Natural Wellington - conservation in the capital

Forest and Bird, Volume 22, Issue 4, 1 November 1991, Page 47

Natural Wellington - conservation in the capital

by

Sido Kitchin

rainforest city will not only enhance our lives and lifestyles but that of the generations to come — that In itself makes tt worth doing."

T HE DAWN CHORUS was deafening. Thousands of native birds flocked in the vast forest. Kereru cooed in the kohekohe and miro trees. Tui, bellbirds and kokako chimed in the treetops while saddlebacks and the mystical huia called in the bush. Whitehead, robins, and tits flitted around the forest floor and the mid canopy. Kaka and parakeets were abundant. That was Wellington last century. Today, less than one percent of the capital's 31,000 hectares of natural habitat is suitable for native birds and although a number of seabirds have survived around its coastal waters, only eight native forest birds remain three in small numbers. At last count four kereru pairs remained in Wellington City, and about 30 pairs of tui search desperately for food. Before 1840, the Wellington landscape was relatively pristine. The Maori had little impact on the area. Fire spoiled some areas and hunting reduced numbers of a few birds, but most of the region’s Maori population was located in the richer Porirua and Hutt Valleys with their better

soils and marine food sources. Within 50 years of the European settlement in 1840, the forest was practically gone. Rats, which escaped from ships after 1800, reduced the wildlife, but the first settlers cleared massive areas of land with fire for farming and settlement. The swamps in areas like Karori were drained and coastal saltmarshes reclaimed. By 1920, 99.5 percent of the original forest cover had disappeared. Destruction of the forest meant little food for the remaining birds and so they rapidly disappeared.

The sleeping giant awakes

The Wellington branch of Forest and Bird, sometimes called the ‘sleeping giant’, has awoken. Branch Chairman, Colin Ryder, admits that the branch of about 6000 members has had little conservation focus for some time jumping in when an issue arises and returning to its dormant self afterwards. However, its regular field trips in and around Wellington have built up a large constituency of knowledgeable people concerned about the future of the capital's natural heritage.

The face of conservation in the capital is changing as the branch channels this grassroots concern into positive action. Natural Wellington is the branch’s plan to preserve and enhance the natural treasures of Wellington and to bring the native birds back to the city. It may not be possible to bring back the extensive stands of giant rata and rimu, the kokako or the saddleback, but it might be possible to lure back the bellbird, the whitehead and the robin and greatly increase the number of tui, morepork, fantails, and kereru. Branch member, Jim Lynch, has prepared the vision on paper. With the help of Colin Ryder, local experts have been quizzed. Adding to the plan were botanists Maggy Wassilieff, Bill van Gorkom with his wealth of knowledge on local wildlife a living treasure himself, and Tony Beauchamp with his original concepts such as bird corridors. Regeneration of New Zealand’s natural ecosystems is a

slow process -- it takes 100 years to grow a sizable rimu tree. So the plan looks far into the future and spans whole generations. It begins with a 50 year vision.

The way it could be

When Natural Wellington’s mission is achieved, Wellington could be an exceptionally beautiful rainforest city. The hills clothed in tall native bush with birds singing and playing in the canopy once more. A place of true natural beauty for residents and visitors to enjoy. As Jim Lynch explains, "It will be a wonderful complement to the city’s vibrant cultural, business and recreational life." A more challenging task is to improve the birdlife in the forests, as native birdlife is declining across the nation as a whole. It can be done if the branch’s vision is taken on board by the wider community to reverse the degradation of the capital’s natural surrounds. Natural Wellington aims to preserve existing permanent scrublands and preEuropean forests — only very small isolated areas of native scrubland, grassland and herbfields remain out of the 570 hectares estimated to exist around 1800. If regenerating forests are protected, they will inevitably grow through to maturity. At the turn of last century, there were 1750 hectares of coastal and lowland broadleaf forest, 10,000 hectares of podocarp/broadleaf forest and about 1000 hectares of swamp forest. In 1991, there is only 120 hectares of coastal and lowland broadleaf, 13 hectares of podocarp/ broadleaf and no swamp forest at all. Natural Wellington aims to see over 100 hectares of the first category by 2040, nearly double the amount of podocarp/ broadleaf and two hectares of partly restored swamp forest. Also, protection from fire will see the scrublands move through to regenerating forest and more unproductive, marginal land and gorse areas into the early scrubland stage. The branch's aim is to restore at least one small area as an example of swamp forest and preserve the one area of coastal saltmarsh left at Makara, which is the last habitat for an endangered cotula, Leptinella dioica ssp. monoica. Only 10 hectares of saltmarsh and 10 hectares of swamp are left out of the 750 hectare and 500 hectare

