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Walking the fenceline with SOSSIMonthly updates on Shakespear’s predator proof fence
November 16, 2011Shakespear Open Sanctuary project co-coordinator Matt Maitland says early results show that the fence is working well. No predator pests have been caught or detected inside the fence in the last three months.Intensive monitoring using tracking tunnels is finding the tracks of skinks and no sign of rats. There is a hint that there could still be some rabbits around and specially trained rabbit dogs are on the case. Only 13 rabbits have been found and removed in recent weeks, which Matt says is a big contrast to the hundreds that could be observed at night before the fence was built. The native parrot, the kakariki, is being seen more often and there is a noticeable increase in the number of pheasants. Already volunteers are noticing there is an increase in the seedlings growing under trees now that the rats have gone. The grass has grown long and the cows and sheep are going to have more than enough to eat when they return on December 1 when the park reopens. October 19, 2011The transformation of the Shakespear Regional Park to an open sanctuary is becoming a reality. The signs are everywhere. Bellbirds have been sighted on park and conditions should be right for them this spring to breed without rats threatening their existence. The protection given to New Zealand dotterel during the pest eradication programme has been successful and they can be seen pottering around the beach at Te Haruhi and Okoromai.Hopefully they have started nesting as they have done at Shakespear in recent times. A study is underway with Massey University researchers to document the birds moving to the park from Tiritiri and beyond. The hunt for any remaining pests in the sanctuary goes on and recently volunteers helped place 300 tracking tunnels. The tracking tunnels contain peanut butter and fresh rabbit meat and lure species to walk over an inkpad and leave their prints behind. After three days of monitoring the only pest prints found belonged to one suspected hedgehog. However plenty of skink footprints were found. Volunteers who are regularly servicing the network of over 300 traps within the sanctuary are not finding any pests either and are spending their time refreshing the eggs and meat that is used as bait. In another three months the frequency of servicing the traps will be reduced if there are still no pests being caught. Volunteers are also helping to build a new gateway palisade at the beginning of the Waterfall Valley track. This structure will hold panels that tell the story of this land and the Sanctuary. It will be a place to linger and observe the wildlife on the duck pond and the bush clad hills. The palisade will be completed before the park reopens on 1 December 1. September 14, 2011 As pest free status draws nearer at Shakespear Regional Park, SOSSI chair Allan Parker says the volunteers are all looking forward to the day when they can turn their attention to the return of native wildlife that need protection.He says the team are hard at work to make that day happen. The expansion of the native plant nursery is on schedule and it should be completed by the time Shakespear Regional Park reopens on December 1. In the meantime this month is a busy time in the existing nursery and volunteers are pricking out and bagging plants for future planting of habitat. Gecko, one of the pest dogs (pictured) has attracted the attention of the volunteers working in the nursery. She is a people friendly little border terrier cross who specialises in finding and removing ferrets, stoats and weasels. Other volunteers are doing their bit by checking the new network of 500 traps for any remaining pests. These traps and monitoring pads give a good indication of progress towards becoming completely pest free. Teams of volunteers are also patrolling the pest proof fence weekly to ensure it is keeping the pests out. Voluntary work is also continuing in the wetlands on the last Sunday of every month – anyone is welcome to come along to assist for an hour or two. Although the park is closed until December 1, a weekend walk through the wetlands taking in Army Bay and Okoromai Bay is worthwhile. All the planting SOSSI has done over the last few years is flourishing. Harrier hawks can be seen overhead and back swans, kingfishers and stilts are a feature of Okoromai Bay. Tuis are present on the tank trap track and there are ducks, swallows, pukekos, pheasants and rosellas in the wetlands. August 17, 2011The application of bait by helicopter has been completed on schedule within the pest proof sanctuary. Three drops at two week intervals were required and the weather was perfect for each occasion.Volunteers helped out by walking the coastline picking up any bait that rolled down the cliffs. The ground based phase of the pest eradication project has now started. Traps and have been set, bait stations loaded and night shoots organised to remove any remaining rats, rabbits, stoats, possums and other pests. SOSSI chair Allan Park says volunteers who are willing to look after a line of traps on a regular basis are still needed. SOSSI volunteers also run a small native plant nursery hidden behind the park office, producing healthy plants that can survive the dry summers and windy winters at the end of the peninsula. Allan says that the nursery has been so successful that it is in the process of doubling in size. Soon the nursery will be able to produce 10,000 plants annually. Grants from the SkyCity Auckland Community Trust and Auckland Council will cover the cost of this expansion. All the plants are grown from seed collected at Shakespea Regional Park. A 10 year plan to restore the habitat for the native wildlife returning to the Sanctuary is the guide as to which seeds are collected and how many plants are needed each year. July 13, 2011Shakespear