Open space $7.50 MAGAZINE OF THE QUEEN ELIZABETH II NATIONAL TRUST ISSUE 72 | MARCH 2008 Focus on Mid to South Canterbury and West Coast | Historic Sites | Fencing Maintenance Regional Representatives Contents Far North Greg Blunden Ph 09 407 1119 [email protected] 3 News and events Kaipara Nick Matich 5 Ph 09 439 8932 [email protected] 4 Focus: Mid to South Canterbury Whangarei Nan Pullman Ph/Fax 09 434 3457 [email protected] 9 Focus: West Coast Northwest Auckland Dan Godoy 12 Historic sites: West Coast gold workings Ph 09 529 2474 [email protected] South Auckland Lynda Fleming 14 Research: Reduced pollination in flowering plants Ph 09 238 5739 [email protected] 14 Coromandel – Hauraki Hamish Kendal 16 Fencing: Covenant fencing maintenance Ph 07 866 0770 [email protected] 19 Know your natives: Forest fungi Waikato Rex Webby Ph 07 853 2504 [email protected] 22 Restoration: Controlling saltwater paspalum East Waikato Hamish Dean Ph 021 741 222 [email protected] 24 Fragments Waitomo – Otorohanga Malcolm Mackenzie Ph 07 873 7728 [email protected] 25 Resources: New QEII website 19 Bay of Plenty Stephen Hall 26 Covenants update Ph 021 711 907 [email protected] Gisborne Malcolm Piper 29 Trust people Ph/Fax 06 867 0255 [email protected] 30 About QEII Trust Hawke’s Bay Vin Merwood Ph/Fax 06 845 4212 [email protected] 32 Place to visit: Peel Forest Ecolodge Taranaki Neil Phillips 26 Ph 06 753 6433 [email protected] Taupo-Ruapehu Stephen Hall Ph 021 711 907 [email protected] Hamish Dean Ph 021 741 222 Helping you protect the special nature of your land [email protected] QEII Trust helps landowners to protect significant natural and cultural Rangitikei – Manawatu – Wanganui features on their land. Features include: John Williamson Ph 06 328 6851 • Landscapes • Forests and bush remnants [email protected] • Wetlands • Tussock grasslands Tararua Bill Wallace Ph 06 376 7796 [email protected] • Cultural sites • Streams • Coastlines • Geological features Wairarapa Trevor Thompson Ph 06 372 5870 [email protected] • Archaeological sites • Wildlife habitats Wellington Lisa Clapcott Landowners throughout New Zealand voluntarily protect over 85,000 Ph 06 364 2207 [email protected] hectares of land through QEII registered covenants (or protection Nelson – Tasman Philip Lissaman Ph 03 526 6114 [email protected] agreements). QEII Trust also helps by contributing funds for covenant projects and advising landowners on managing their covenants. Marlborough Anna Polson Ph 03 574 1194 [email protected] QEII Trust also owns 27 properties, which collectively protect 1,500 North Canterbury Miles Giller hectares of significant habitat. Most of these have been gifted to the Ph/Fax 03 313 5315 [email protected] Trust. Effective stewardship of these properties is greatly assisted by South Canterbury Rob Smith local communities and management committees. Ph 03 689 7735 [email protected] West Coast Mike Copeland Ph 021 654 931 [email protected] COVER PHOTO The Queen Elizabeth II National Trust (QEII Trust) Richon Wetland, a sedgeland with Carex secta is a statutory organisation independent from Coastal Otago Rob Campbell and the nationally threatened Carex tenuiculmis Government and managed by a Board of Directors. Ph 03 439 4333 [email protected] and Carmichaelia torulosa, protected by Ian and Robert Stokes in 2006 with a 6ha covenant on their Board of Directors High Country Dr Brian Molloy 2,500ha sheep, beef and deer farm in Lees Valley, Chairperson: Sir Brian Lochore, Masterton Ph 03 348 1077 [email protected] Waimakariri. Photo: Brian Molloy Deputy Chairperson: Yvonne Sharp, Kerikeri Waiau Catchment Mark Sutton Bernard Card, Porirua Ph 021 540 814 [email protected] Open Space™ is published by the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust, Edward Ellison, Otakou PO Box 3341, Wellington 6140, New Zealand. James Hunter, Porangahau Southland Gay Munro Level 4, FX Networks House, 138 The Terrace, Wellington Jo Ritchie, Helensville Ph/Fax 03 239 5827 [email protected] Phone 04 472 6626 Fax 04 472 5578 From outside Wellington 0800 4 OPENSPACE (0800 467 367) Chief Executive: Margaret McKee For details of the QEII Trust Regions, Design Toolbox Creative Editor Loralee Hyde Phone 04 472 6626 see Contact US on Email [email protected] www.openspace.org.nz Email [email protected] www.openspace.org.nz 2 Magazine of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Issue 72 | March 2008 Issue 72 | March 2008 Magazine of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust 3 News & EventsFocus Southland peat bog protected in perpetuity Twenty kilometres west of Gore, Jim, Rosalie and Anthony Copland protected three blocks of lowland forest, shrubland and peatland on their 2,100ha sheep and beef farm with a 51ha QEII open space covenant in February 2007. Along with covenantors from throughout the region, the QEII directors visited the covenant in November 2007, celebrating the protection