July 2017 Issue 33
Chris’s Column Since the withdrawal of DOC funding we’ve worked hard to generate funds from elsewhere. Thank you to our kind members who responded to our call for new or increased regular donations. We’ve also attracted new corporate sponsors; Emerson’s, Port Otago, Summerset, Dunedin Airport, Van Brandenburg Architects, Meridian Mall and Calder Stewart. The University of Otago, the Otago Polytechnic and Spark have also included us in their Payroll Giving schemes. These are all really important for our long-term security but we haven’t given up on DOC’s support! Also key to our financial viability are our visitor numbers. These continue to grow, even for this slower time of year. We’ve added a new attraction for our young families and school groups with our Nature Play area. At its opening recently children made a beeline for the bright yellow slide, bird’s nest and the stream. The Play Area also features a full sized moa sculpture, a tracking tunnel and a picnic table. Come and have a look! Chris Baillie – General Manager Kids from Port Chalmers kindy and Waitati Play Centre exploring the stream.
Conservation Matters
Operational tasks continue to be dominated by upgrading monitoring tracks to a 25m x 50m grid (to deal with the small home ranges of mice) and making special bait/trap stations. We have designed the new stations to be takahe proof but to be able to knock down mice. The good news is that the track work is all but complete with 54km of tracks now done. This is about the distance from Orokonui to Lake Waihola! We’re also making excellent progress on the bait stations with most now constructed but around 1000 left to place. There’s a new addition to our fleet – a snow plough. Last year snow in our car park froze so we had to close even though the access roads were open. Thank you to Geoff and Christine Cleugh for their long-term loan of the quad bike to which it attaches, to Alyth Grant for sponsorship of the plough and to Hank Rebmann for altering it to suit our needs. Ready for the snow. Elton Smith – Conservation Manager Volunteers’ Voices
The manufacture and instalment of 2660 new bait/trap stations has been a major effort. It seemed a daunting task at the beginning but is nearly completed now. The Nature Play area took a concerted push by many volunteers to finish, particularly by Paul Clements and Marie Johnstone’s team. We’re very pleased with the result. Once Kelly is back from leave it’ll be time for a celebration of our volunteers’ magnificent contribution. Many hands do make light work – bait station Chris Baillie – General Manager mass production Forest of Knowledge
We have been contracted by a local community organisation “The Valley Project” to deliver a citizen science research project “The Open Valley Urban Ecosanctuary” or VUE. This project was funded by “Curious Minds”. We are working in collaboration with University of Otago scientists Dr Yolanda Van Heezik, Dr Phil Seddon and Clare Cross who is also an educator at Orokonui. Three local schools will carry out backyard research to monitor introduced predators and native and non-native birds. The long term goal is to see kaka able to return to a flourishing, safe, urban environment as their population at Orokonui continues to grow. If you live in North East Valley, Opoho or Pine Hill and would like to take part in this exciting citizen science project please Clare and Tahu with students from participating contact: [email protected] school, Dunedin North Intermediate. Tahu Mackenzie – Lead Educator A big thanks to
• Paul Clements and Marie Johnstone and their teams for Play Area work • Our new IT volunteer, Paul Everett • Jeff Belsey, our volunteer electrician, for switching our lighting to LED • Knola Jeffery for wildlife inspired tiles for the Play Area • Rosemarie Smith for an electric egg beater.
Eric Schusser took this brilliant shot of an Orokonui kaka. Wishlist New in the Shop • A four drawer filing cabinet Tracking tunnels – find out what’s in your back yard! • New regular donors! – bank account is Orokonui Ecosanctuary 06 0901 0377788 00
Open Daily 9.30am-4.30pm for Guided Tours and Self Guided Walks Orokonui Ecosanctuary, 600 Blueskin Rd, Waitati, Dunedin Ph 03 482 1755 [email protected] www.orokonui.nz