Regional Park has closed and the eradication of rats behind the fence has started.The cows and sheep, peacocks and peahens have been fostered out and eight Pateke ducks have been retrieved and transferred to the Tawharanui sanctuary. They will all return in December when the park reopens. SOSSI chair Allan Parker says that regular patrols of volunteers are taking place along the fence line to ensure rats cannot get in and to check the fence for defects and damage. Minor damage is repaired on the spot and major damage is called in to the rangers immediately. Extra checks will be made during storms to ensure pests cannot get in through any wash out under the fence or via branches that have fallen onto the fence. When it is suspected that a rat or other pest predator has got in to the sanctuary, urgent action will be taken to isolate it within a ring of traps. A matrix of traps and monitoring facilities have also been put in place to intercept pests that try to break the sanctuary’s defences. Each species has its preferred ways of moving about and using cover, and the traps and monitoring pads are laid out with this in mind. Volunteers are also helping to service these traps, which is all part of SOSSI’s investment in making sure that the Sanctuary created is absolutely safe for returning wildlife. June 15, 2011SOSSI reports that the Open Sanctuary project has entered a new phase of development with the pest proof fence complete and the vehicle gates operating. Teams of volunteers have been trained and rostered to inspect the fence on a regular basis for damage and defects. After years of planting the wetlands the main planting area has been moved to the area closest to Tiri Tiri Matangi to enhance habitat for birds flying in from the island to Shakespear Regional Park. This planting area also creates an eco link between the forest in Waterfall Valley and Kowhai Glen.With the help of the ranger staff, volunteers are planting thousands of native trees and smaller species at the new planting area this month. Volunteers in the Shakespear nursery grow the majority of the plants and all the plants are grown from seed collected in the park. On July 1 the park will be closed to the public for six months and the eradication of pests from behind the pest proof fence will begin. When the gates to the Sanctuary reopen in December the targeted pests will be gone and native wildlife can flourish. Native birds, skinks, geckos and plants will have a sanctuary free of predators and have the protection of the pest proof fence from the reinvasion of pests. Based on the experience of other sanctuaries, there should be a significant increase in the number of tui and bellbird and a noticeable increase in native seedlings growing in forested areas. Kakariki, pateke duck and maybe even kaka will also be seen more frequently. Other species will need a helping hand to establish, and as conditions are proven to be suitable, birds such as kiwi, robin and whitehead will be returned. May 18, 2011Visitors to Shakespear Regional Park will have noticed new interpretative banners installed at Army Bay.Auckland Council has plans to add further material in future in order to tell the story of Shakespear Open Sanctuary, including the stages of its development. The history of the area provides a rich source of material, including the peninsula’s long defensive history. This is largely due to its topography as a strategic landform jutting into the Hauraki Gulf. Its strategic importance was recognised by early Maori, the military during World War II and latterly by park managers with the creation of the Open Sanctuary. Interpretation material will be progressively implemented before and after pest eradication. Information signs about the pest eradication project will also be installed prior to the partial closure of the park (east of the pest proof fence) from July 1. The annual general meeting of SOSSI will be held in the ranger station on Sunday, June 26, following the sand dune planting at Te Haruhi Bay (from 10am). All are welcome to attend the 1pm meeting to learn more about the society and how you can be involved with the open sanctuary project. Other planting days this winter are June 12 (a public planting day focusing on forest revegetation) and June 19 (SOSSI led skink habitat planting). All are welcome to attend from 10am to 1pm each day. Bring good enclosed footwear and your own spade and gloves, otherwise these will be provided. Planting sites will be signposted and a barbecue lunch provided. For information on the pest eradication project including partial park closure visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz As the fence is now complete, Hibiscus Matters’ SOSSI updates will be monthly. May 4, 2011Biodiversity baseline surveys of Shakespear Open Sanctuary are undertaken to give a snapshot of the current status of the site and to measure change resulting from the removal of introduced mammalian pests. As well as a baseline for this site, several sites, including Shakespear and Tawharanui, provide a reference point for regional biodiversity monitoring.An exciting discovery from this work has been the first record for the park of Pacific gecko and confirmation of the presence of Auckland green gecko, last known to be present from a single sighting, seven years ago. Geckos can be present at very low levels and then respond to pest removal. Two good examples are the re-emergence of common gecko on Tiritiri Matangi Island (14 years after rat eradication) and of green and forest gecko at Tawharanui Open Sanctuary (five years after pest eradication). Pateke or brown teal are one of the special native bird species present at Shakespear Regional Park. A resident pair lives on the duck pond at Waterfall Gully, presumably having flown over from the large population on Tiritiri Matangi Island. Pateke are one of the world’s rarest ducks and, like many native birds, are vulnerable