A Feast of Tawa and Kahikatea

Forest and Bird, Issue 300, 1 May 2001, Page 40

A Feast of Tawa and Kahikatea

PETER WHITE

explores the Forest

and Bird reserves of Rangitikei.

orest and Bird’s Rangitikei branch manages five bush reserves in the upper reaches of the region’s rivers, inland from Manawatu and Wanganui. In this region of steep hills, papa cliffs and gorges, the remnants of native forest have been reserved for more than 50 years, protecting mainly podocarp and hardwood forests largely cleared from _ the surrounding farmland. Rangitikei branch has the most forest reserves of any Society branch and, in addition, manages the Simpson property outside Marton which contains a few planted native and exotic trees. The branch’s major challenge has been controlling the old man’s beard vine which has over-run so much forest in this sector of the North Island (see box). Apart from weed control the branch has also been controlling possums to a low level, maintaining _ tracks, creating picnic areas, erecting signs and replanting open areas of the reserves. Possum control has resulted in a marked improvement in the canopy, an increase in bird life and birdsong, and more native plant seedlings on the forest floor.

In the past the reserves have been home to the Australian sulphur-crested cockatoo a flock of which were liberated in the early 1900s by someone living near Turakina. There is some evidence to suggest the birds undermine the health of podocarp trees by stripping bark, eating the growing tips and digging into the trees with their beaks, probably to extract bark and grubs. Flocks of them would congregate in the reserves, screeching from the canopy. For many years a concessionaire caught the birds and sold them to pet shops in Auckland, and today the numbers are considerably less. Each of the reserves retains its own character, however, and tracks have been formed so people can enjoy them.