News
Birds Return to Puketi
The Bay Chronicle; 3 July 2008
Pest control at Puketi Forest has been so successful that re-introduction of native birds is now to proceed.
The five year campaign to restore birdsong to one of New Zealand's great forests is at last reaping rewards.
Puketi Forest Trust chairman Gary Bramley recently attended a Kokako Recovery Group meeting and reports that a total of seven birds are earmarked for Puketi.
Two adult kokako females now in captivity are to return to the forest - one from Mt Bruce and one from Auckland Zoo - for pairing with the lonely 'hut bird', Puketi's last remaining kokako.
Four young birds already approved for removal from Mataraua next breeding season - October to March - will be brought to Puketi, bringing the total number of kokako in the forest to seven.
These will be caught just prior to fledging and will require some supplementary feeding in an existing aviary when they get to Puketi.
A young pair presently in Hamilton will be given a year to attempt breeding. If breeding is unsuccessful, they will be taken from the zoo and also brought to Puketi and it's possible that a further five birds will return to the forest in the future.
Dr Bramley says he is delighted: "We have shown we can get the level of pests down and now we are being rewarded with the return of this iconic symbol of a healthy forest."
The translocation of North Island robins is also going ahead and two species could be returned to the forest by 2010, Dr Bramley says.
The number of kokako pairs across the country is now more than 740, up more than 100 on last year. Most of them are located in the central North Island.
Mataraua and Waima Forests are the only other areas in the North with them.
Kokako populations require sustained low levels of rat and possum numbers in order to survive and they only flourish in areas where this intensive pest control is taking place and the forest is in a healthy state.
Birds from different regions have different dialects and they usually don't mate with a bird that sings the wrong dialect, hence the difficulties the Puketi Forest Trust has had in finding females for the Puketi males.
More than 120 birds lived in Puketi in the early 1980s, with the number dwindling to seven males in 2003.
Thinking Ahead to Restore Birds
The Bay Chronicle; 19 June 2008
The Puketi Forest Trust, which has been working to restore wildlife to Puketi Forest since 2003, is aiming to raise $1 million in capital to fund the restoration of the unique subtropical kauri forest in perpetuity.
The Puketi Forest Capital Fund will be made up of donations, made expressly for the purpose of allowing the trust to accumulate. The money will not be used for the day to day operations of the trust, but invested instead.
"Assuming a return of eight percent or better on this investment then $1 million is enough to fund the restoration of this unique kauri forest in perpetuity," says chairman Gary Bramley.
To date the trust has removed thousands of pests - rats, cats, stoats and other vermin.
Five minute bird counts show that this has resulted in big increases in bird numbers.
"We have now created a situation where translocations of birds to the forest are being considered. The trust hopes to begin transferring North Island robins to the forest in 2009. This is just the beginning of a new phase of the restoration with the focus shifting to reintroducing species that have been lost and creating a forest that Northlanders can be proud of," he says.
Donations to the fund are a minimum of $1000 and all donations are tax deductible.
So far the trust has spent more than $600,000 to establish the network of traps and tracks necessary for this pest control work. If the number of volunteer hours is factored in, including the use of the RNZAF Iroquois helicopter in 2005, this total would rise to more than $1m. Most of this money has come from private donations, sale of merchandise and grants from organizations like ASB Community Trust, Lottery Grants Board - Environment and Heritage, BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust, Pub Charity, Sir John Logan Campbell Residuary Estate and the like.
For further information ring Gary at 405 0074 or email garyandcarey@hotmail.com or write to PO Box 257, Kaeo.
Puketi Used by Many
The Bay Chronicle; 27 March 2008
Seventy percent of funds collected to restore Puketi Forest comes from outside Northland, according to Puketi Forest Trust chairman Gary Bramley.
Speaking at the recent Puketi Forest open day, he challenged the local community, especially tourism and business interests, to rectify this.
About 80,000 people visit the Manginangina boardwalk annually, according to DOC. The only concessionaire is 'Adventure Puketi'. The rest of the tour buses apparently get around the need for a concession by dropping people off to wander the boardwalk by themselves rather than the driver 'guiding' people through the forest. DOC will be looking into this says area manager Rolien Elliot. "It's a shame that these tourists and visitors are not contributing."
The trust has already raised and spent $650,000 on pest eradication and is now looking for a similar amount in its drive to reintroduce species back to Puketi.
Dr Bramley says DOc's integrated management plan, which takes a holistic approach to the forest - addressing tracks, pests and visitors - is a very good start to ensuring Puketi's ongoing diversity.
The combined open day, which drew about 200 people, was organised by the trust, the Department of Conservation's Bay of Islands area office and Piki Te Aroha Marae.
Those attending visited the 30 stalls ranging from the trust's own, to possum pluckers, DOC tracks and historic sites, and the Kerikeri Shadehouse volunteers.
The korowai of Puketi must not be lost, says kaumatua Wiremu Wiremu from Piki Te Aroha Marae. "It has become a little ragged, but with the Trust and DOC and all of us working together we will revive it. We need each other to make this happen."
The day began with a karakia from kaumatua Hori Harris.
"We were thrilled with the response to the Puketi Open Day," says DOC programme manager Sara Kusanic, who co-ordinated the day.
Anyone who would like a copy of the Puketi Integrated Management Plan can contact Sara Kusanic or Dan O'Halloran on 09 407 0300.
