Swamp haven

Forest and Bird, Volume 22, Issue 1, 1 February 1991, Page 8

Swamp haven

CANTERBURY BRANCH have produced a booklet promoting the special values of Travis Swamp, an 80-ha wetland just 8 km north-east of Cathedral Square. Travis Swamp: A Case for Preserving a National Asset has been prepared by chairperson David Alexander and committee member Robert Harris. It points out that, while the swamp has been significantly degraded, it is still home to 43 bird species, 28 of which breed on site. Invading exotic weeds and many years of grazing have com-

promised the swamp’s botanical values, but more than 50 native plant species still occur there. Travis Swamp is one of the few examples left of natural Christchurch before the arrival of settlers in the 1850s. At that period much of the city area was swamp. The future of the wetland has been under a cloud since a developer proposed housing on the 23 ha it owns. However, the developer has failed to obtain a water right to drain the land. Landcorp also own 29 ha of marginal grazing land; negotiations are continuing to reserve this area. The city council owns the remainder. Long term plans for the swamp are to transform it into a wildlife and recreation zone, with board walks and bird hides — a haven for wetland wildlife in the midst of the city.