to introduced predators, as well as natural predators such as hawks and eels. The pair at Shakespear has bred over the last few years and currently has a brood of four ducklings on the pond. These Pateke will be removed during the eradication operation and relocated to Tawharanui Open Sanctuary. The birds will be tracked down with the assistance of the trained nose of a specialist threatened species dog and captured using hand and set nets. When conditions are right the birds will be returned to their new pest free home at Shakespear Open Sanctuary. April 13, 2011SOSSI and other park volunteers contribute a staggering 10,000 volunteer hours each year to the maintenance and improvement of Shakespear Regional Park. Volunteering is a fantastic way to enjoy the park and met new people while making a real difference for our environment.A variety of tasks are undertaken –farm management, park infrastructure maintenance, pest control, wildlife monitoring, beach cleanups, weed management and the revegetation programme. Tree planting is a great day out for people of all ages and abilities. It is also a friendly and social occasion. Once the trees are in the ground they require looking after. The SOSSI Sunday working group meets on the last Sunday of every month (the next is April 24) and have been releasing planted trees from competing grasses. SOSSI volunteers have also been leading educational discovery tours, mostly for school children. These talks cover the history of the park and the vision for the open sanctuary where conservation, recreation and farming are integrated. Over 1500 school students have benefited from this programme. Info: visit www.sossi.org.nz For details on the pest animal eradication project visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or for updates email open.sanctuary@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz April 1, 2011This year’s planting season at Shakespear Regional Park needs to be concluded before the end of June as the park east of the pest proof fence will be closed to the public from July 1for pest eradication. Okoromai Bay, Army Bay and the wetlands will remain open except on aerial bait application flying days. There are three planting days planned at the park. The public planting day on Sunday June 12 will focus on the headwater catchment of Kowhai Glen allowing for the expansion of this majestic forest remnant with canopy of puriri, taraire, kowhai and pohutukawa. Specialist skink habitat plantings, primarily low stature species, is the focus of the SOSSI-led planting on Sunday June 19.Many of the plants have been grown by volunteers in the onsite SOSSI nursery, from seed collected in the park. This year will see an expansion of the nursery to an annual capacity of 13,000 plants, which will allow an increase in the pace of revegetation and provision of food and habitat for the recovering wildlife of Shakespear Open Sanctuary following removal of pests. The protection of the Te Haruhi Bay dunes is the focus of the third (also SOSSI-led) planting on Sunday June 26. Park visitors may have noticed the recently installed short fences along the back of the dunes to direct visitors to designated access ways and protect fragile dune plants. Fences have been established below the horizon of the dune to avoid encroaching on the vista. Examples of successful dune restoration can be seen at Wenderholm and Long Bay Regional Parks. For information on the pest eradication project visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz For updates about the pest eradication email open.sanctuary@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz March 16, 2011
Shakespear Open Sanctuary pest proof vehicle gates are now complete. Park visitors will notice a new road layout and the gates open automatically. Although not required in earnest until July 1, these gates are being given a good shakedown to ensure optimum performance. Three pedestrian gates are also under construction, with one each at Waterfall Gully, Bruce Harvey Dr and Okoromai Bay. Signs will be installed to inform visitors of gate operation.
Signs will also remind park visitors to leave pets at home and check for unwanted stowaways before entering the open sanctuary. Dogs under control will continue to be allowed on parkland west of the pest proof fence. With autumn upon us many people are noticing mice coming indoors for extra food and shelter. It’s not hard to imagine mice and rats setting up home in the camping gear, wintering over in the garage and being transported to the park when the weather warms up again next summer.With the help of visitors checking their own gear, rangers hope to keep the park pest free once open sanctuary status is achieved. Extensive planning for pest animal eradication continues. Resource consent has been obtained (see Opinion), and tenders and contracts are being prepared. A substantial pest monitoring and surveillance grid will be implemented. A commitment to keeping park visitors and neighbours informed has been made and Auckland Council will use a variety of methods including signs, public notices, letterbox drops, website information and radio messages to mariners. For more details on the pest eradication project visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz To receive updates about the pest eradication project email open.sanctuary@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz March 2, 2011
SOSSI has received two further grants toward the cost of pest proof fence construction. Pub Charity has contributed $30,000 toward culvert screens that allow floodwaters out without allowing unwanted pest in and the Lion Foundation donated $3000 toward the installation of a pest proof stock gate to enable the seamless operation of the farm either side of the pest proof fence.Open Sanctuary Coordinator Matt Maitland says this continuing support from the community for the open sanctuary is gratefully received.
