A tale of two islands

Forest and Bird, Issue 295, 1 February 2000, Page 21

A tale of two islands

Kathy Ombler

uatara, skinks, geckos, giant weta and takahe are the main species flourishing on two islands off Wellington, as a result of concerted efforts by branches in the region. On Matiu/Somes Island in Wellington Harbour, Lower Hutt members have been working on a revegetation plan for nearly twenty years. Since 1981 branch members have carried out annual plantings on the southern, western and inland slopes of the island, building up from the few native species, such as ngaio, cabbage tree, koromiko and taupata, which had survived generations of settlement, grazing and fire on the island. An estimated 64,000 trees and shrubs have been planted, either from donated plants or seedlings grown in a nursery on the island. Lower Hutt Forest and Bird has also supported the Department of Conservation with the installation of a trickle-irrigation system to combat recent droughts. Branch chairman Stan Butcher says the irrigation was necessary after half of the 8000 plants put in over the last two years were lost because of dry conditions. Up until this year the Lottery Grants Board has sponsored the big ferry bill for fortnightly working parties to Matiu/ Somes. The branch is now looking for a new sponsor, and is determined to continue its efforts on the island.

‘I think because Somes is a very attractive place to go to, says Stan Butcher, ‘the team we've developed has really warmed as a group. The branch’s revegetation efforts are certainly helping to restore the natural integrity of Matiu/Somes. Last year the island became one of three rodent-free islands where tuatara have been released as part of the tuatara recovery plan conducted by DoC. Because of the healthy presence on the island of lizards and invertebrates — good tuatara food — DoC believes Matiu/Somes could eventually support a population of about 1000 tuatara. Meanwhile out on the Wellington west coast, combined branch efforts have made a big difference on Mana Island. Ten years ago Wellington branch helped DoC rid Mana of its huge mouse population. Since then Mana branch members have carried out a revegetation programme that has resulted, in recent years, in up to 30,000 plants being planted in a season. While DoC runs the island nursery, Mana has been providing the ‘bodies’ to carry out the planting work and has organized follow-up trips for plant maintenance. Planting organizer, Alan Bryant, says that other groups, such as tramping clubs and Federated Mountain Club members, have also pitched in on planting weekends.

Since the mouse eradication, Wellington branch has been involved in other Mana projects: helping with wetland development, establishing an interpretation centre in the old woolshed, helping with a successful search for the goldstripe gecko, setting up a colony of gannet decoys and, recently, installing a gannet sound system. (See box.) The work has paid dividends. Island populations of goldstripe geckos, McGregor’s skinks and other lizards, and the giant weta are flourishing. Also present are North Island robin and little spotted kiwi, and the largest population of takahe outside Fiordland. DoC now plans to release, progressively over the next decade, other native birds, such as the yellow-crowned parakeet, as well as a wide range of invertebrates. Branch involvement on Mana will change next year, with the formation of the new Friends of Mana Island Society set to take over the work of the Mana Branch, which is refocusing its efforts on mainland projects. The president of the new Society will be Colin Ryder, who has been involved with Mana as a Wellington branch member. He says helping on the island provides a great opportunity to participate in one of the major ecological restoration projects in the country. "Volunteers can stay out there for several days and help with weeding, seed gathering, planting, beach clean ups. It’s a great opportunity for people with overseas

friends visiting. —

he importance of regular watering for newly planted trees is a trial when replanting offshore islands which frequently lack easily accessible supplies. Dunedin Forest and Bird learnt this lesson early when it began work on a small island in Otago Harbour, known variously as Quarantine Island, Kamautaurua, or St Martin’s Island. The 14-hectare island is exposed to both the cold winds of the south and to very drying northerlies. As part of their solution, members of Forest and Bird’s Teen Conservation group from Dunedin built a rainwater collection system to supply a pond where birds and native animals can get access to much needed water. Overflows are stored in barrels for watering trees in summer. A major effort has gone into creating protected places where a micro-climate allows the original forest-type to be replanted — these species include totara, miro, matai, pokako, kowhai, ribbonwood, coprosmas and fierce lancewood. Generally, the idea is to establish the full sequence of the island’s former environment, from forest grasses, to tree ferns, and coastal canopy trees. Quarantine Island is a recereation reseve with half of it leased since 1958 by the St Martins Island Community which not only uses it as a retreat for religious groups but encourages stays by schools and other groups. Ken Mason of Dunedin Forest and Bird, with his group of teenage conservation volunteers and _ Kiwi Conservation Club members, have worked here since 1989, extending revegetation out from a the original fenced-off block of 1.5 hectares which has forest in very good condition. Today, just over

seven hectares is being revegetated. A vision of reintroducing birds, reptiles and insects is taking shape this summer with the introduction of the rifleman. Nesting boxes to help the birds have already been installed. The St Martins Island Community have been so pleased with the success of the revegetation that it has released more of the island for restoration and formed a joint committee with Dunedin Forest and Bird to further develop the project. Techniques to help trees during times of drought have also forged a Forest and Bird link with Moturata, an island at the mouth of the Taieri River in Otago. You can walk the kilometre there, carefully, at low tide, yet the island has colonies of petrels (muttonbirds or titi), and little blue penguins. Much of the island is Maori-owned, with the balance in conservation estate. The local Maori whanau has been working on a replanting programme. The barest patches of the island’s surface, where the underlying peat is exposed, have been covered in seeding manuka brush helicoptered to the island and tied down to establish new shrubland. The recovery has been striking with even the worst-exposed patches now having a covering at least of grass. The whanau has further established plantings of ngaio, broadleaf, cabbage tree and southern rata, In February 1999 these plantings were under severe stress as drought gripped the whole east coast of Otago. The teenage conservation group of Dunedin Forest and Bird approached the whanau to see if techniques developed on Quarantine Island could help save the plantings. Eighty litres of water were carried to Moturata by teenagers and, with a water penetrant agent, applied to the trees. With the penetrant, every subsequent drop of

rain, or applied water, finds its way to the roots of the young trees. ‘The experience of working with the whanau has been very valuable to us, says Ken Mason of Dunedin Forest and Bird. ‘This project has been a great opportunity to share restoration techniques and views of conservation, enerally, island initiatives such as these provide a practical outlet for people who join Forest and Bird so they can do something, personally, for nature. They also attract and involve a much wider community to work for conservation. Not surprisingly, the schools and community groups which join in restoring islands soon begin to take a proprietorial interest in their special piece of New Zealand. Often the result is the formation of a dedicated trust to work in a specific place, raising plants and funds, and liaising with the Department of Conservation which so often manages these lands and their threatened species. In some places, local restoration groups have completely taken over the care of an offshore island. Yet, often, Forest and Bird involvement has been critical in initiating, and advancing the restoration programme. Without such help, the Department of Conservation would be hard pressed to keep its restoration work up to present levels. Volunteer work on our islands is really making a difference in improving habitats and the chances for survival for many threatened species. GORDON ELL is editor of Forest & Bird.