Welcome to our
April 2022 Newsletter
Well, the first few months of 2022 have been quite challenging. We hope you and your whanau are doing Ok as we navigate the reality of more widespread impacts of a pandemic. However, it's still been a time of keeping positive about what we are aspiring to achieve as a collective and seeing lots of great work enabled.
One thing's for sure, we are all getting pretty good in the adaptability and resilience space! We hope you enjoy this update over a coffee with your feet up – go on, I'm sure you deserve it!
Ngā mihi,
Michelle Elborn
(BCA CEO)
Each calendar year we put together an Annual Report, with the intention of sharing some of the work of both BCA itself and our member groups. It presents a fantastic opportunity to tell a collective impact story in one document. This year we did a little tally up of member group activities and outcomes. Here's a few impressive stats:
- 39,877 volunteer hours completed by over 1589 volunteers
- 52,564 plants in the ground
- 9,138 pests removed from our ecosystem
- 200+ event/education days held.
The report also highlights the journey some of our cadets are now taking; work on substantial landscape projects and recognises our funders, who are instrumental in enabling conservation work in the Bay of Plenty. Enjoy the report.
Project Parore – little fish in a big pond
Project Parore's roots are in Uretara Estuary Managers (UEM), formed in 2004 to focus on maintaining open water and harbour health in the waters around Katikati. It became increasingly obvious to the charitable society (UEM was incorporated in 2009) their efforts would only ever be 'ambulance at the bottom of the cliff' material without addressing the quality of the waters that flow into the Tauranga harbour. The relatively steep landscape and short streams running from the Kaimai into the harbour carry sediment, nutrients and contaminants from human land use which have had devastating effects, creating an environment more suited to mangroves than the sandy sea grass beds that once flourished. We re-branded UEMInc to Project Parore to emphasise our ultimate goal of a healthy harbour, home of the parore.
A Ministry for the Environment Freshwater Improvement Fund grant in 2017 enabled the society to develop restoration programs for four of the eight streams that flow into the northern end of the harbour. An expanded vision, encompassing all the catchments that empty into the northern tidal flow of the harbour, has been given a significant boost with the successful application to the Ministry for the Environment Jobs for Nature program. This has allowed the creation of our very own paid "Restoration Crew".
Working closely with the BOPRC and landowners, we are fencing and planting streams and rivers; doing pest plant and animal control; restoring wetlands so they can perform their environmental functions; restoring fish passage; and on top of our water quality and biodiversity monitoring, we are involved in a number of science projects relating to dung beetles, whitebait and so on. We've already discovered two new species of insect! Our significant volunteer efforts underway on public reserve land around urban Katikati are important for ongoing community engagement and visibility too.
For the board of Project Parore, it's been a very big step moving from being an entirely volunteer driven organisation to being an employer, with significant obligations to staff, the government and the local community. The board, led by David Peters who is also secretary of Bay Conservation Alliance, has set up a number of sub-committees to spread the load across board and society members, and interested members of the public. Our ultimate goal is the rehabilitation of the harbour, achieved through the restoration and environmentally conscious stewardship of the land that feeds it.
We'll know we've succeeded when the parore is once again abundant and the sea grass beds have returned.
Exploring perspectives on 1080
1080 is arguably the most controversial topic in the conservation world. Like so many topics, it's all about doing your research and really understanding the context for individual projects and communities. In New Zealand 1080 remains one of our most effective tools for controlling predators, especially over large areas and in difficult terrain, to give our native species a fighting chance. New Zealand has a goal to be Predator Free by 2050. To support this, considerable work is underway to create and test new tools, but there is still no single magic bullet. It's fair to say all of us would prefer to not use poisons in our natural environment. However, if you listen to any experienced practitioner, they will advise we still need to consider all the tools in the toolbox, if we really want to protect our native species for future generations.
Last month Tame Malcolm published an article in the Spin Off. He talks about the use of poisons including 1080 in relation to Māori history and culture. He talks about many Māori concepts such as the use of rāhui or mātauranga in pest management and concludes the most Māori way to manage pest animals is to put the needs of the environment above the needs and wants of humans.
It's a fascinating read – take a look.
Before the cadet program, what were you doing and what made you apply?
I was a 50/50 sharemilker running a 350 cow Jersey herd with my husband.
Working on the land, I've always had a connection and a passion for nature and there was a big pull in me to head towards the conservation path. I had already started a free online conservation course to give me an introduction and was volunteering at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautri.
What new skills and knowledge did you gain throughout the program that helped you get to where you are today?
