Sunday 2nd November from 11am.
Whareroa Farm Reserve Picnic for Conservation Week (Nov 1st to 9th) BBQ’s will be set up at the Hub Children’s nature activities eg “nature hunt”, decorating weta motels, pests & trapping demo Opening of East Ridge Track (funded by Walking Access NZ) Guided walks to Ramaroa Wetland site (for planting 2015/16) and Ti Kouka Loop path See the route of the approved Ti Kouka/Rocks Track due to open early 2015 If anyone wants to bring their guitar, drums etc the Dell gives a perfect ambience for music al fresco.
Also on the day will be:
Kāpiti Mountain Bike Club Trail Progress Day
Children’s MTB activities at the Hub and Guided walks/cycles to see the amazing progress on their new downhill track.
Please put this date in your diary now and invite your family and friends.
Last Planting Bee, 21st September
Another great session planted the last of the spots by Upper Bush. The sun shone yet again after torrential rain the day before. In places it felt as though we were planting in a stream, the ground was so saturated. Welcome to new planters Caroline and Markus who came out from Wellington to help. A total of 3,500 trees have now gone into that area and will give a good base to connect the two native forest areas. The rain has settled the plants into the ground, earlier plantings from July have taken very well with minimal losses.
The plants were funded by the Wellington Community Trust, Living Legends Plus (Project Crimson)and from income from the farm via DOC. We again thank these organisations, without grants restoration in the reserve would be much slower.
In addition lots more work has been done along the East Ridge Track with weedeating (Ian R), putting up marker poles (Liffet, Dawn, Ruby, Penny and Ann) and thistling. Dick and Henry have been mowing paths and Helen continues the regular bird counts with Tony.
Many thanks to: Theo Barsanti, Janice Mears, Andy Hummel, Linda Hill, John Rowland, Dawn Bush, Ruby & Kieran Durrant-Bush, Ann Evans, Ian and Penny Redward, Markus Breitenmoger, Caroline Holden, Michael Stace, Liffet Stewart, Maggie Cummings, Solly Solomon, Miyako and Enzo and Bernard Cammack (who was busy in the Dell), Jan Nisbet came on her crutch to give moral support and Elke Diedrichs provided yummy hotdogs back at the shed.
KCDC Community grant for nature info signs
Some will have seen the colourful nature info laminates around the Kohekohe Bush Walk. These were developed by Jan Nisbet. A grant from the recent KCDC Community Grant round will allow further development. Thanks Jan and Rachel.
Pests update:
The pest tally continues to rise; it is now 947 including 193 possums. They are particularly concentrating around the weta motel area, one trap there has caught 10 animals. Well done pest team. An infrared camera recently recorded a cat hunting in Kohekohe Bush at night along with several rats. Unfortunately the cat is more likely to be after birds than rats.
Other Whareroa Reserve Activities:
There are now 12 Geocaches on the farm and a Rogaining event is planned for late November. Wellington Forest & Bird are running a tramp this month led by Karen Palmer who did a major fish study of the Whareroa Stream. It is great to see so many uses developing. The maps in the entrance info bay are popular; they are disappearing at a rapid rate as are the book marks.
Our contact details:
[email protected] for email
www.naturespace.org.nz/groups/whareroa-guardians-community-trust-inc
https://www.facebook.com/WhareroaGuardians Lots of additional info is posted here
www.givealittle.co.nz/org/WhareroaG for donations