A further fundraiser is being held this month in the form of a special exhibition of Jeff Thomson artwork. This will be held in the Old Woolshed, Te Haruhi Bay at Shakespear Regional Park on March 4–6. Jeff is a sculptor best known for his life sized corrugated iron elephants and Holden Kingswood station wagon. Jeff has produced six limited edition small works to support SOSSI with $50 from each $150 sale going to the open sanctuary. A new limited edition work of a tui will be released for this exhibition and the artist will be on site on Sunday, March 6. A regular monthly workday is held at the park on the last Sunday of every month with volunteers invited to come and go as it suits between 10am and 1pm. The current focus of this family friendly working bee has been releasing trees planted by volunteers in the Okoromai Bay wetlands from encroaching grasses. For many participants, this could involve finding and weeding around trees they planted in past seasons. Info: www.sossi.org.nz February 16, 2011The tail end of Cyclone Wilma dropped a lot of rain on Shakespear Regional Park causing significant flooding and a few slips, as well as putting a dampener on some people’s camping holiday. These extreme weather events cause the Waterfall Gully catchment to rapidly flood. As intended in such events the pest proof fence at the duck pond opened at its designed weak point to release flood flow. This happens after the culverts are overwhelmed and the velocity is such that water cannot simply weep through the fence. After flood waters recede the mesh is pushed back into place, the fence skirt re-pinned to the ground and checks are made for pests. Raging floodwaters pose a significant deterrent to any pests that might try to sneak in this way.At Tawharanui Open Sanctuary one slip pushed up against the pest proof fence and caused two ruptures over a 50m length. This is the first breach of the fence since it became operational in 2004. When the breach was identified immediate remedial repairs were made and tracking tunnels, traps and bait stations deployed in case any pest animals invaded during the short period the fence was open. A specialist rodent detection dog visited within a few days to give the park a once over, with no pests found. Similar protocols to this are being developed as contingency measures for Shakespear Open Sanctuary. Resource consent for animal pest eradication has been granted by independent commissioners following a publicly notified consent hearing. Animal pests will be eradicated using controlled aerial application of brodifacoum poison baits supported by intensive ground control. Animal pests must be removed to provide a safe home for native plants and animals and allow reintroduction of missing species. Open Sanctuary coordinator Matt Maitland says consent conditions impose robust environmental and public health measures. “This eradication activity and park closure will be well notified by signs and public notices, with a planned park closure of 1 July until mid December or when the all clear is given,” Matt says. February 2, 2011Pest proof fence construction recommenced for the year on January 24. Now that the pest proof gates are installed and road works and markings completed, the short lengths of pest proof fence to complete the coast-to-coast pest proof barrier can be completed.During this period of works contractors will install the pest proof screens on all culverts to prevent pests using these as an access point. Two pedestrian access gates will be constructed, one each at Waterfall Gully and the Heritage Trail crossing at Bruce Harvey Drive. These pest proof cells allow only one door to be opened at a time and maintain a pest proof barrier while enabling unrestricted public access, including those with bicycles or prams. An interpretation project is underway to develop information for park visitors that tells the story of the open sanctuary and some of the changes we expect to see occur. Stage one is to advise visitors of the sanctuary project and the planned park closure from July 1 to mid-December for pest eradication. This closure affects parkland east of the pest proof fence only, with Army Bay and Okoromai Bay remaining open most of the time. So far the SOSSI Fence Post Appeal has raised over $450,000 for the construction of the pest proof fence thanks to the community. A final $20,000 will complete the fence project. www.sossi.org.nz SOSSI 2010 |
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The latest tree planting at Shakespear Open Sanctuary was one of the most successful, according to Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society (SOSSI) chair Allan Parker. Around 70 people volunteered their time on June 20 to plant natives, including manuka and flax, in a relatively remote planting site in the vicinity of Kowhai Glen. Allan says SOSSI was pleased with the turnout, in muddy, damp conditions, and also with the volunteers’ planting skills. More than 3500 plants were put in the ground during the three-hour planting session.
Shakespear Open Sanctuary pest proof fence construction continues at the Army Bay boat ramp. The concrete block wall (pictured) to deter or withstand collision from backing boat trailers is complete. Pipe sleeves were embedded in the wall in order to mount the fence posts. Posts have now been fitted and pest proof mesh attached.
The Shakespear Open Sanctuary pest proof fence has arrived at Army Bay. The NZ Defence Force/Rodney District Council road gate has been tied in with the fence in a pest proof manner and is now waiting to be powered up.
To cater for this, the last 70m of fence to the end of the boat ramp will be a concrete block wall for the first metre from ground, with mesh and hood atop to standard height. Those fishing may not care about the fence but they hopefully care enough about the boat not to whack it into a concrete wall.
Shakespear Open Sanctuary pest proof fence earthworks are complete with 1600m of fence platform created and surfaces reinstated. Grass has even started to flush on these reinstated surfaces thanks to some welcome rain.
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