So many new skills…all of the course basically! It helped me to look at nature in a different perspective. To slow down and stop, look at what's around you. Is it native, is it a pest (should it be there?), is it good for the environment? What can I do to change or confirm my thinking? This was through collecting, sorting, analysing, comparing on many different levels and environments such as the forest, farmland, streams and the ocean.
Did the cadet program have an influence on securing a job role within the environmental sector?
Most definitely yes! It has led me on to my current position with Wildlife Contractors where I work with conservation dogs tracking wallabies in the Kaimai Mamaku's. I am out in the bush all day which I love with no two days being the same.
If you hadn't done the cadet program, where do you think you would be right now?
Probably still milking cows…haha!
What would you say to someone who is hesitant about applying for the program?
Do it! You really have nothing to lose, but absolutely so much to gain. The BCA team are the best, most friendly, knowledgeable, supportive and fun group of people you can meet and then there's the cadets you will meet on your course who will all share the same passion as you. I met so many amazing life long friends. I just feel really lucky to have been given this opportunity and can't believe where it has taken me so far!
We'd firstly like to acknowledge all the nominees for this year's TECT Awards and give a shout out to two of our member groups Friends of the Blade/Pa Kereru and Maketu Ongatoro Wetland Society as well as the team at Envirohub, who were finalists in the Sustainable Futures category - all well-deserved nominations.
And huge congratulations to the category winner: Maketu Ongatoro Wetland Society, well done to all of you for many years of hard mahi. For more click here.
We're really proud of one of our cadets right now – Brady Hotham. He is running a fundraising campaign to support the protection work for the endemic Shore Plover. Did you know there are only 200 adult birds remaining? If he meets his funding target, he will shave his hair off! Here's a message from Brady:
"Hey Team!!! I am trying to raise funds for our endemic Shore Plover (Thinornis novaeseelandiae) and in return I will shave my hair off!! There are only 200 adult birds left. The Epic team at Cape Sanctuary in Hawkes Bay have a captive breeding program for this special little bird and are hoping to create a mainland release site for them in the coming years. I know the Shore Plover isn't a well-known bird, but it is only found here in NZ and it's important to keep our unique species around for future generations!! Please help me help them!!!"
If you would like to support the campaign click here.
Janie, our Education and Engagement Manager, has been busy introducing our new education programme to three schools; Whakamarama, Pahoia and Omokoroa Point Schools. The schools will receive a fully funded in-class lesson, field trip and follow-up activity each term focused on a different ecosystem in their catchment. The programme will cover the forest, wetland, freshwater, soil, dune, marine, estuary, and rocky shore environments.
This term, the schools enjoyed a classroom visit with Janie to learn about our unique forests and the introduced pests that are a threat to our native species. She was joined by Karen Scott from House of Science who brought an array of interesting fungi for the students to investigate. Fiona Lavin from Predator Free BOP and Debra Jager from Whakamarama Pest Library demonstrated a range of pest management tools and trained the students on how to set a mouse and rat trap.
Our field trips were held in the Oteora Trust forest, one of our BCA member groups. The Trust is made up of the landowners, the Mackersey whanau, and Otumoetai College, who have held their school camps there since the 70's. Our school groups walked through the forest to the campsite, where they rotated around interactive activities, including a fungi walk, insect exploration, native bird call game and a bird band reading challenge. Anne Mackersey from Oteora Trust was thrilled to have the space used for the field trips.
The schools are now using paint donated by Dulux to decorate their five school traps from the Pest Library to activate their learning. They will also use DIY chew cards to determine where to put their traps. We are looking forward to inviting three new schools on board the programme from Term 3.
To extend our education programme, we love to bring in local experts and explore local areas. Please let us know if you or someone you know could help contribute to our programme or if you know of a great site for our field trips.
Manaaki Kaimai Mamaku Trust
BCA was really pleased to support the re-launch of the Manaaki Kaimai Mamaku forum in February. While it had to be an online event, it was well attended with some inspiring presentations and such a great opportunity for people to connect and find out more. So much work has occurred over many years and it's exciting to now see new teams hitting the ground to start the real mahi. For those who couldn't attend, you can watch the webinar on their YouTube channel.
If you would like to know more about what's happening visit the refreshed Manaaki Kaimai Mamaku Trust website. You can now find up to date content and access their GIS Dashboard which uses real-time GIS technology allowing you to see projects in action across the Kaimai Mamaku.
Want to get involved? There is a very exciting opportunity to participate in the first kiwi survey for the Kaimai Mamaku since 1996! Over the 30th April - 8th May pull out your deck chairs, grab some warm clothes and take your family and friends out for a wholesome weekend listening out for kiwi calls. Keep an eye out on the Manaaki Kaimai Mamaku Trusts Facebook page for more information coming soon. In the meantime, check out the downloadable survey form in the link below. "
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