\u201cOur monitoring indicates there are at least three in the area now. So, it appears the genetics of this bird are prominent around \u014chiwa Harbour, and they\u2019re very unique and well protected within our-pest trapping programme.\u201d<\/p>\n
This rarely sighted white t\u016b\u012b (and friend) has made Nathan Pye’s Bay of Plenty garden its home recently. Photo \/ Nathan Pye<\/p>\n
She said the positive results from controlling pests and weeds around the harbour were now being seen across multiple native species, not just these t\u016b\u012b. <\/p>\n
\u201cTrust members, who care for 1900 hectares of coastal bush, 7km west of \u014cp\u014dtiki, regularly get to see hugely encouraging sights in the bush, which some might term ecological miracles. <\/p>\n
\u201cEven seabirds like the little blue penguin and grey-faced petrel are making a comeback on this part of the mainland. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we have bellbirds again. Prior to the establishment of the trust in 2016, these were rare visitors to the area. Eight years later, we are witnessing the slow repopulation of bellbirds across the \u014chiwa Headland and enjoying their melodic notes in the dawn and dusk chorus,\u201d Sothieson said.<\/p>\n
Kereru were also prominent in the area, feeding on small kawaka two at a time, or occasionally in flocks of about 30 on larger trees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re getting falcon and kaka coming back. We\u2019re starting to see birdlife in the tree space that provides a vision of what New Zealand once was like. It\u2019s pretty spectacular.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs pest numbers have been reduced, the behaviour of the birds has changed. For example, t\u016b\u012b have been seen feeding on the ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs possum numbers fell because of trapping and thermal nightshooting, the native trees canopy were able to bounce back, providing more food for birdlife. <\/p>\n
Trust members Andrew Glaser with Arjay, Mithuna Sothieson and volunteers Judy Lewis and Ross Pierson. Photo \/ Paul Charman<\/p>\n
\u201cPreviously, when you looked across the canopy, you noticed those bare grey treetops reaching up to the sky like dead fingers from a grave. It was all you noticed. Now we are seeing significant regeneration in the canopy. <\/p>\n
\u201cMore seedlings are able to spring up from the forest floor.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said the flowers of the native tree species, kohekohe, were an important food source for native species.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, kohekohe is also a favourite food source for possums, with heavy browsing impacting the growth and reproduction of this species.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the drastic reduction in possums from the area, kohekohe are once again able to flower from the trunks and branches of the trees \u2013 a phenomenon known as \u2018cauliflory\u2019. This is believed to be an adaptation to increase pollination from native species like insects, lizards, bats and nectar feeders like t\u016b\u012b and bellbird.\u201d<\/p>\n
People power was credited for these positive changes.<\/p>\n
The \u014chiwa Headland Sanctuary Trust was supported by 165 residents and landowners.<\/p>\n
It worked in collaboration with the Bryans Beach Area Community Group, \u014chiwa Reserves Care Group, Hurike Care Group, Ruatuna-Pukerura Care Group and had support from Whakat\u014dhea and Te \u016apokorehe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re winning due to the collective efforts of our amazing community that enables us to achieve these great conservation outcomes,\u201d Sothieson said.<\/p>\n
A karearea, or New Zealand falcon. Photo \/ Mithuna Sothieson<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout the landowner and community support, the programme wouldn\u2019t be the success it is.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have good positive relationships forged around care for the \u014chiwa environment, sausage sizzles and the pests that are getting caught by the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
The trust had enjoyed significant support from the Government, DoC, and the regional council.<\/p>\n
From 2021 to 2024, the Jobs for Nature Programme had been a game changer, enabling the trust to expand its pest control buffer to encompass an additional 1100 hectares on the eastern side of \u014chiwa Harbour through to SH2.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough the employment of two full-time and three part-time contractors, we have been able to reduce the possums to very low levels. We removed 3097 of them from the operational area. Possums were now rarely seen in much of the headland area.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough we are not possum-free yet, we have observed some amazing benefits for the natural environment that are rarely seen on mainland New Zealand, including abundant flowering and fruiting.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur area is now fully set up with possum and stoat traps to build effective defences by using Waiotahe River as a geographical barrier to stop reinvasion of possums and maintain animal pests at low levels.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are very tough economic times, which has resulted in a reduction in funding for many community environmental programmes.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, the trust had been incredibly fortunate to partner with others and secure additional resources to maintain the programme\u2019s gains and keep them going, she said. <\/p>\n
A white t\u016b\u012b of indeterminate gender in a k\u014dwhai tree.<\/p>\n
Communication has also been a key to progress. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe contractors meet with residents to explain what they are going to be doing on their property. There is a real benefit for landowners from the removal of possums, and they are now getting fruit off their trees which they hadn\u2019t had previously due to the high possum numbers,\u201d Sothieson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe weed control we get for free from the [Bay of Plenty] Regional Council is a big hit with landowners too, because it gets rid of the likes of woolly nightshade and ginger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Where once it was silent or close to it, the air is now loaded with birdsong from early morning and into the day.<\/p>\n
Kill totals from the 2024-25 year are impressive, with volunteers, landowners and contractors each playing a significant part in the outcome.<\/p>\n
The tally is: mice 283; rats 598; hedgehogs 38; possums 242; stoats 9; weasels 44; rabbits 45; hares 4; and feral cats 20.<\/p>\n
Pest control contractor Laurie Matthews sets up an AT220 trap. Photo \/ Andrew Glaser<\/p>\n
The tally over the past 10 years is: mice 3209; rats 6397; hedgehogs 499; possums 3993; stoats 44; weasels 133; rabbits 170; feral wild cats 57. <\/p>\n
Some pest eradication required highly skilled operators, for example, shooting possums using thermal and night vision scopes on rifles. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut actually, there\u2019s something for everyone. If you want to be involved, we can find a job that suits you.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could be setting traps along the roadside, so no serious hiking ability is required,\u201d Sothieson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe job satisfaction is high as you experience the abundant birdlife and revegetation this pest eradication achieves, and the camaraderie of mixing with other volunteers for a shared purpose is second to none.\u201d<\/p>\n
The trust said it was grateful to Lodestone Energy, Trust Horizon, Bay Trust, Lottery and Environment Heritage Fund, Clyde Graham Charitable Trust, Trees that Count Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the Department of Conservation Community Fund for their support for the programme.<\/p>\n
To volunteer, email the trust at ohiwaheadlandsanctuary@gmail.com or find them on Facebook.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cOur monitoring indicates there are at least three in the area now. So, it appears the genetics of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":156293,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[1975,1558,19976,1389,6097,22771,305,17827,97443,82456,1073,4486,111,43,139,69,49754,669,15267,147,28652,3502,37147,1961,103489,53376,16550,100545,406],"class_list":["post-156292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wildlife","tag-at","tag-been","tag-birds","tag-conservation","tag-down","tag-excited","tag-have","tag-highlight","tag-hiwa","tag-landowners","tag-media","tag-month","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-origin","tag-ptiki","tag-reported","tag-science","tag-sightings","tag-success","tag-t","tag-this","tag-tracked","tag-waiotahe","tag-white","tag-widely","tag-wildlife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156292"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156292\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}