-Somes Island during their upcoming Historic Open Day (13 September). In addition to many other activities, you can try out DOC’s first official Geocache (GC1WK81) which takes you on a tour of the island’s many historic sights. Don’t forget to bring your own GPS receiver!
