Newsletter - March 2012 issue
Newsletter
The New Zealand Kiwi Foundation newsletter has been out of print for some time. After this edition, the newsletter will be available on our website, by email to members and/or by contacting Gay Blunden directly to receive a printed copy.
Volunteers and Committee
We have a new membership and newsletter volunteer, Gay Blunden. The committee also now has a permanent secretary, Tracey Bowers. The committee is always on the look-out for new members with fresh ideas. One of our issues has been how to involve our members who want to participate. Annual kiwi call count monitoring is one way but that happens only once a year. Is there anyone who would like to become our event organizer for field days and social gatherings?
Trustees
Kerry Walshe was a founding Trustee of the NZKF, and a valuable member of the Foundation since then. Kerry recently resigned his position due to many other commitments -retirement is proving to be busier than ever. Best wishes to Kerry and Jane.
Land at Russell
Kiwi Foundation owns over seven hectares of bush at the end of Russell Heights Road. We need an appropriate name for this kiwi and weka habitat. Suggestions? There is a restoration plan to control and eventually eradicate the weeds, and of course Kiwi Foundation does the pest control along with many other places on Russell Peninsula. Russell Landcare Group are already involved at Russell Heights, planted over 50 trees in May 2011, and more plants are organised for this May.
Pateke release
Hugh Rihari liberating a pateke
Kiwi Foundation organised a release of 26 pateke at Mountain Landing on Purerua Peninsula during September 2011. This is a direct consequence of the intensive predator management on the peninsula with the support of landowners since 2002, particularly Mountain Landing Company. Pateke (brown teal) are one of our rarest ducks with only 1,000 still left in the wild. Further releases are timetabled for the next two years. Many thanks are due to breeders of brown teal around the country, Brown Teal Recovery Group, Mountain Landing, Ngati Torehina, and everyone else involved including the people doing the monitoring twice a week.
UPDATE: 24 of the released pateke have survived and four (new) ducklings have been spotted.
Integrated pest control
Our main activity is to organise integrated pest control and advocacy for kiwi on the mainland. The graph
below shows our total trap catches for cats, stoats and weasels in 2010. Many more rats and hedgehogs are
caught than weasels, stoats and cats. Our website will feature “project area” reports by the
end of April 2012 for Kerikeri Peninsula, Purerua Peninsula, and other areas that we manage.
Kiwi education & advocacy
Ross Lockyer, one of our trustees, visits kindergartens and schools to talk about kiwi and how the children can help. It's very popular with the kids and Ross is invited back for repeat visits. There is lots of free stuff available through the BNZSKT website as well.
Kiwi calls
Greg and Gay Blunden recently had the pleasure of spending a night on their launch in Crowles Bay in Te Puna Inlet. What a pleasure it was to listen to kiwi calling throughout the night. It's a special place to live!
Signage
Maybe we have a concept for a new roadside sign for kiwi country? The sign below was seen recently near Cairns -to get people to watch out for cassowary.
Annual General Meeting
The AGM for the NZ Kiwi Foundation for 2011 will be held at Aroha Island at 3pm on 12th May 2012. Everyone is encouraged to attend. The speaker is to be announced when confirmed.
NZ Kiwi Foundation contact details:
Trustees:
Greg Blunden
Ross Lockyer
Tim Robinson
Russell Thomas
Other Committee members:
Gay Blunden
Peter Ladd
Terry Quinlan
Convenor:
Greg Blunden
021 710 441
nz.kiwi.foundation@gmail.com
Membership & Newsletter:
Gay Blunden
09 405 1244
gay.blunden@hotmail.com
Secretary:
Tracy Bowers
Treasurer, Sponsorship and Donations:
Edwin de Wilde
wildkerries@xtra.co.nz
Website:
Paul Denny
bayofislands@xtra.co.nz
Pest managers:
Gay Blunden
Letty Bonney
Noel Bonney
Terry Johnson
Joe Vorwerk
Leon Botello
Terry Higginson
Stephan Mathew