SANCTUARY OF KAPITI.

Otaki Mail, 22 February 1922, Page 4

SANCTUARY OF KAPITI.

AN ISLAND OF DREAMS. AND THE REAL FACTS. Kapiti! What visions, of lovines; doe 3 this island's name conjure in ou; minds as we journey past it, travelling by train 30 miles north of Wellington. Its historic memories as the mighty Te Rauparaha’s stronghold will always live. From that island arose the warrior war cry, faintly wafted on the breeze, to the quaking mainland na fives, preluding death and destruction near and far. But now it is devoted, we think, at last to peace, to birds and bush, as it has for many years been a declared bird and forest sanctuary, where the bushman’s razor-edged axe, once so deftly swung, lies rusty and haftless by the shore, and the forest monarch no longer comes crashing to the ground, to raise discordant, protesting calls from the bush birds; where the sturdy whaler once held high carousal, and where the destroying fire ‘ no longer raises its sinister cloud to . the sky. No, all surely lies at peace in ; the recuperative and nourishing lap of Nature. We bless a benign Government for a work well and earefulb done. In imagination we almost lie a, the wonderful song of the bell birds, floating a mile out to sea across the placid waters —probably the most wonderful bird son g-known. The gentle whu! whu! of the lazy, well-contented pigeons as they leisurely and in securi ty fly from limb to limb in quest of their easily earned daily sustenance. We can almost hear the deafening chorus of thousands of tuis who whistle in joyous tones emphasising their glad ness in finding a resting place at last from the white man’s gun. The kakus, too, and numerous small fry make the bush as though alive with life. Bui alas! let us raise the curtain and so.the island, as it really stands. The writer, says Oapt. E. V. Sander son, in the Forest Magazine, has pain many visits to this island, the last it. 1914, when the Internal Affairs Department in response to a strong agitation. undertook to have all goats and cats destroyed, also the rabbits which had got a hold ou a small adjoining is land under four acres in extent, and I might possible reach the island. The ■ Department undertook then to erect a | fence between the native sheep farin- ( ers who occupy 601) acres at the North end, and the remaining 4.000 acres of sanctuary, in order to keep the sheep out of the preserve. Within the last few days another visit was made in conjunction with a gentleman well versed in forest and bird matters, ami a press representative in order to see how the sanctuary work had progressed. What a shock wo got! No effort whatever had been made to carry out the promised improvements. Borne 3,000 odd sheep and innumerable goals had destroyed all young forest growth. The wind was thus enabled to help in the destruction, and many acres of matured bush, mostly fata, had died owing to the loss of the w'S c t!'. nourishing forest humus .of ferns, leaves, f*tc.. and where once it was o. hard battle to force a way through the un.lergrowlh, it was now like walking underlie*** O' canopy with no obstruction underneath. Goats are browsers, nor gross feeders. | and one can get .a good ob ject lesson by putting one of these animals in ai garden for a couple of hour*.

The forest is. with small exception, denuded of undergrowth; and when the present trees reach old age and die, the forest dies, as nothing is there to replace any mortalities. This decay is, moreover, being accentuated, as I have said, by the winds. All this has happened because the Crown has failed to incur a maximum expenditure of £3O on the dividing fence. The residents claim they have done their half, and are apparently in accord noth the sanctuary idea, judging by the large number of ducks close handy to t heir homestead, and by reports from other sources. No energy appears to hate been devoted to the extermination of the goats, which are quite tame.

Opossums, which were unfortunately let loose on the island, have destroyed all konini trees, old and young, through keeping flu? leaves stripped off. aud are devouring much bird bery food. Veryfew birds remain on the bdnnd. only three pigeons, about three dozen tuis.

one kaka, a few green parrots, and some beli birds were seen in two days, owing to the destruction of food. The residents say the birds «i rimes could be caught by hand owing to weakness from hunger. Wekas, however, which are ground feeders, have increased wonderfully, but they are the only exception.

\Ye have robbed the birds of Tremendous areas of bush on the mainland. Are we not patriotic f-uough to give them a last secure resting place on this small island seven miles by one mile in area, in order that our children and children’s children may see and learn what New Zealand was really like when their daring fore-fathers first set foot la this land of ours?