areas which once existed. Natural Wellington aims to add a little to the existing coastline ecosystems. Last century there were 85 kilometres of relatively natural coastline, but this has been reduced today to 50 kilometres. By 2040, the plan is for the resoration of a further 10 kilometres. Wellington’s marine ecosystems have not been forgotten. The branch is currently preparing a public discussion document on proposals for a marine reserve along the rocky south coast. A key part of the Natural Wellington ideal is to provide linked forest corridors through the suburbs. They will be revegetated and overplanted with bird food sources and predator control will be investigated. Bird numbers should increase substantially in variety and number in the forests. Some bird species may have to be reintroduced to the area to achieve this. One of the goals in Natural Wellington is for increased numbers of native birds and an increase in the number of species from eight to fifteen by 2040. Another goal is for all of the 36 significant ecological sites in Wellington to have full protection — only eight sites are protected now. The number will be added to as new sites are identified — perhaps there will be up to 50 by 2040. The final aim is to change people’s attitudes towards their natural world. Some citizens of Wellington place high value on their natural surrounds but such attitudes are not universal. Ignorance and apathy has prevailed for years leading to the awful abuses that have occurred to the capital’s natural surroundings. Civic pride has expressed itself as town halls and traffic island flower beds while quarries, scrub fires and urban sprawl have destroyed much of Wellington’s unique natural heritage. Jim Lynch believes all the Natural Wellington aims are possible in time. "And perhaps our children and grandchildren will appreciate the foresight of this generation who acted positively to hand it on to

them in a better condition than they found it," he says. "Perhaps then we could look back and say we had achieved‘our mission."

Progress to date

Natural Wellington is already underway. Acceptance of the plan to date has been even better than expected. Last year the idea was presented to the Wellington City Council, who welcomed it with open arms. It passed a resolution of unanimous support for the plan and council officers have been instructed to work in accordance with the general plan. If any council moves affect Natural Wellington, they will consult with Forest and Bird. This resolution is already in effect with consultation regarding work on Karori’s Wright's Hill and the Ngaio Gorge already taking place. Jim Lynch and Colin Ryder have taken the plan to the people of Wellington and will continue to do so, as the plan’s success rests on public commitment. Forest and Bird branch officers are explaining the concept to residents’ associations and other community groups and support is growing rapidly. "People care about the environment and they can help by looking after and contributing to their area," Jim says. "They'll get the direct benefits too." Even a quarry owner has given support. Jint presented Natural Wellington to a local quarry owner who agreed to covenant strips at the back of the excavated land to retain a wildlife corridor through the area. Natural Wellington aims to see the 36 ecological sites fully protected by 1995. With community and council support this looks possible. Three sites under immediate threat of destruction and damage have been given urgent priority and are being worked on anew. Spooky Gully on the capital’s south coast has unique plant life, including 29 regionally rare species and five nationally rare species. It is threatened by pine planting, quarrying, goats and rubbish disposal. Red Rocks on the coast is protected, but the inland area urgently needs to be formally protected. This may be possible as the neighbouring Long Gully Farm is for sale. Further east adjoining Huntleigh Park in Ngaio is privately owned native shrubland proposed for subdivision. It provides a vital bird corridor with Khandallah Park and needs protection.

You can do it too!

Other Forest and Bird branches are encouraged to give such a plan a go in their area. Branches may not have the advantage of Jim and Eve Lynch’s planning skills and publishing facilities, but Natural Wellington is a blueprint others can follow. The emphasis may be different depending on the communities’ needs in the area. For example, preservation of natural areas rather than restoration may be the order of the day for some branches. Natural Wellington can be used as a starting point and the Lynches‘have conveniently prepared a step by step plan available for branch use. (For more information please contact Wellington Forest and Bird, PO Box 4183, Wellington.) #&