of over 5,000ha in Southland with QEII covenants in perpetuity. Right: On a walk through the covenant, Jim Copland discussed the high biodiversity and conservation values of the protected red tussock peatland with the QEII directors. Peat bogs were always uncommon in the Hokonui Ecological District. Of those remaining, few are formally protected. From left: Yvonne Sharp, Jo Ritchie, Bernard Card, James Hunter, Jim Copland, Edward Ellison and Sir Brian Lochore. Below: Southland covenantors enjoying a walk in the covenant which is integrated with the productive sheep and beef farm, producing an attractive rural landscape. upplied by Jim Copland Jim by upplied S Photo: Photo: cKee M argaret argaret M Photo: Photo: 2 Magazine of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Issue 72 | March 2008 Issue 72 | March 2008 Magazine of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust 3 Focus on Mid to South Canterbury Mid to South Canterbury Extending from Rakaia down through the Canterbury Plains Bill and Janet Hood to Waimate, this region is bounded by the foothills of the Melicytus porcupine bush Peel Forest Outdoor Southern Alps and the east coast. Known for hot summers, Pursuits Charitable Trust dry north-west winds and cold winters, the annual rainfall is Lowland forest (see back page) one of New Zealand’s lowest. Stephen and Jennifer Crone Submontane shrubland and The area was once covered with matai and totara forest, forest trees such as broadleaf, ribbonwood and kowhai, and kahikatea stands and swamps. By the mid-19th century Toni Morrison and Nathan Hole Kanuka forest and wetland the land was a mosaic of flax, fern, scrub and tussock. This Graeme and Chris Henriksen was soon cleared for farming and now there are only small Forest and wetland remnants of native vegetation remaining. Hasselman Family Forest, wetland and limestone bluffs Covenants Key No. Hectares 31 January 2008 Registered covenants Approved covenants Registered 59 1,346 District Council boundary Approved 1 45 Stuart and Tracey Chapman Total 60 1,391 Dryland forest Scientifically valuable remnant protected At Bealach, their sheep farm on the Mid-Canterbury Plains south-east of Mayfield, Bill and Janet Hood protected 0.9ha of lowland Melicytus John Stevens porcupine bush shrubland with a QEII covenant in Canterbury mudfish habitat October 2004. This remnant is representative of the riparian dryland vegetation that remains in the Low Plains Ecological District. The Melicytus is not a rare species, but following land clearances for agriculture it occurs only sporadically in the low plains, rather than in groups as in this covenant. With an interest in the environment for over 30 years, Bill was a founding member of the Ashburton Branch of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society. ‘There are very few covenants on the plains and we have protected this area to keep it for the future,’ he says. The Melicytus plants form tightly divaricating bushes up to one metre tall. Smaller plants encircle larger ones, suggesting this species may be rhizomatous. The plants have very thin sharp-pointed branches. ‘These characteristics suggest this plant, although resembling Melicytus alpinus, may be a different entity,’ says Brian Molloy, QEII High Country Rep. ‘Cuttings are now being propagated at Landcare Research so we can report on the taxonomic status in due course.’ Above right: Melicytus porcupine bush is now a rare sight on the Mid-Canterbury Plains. This remnant is protected in perpetuity with a QEII covenant by Bill and Janet Hood. Bottom left: Bill Hood with the Melicytus species. iller G Bottom right: Skinks assist in the propagation of Melicytus by scattering iles seeds after eating the berries. Constructing small stone piles to provide M refuges and corridors encourages skinks in this dryland habitat. Photos: 4 Magazine of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Issue 72 | March 2008 Issue 72 | March 2008 Magazine of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust 5 Focus on Mid to South Canterbury Limestone landscape protected The Hasselman family property, Quamby, is a 240ha sheep, beef and deer farm at the southeast end of the Brothers Range near Cave. The family protected two areas at the top and bottom of a linked wetland system running beneath an impressive limestone scarp with an 11ha open space covenant in October 2007. Charles and Nan Hasselman have retired and the farm is leased to son-in-law Andrew Steven. ‘We all have green interests,’ he says. ‘It was a good opportunity to protect the bush gully and wetland and to work with QEII on where to put the fences. We also got funding from Environment Canterbury for the wetland. ‘It was a simple process to protect the areas with QEII and it will be interesting now to see the regeneration.’ Top: Carex secta dominates the wetland, with patches of dense raupo and scattered Coprosma propinqua.