Puketi Open Day
The Bay Chronicle; 21 February 2008
The Department of Conservation weeds team, from Bay of Islands, are battling foreign invaders along rivers in Puketi and Omahuta Forests this month.
Mexican daisy, tradescantia, pampas, buddleia, Japanese cedar and Himalayan honeysuckle are threatening the forests' unique stream bank ecosystems.
"These weeds mainly smother the ground so native seedlings are unable to germinate," says the Programme Manager of Threats, Sara Kusanic.
The Puketi Omahuta river system is home to several plant species which are only found in the upper North Island, for example Hebe acutifolia and koru (Colensoa physaloides).
This work is done annually over the summer as much of it involves standing knee to neck deep in the river while removing weeds. Hand pulling or cutting and painting are the preferred methods as it is not practical to carry spray equipment into the more remote areas. The weeds then need to be carried out for disposal.
To find out more about what's going on in the forest come along to the Puketi Omahuta Open Day on Saturday, March 15, starting at 10am at the Puketi Forest Headquarters.
As well as sharing the vision for the future of the forest there will be stalls, a trapping display, possum shy, games for children, treasure hunt, hangi and barbecue and the opportunity to walk through the Puketi Forest Trust trap lines with members of the trust. To get to Puketi Headquarters from State Highway One take Waiare or Wehirua Rds and follow the signposts to Puketi Recreation Area.
From State Highway 10 take Pungaere or Waiare Rds and follow the signs. The headquarters are about 14kms from Waipapa, and 20kms from Okaihau and 20kms from Kaeo.
Piki Te Aroha Marae, The Trust and the Department of Conservation hope to see you there.
For further information call the DOC, Bay of Islands area office on 407 0300.
Possums Under Control
Extracted from "Message from the Chairman,"
Newsletter of the Puketi Forest Trust; Issue 11, March 2008
In January we began rat trapping again after a hiatus while we awaited the DoC poison operation for possum control in Puketi, which went ahead in October using cholecalciferol and encapsulated cyanide delivered in the Trust's bait stations.
DoC have now put a perimeter line of Warrior possum traps around the Trust Core Management Area and are committed to checking them every fortnight until the end of the financial year (June). The aim of this perimeter barrier is to prevent re-invasion and hopefully it will be successful.
This will provide protection for mature trees like rata that are highly palatable to possums and will complement the Trust's work protecting fruits and seeds by controlling rats. The future for forest regeneration looks bright.
The initial monitoring results for possums show that DoC have not achieved the possum kill they were hoping for in all areas (<6% using wax block monitoring), but they have achieved an average of 6% over the whole area.
Trustees Meet in Forest
Extracted from "Message from the Chairman,"
Newsletter of the Puketi Forest Trust; Issue 11, March 2008
The trustees and some family members all met at the ranger's hut in Puketi (located on the plateau, within the Trust's core management area) on the 12th and 13th of January. It took us several hours to walk in to the hut, we stayed overnight and walked out the next day.
It was good for the soul to see the relatively healthy state of the bush, the diversity of plants and hear the birds sing. We also heard the mournful call from Puketi's last male kokako on the Sunday morning before we came home.
We used the time to not only have a regular meeting, but also to strategise where-to-from-here with regard to our management of the forest and our fund raising. I think it was a good reminder to all of us just why we are doing what we are doing and how necessary it is.
Puketi Scenic Reserve
Extracted from Newsletter of the Puketi Forest Trust; Issue 10, October 2007
The Puketi Scenic Reserve has been added to the Trust's management agreement with the Department of Conservation. This 82 hectare reserve is situated one kilometre south of Puketi Forest, on the south side of Puketi Road. (See map).
It was decided to include the reserve in the Trust's area of management because of the large number of taraire, the fruit of which provide food for Puketi's pigeons during late winter and early spring. This reserve also has a very high density of kiwi.
The four farm owners bordering the reserve are committed to ensuring the survival of kiwi and are very conscious of the need to keep their dogs out of the bush at all times.
The traps for this area were donated and the trap boxes assembled by Mike Rowledge. Volunteers are servicing the trap lines. Nine stoats have been caught as well as the normal by-catch of rats and hedgehogs.
Monitoring the Trappers
Extracted from Newsletter of the Puketi Forest Trust; Issue 9, April 2007
The trustees have a responsibility to ensure every dollar the trust receives goes as far as possible and we get good value for money.
The trust’s trappers have done an excellent job and there has never been any reason to doubt that they are fulfilling their job descriptions. However we owe it to our supporters to check that they are doing what they are paid to do to the required standard. At least twice a year numbered tags are placed into randomly selected trap boxes in the forest. When servicing the traps the trapper records where the individual tags are found and returns them to the supervisor, along with the record of catches for the round. To date every tag has been returned.
Traps are also checked regularly to ensure they are correctly set. A trap that won’t go off is of no use. The Fenn traps (used on some of the stoat lines) need cleaning, lubrication and fine adjustment to work correctly. A female stoat weighs 200 gms and a male 300 gms.
The traps are checked by lowering a 150 gm weight onto the trigger plate to ensure they are set finely enough to spring at that weight. Scott is doing a great job, as last year his traps caught 784 ship rats (120-160 gms) and 4 weasels (60-130 gms) as well as 152 stoats.