The Revive Rotoiti Project – Part 2

An interview with Paul McArthur, Conservation Officer / Protection in the Nelson/Marlborough Conservancy of the Department of Conservation. If you haven’t already, first take a look at
Part 1.

Part 2 –
The project in action

Sir David Attenborough at the launch of the Revive Rotoiti Programme source – Ross Wearing

Sir David Attenborough at the official launch The programme was launched on 2 February, 1997. The fact that Sir David Attenborough, world renowned naturalist, who was filming in New Zealand at the time, attended the launch is testimony to the high esteem in which New Zealand conservation ventures are held by world naturalists.

In his speech at the launch Sir David Attenborough said: “What New Zealand conservationists have done is to demonstrate that you have to be strong, you have to be decisive, … you have to do something!”

He praised the achievement of New Zealand conservationists in ridding the island of Kapiti of rats, and continued: “But now you are taking another step … taking those astonishing techniques, those brave techniques, and adapting them to what none of us dreamed could happen, to a mainland circumstance.

Today is, I truly believe, an important day. It (the project) will succeed if it has a number of ingredients: if it has the scientific knowledge, if it has the decisive backing financially and intellectually, and if it has the goodwill of the people who actually live here.”

There was a welcome by the local iwi, with a reply by Tutekawa Wyllie M.P. The Minister of Conservation, Dr Nick Smith, and the Mayor of Tasman, Kerry Marshall spoke and expressed support for the venture. The children of Lake Rotoiti School presented the Minister with a pledge and also read to the crowd poems they had written about the project.

Department of Conservation’s Strategic Plan for the new millennium. This is entitled “Restoring the Dawn Chorus”. Projects like the Mainland Islands and the wasp control at the lake are an essential part of the restoration of birdsong to the country’s forests.

“Scientific knowledge” The staff bring a wealth of scientific knowledge to the project.

Co-ordinating the project is Dr David Butler who has had wide experience in
the area of species conservation – experience which makes him well fitted to lead the project team. He has worked for seven years in the Threatened Species Unit in DOC’s head office. He has visited islands which are the refuges of our rarest animals. He conducted bird surveys in the beech forest of Nelson Lakes in the early 1980s. He worked for three years as the Biodiversity Adviser to the Government of Western Samoa – an experience which increased his interest in community involvement in conservation.

Paul McArthur.
Conservation Officer : Protection for St Arnaud Area Office.

He has had wide experience in conservation management in a number of New Zealand locations. He has spent five years managing species and weed control programmes on the Poor Knights & Hen & Chicken Islands in Northland He has managed the Kiore eradication programme for Coppermine & Whatupuke Islands in the Chickens Group in Northland. He has wide experience in the management of a number of aerial and ground based possum control operations in Northland and Nelson/Marlborough. As well as managing possum and wasp control work in the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project. for the past three years he has managed other animal pest and weed control and species programmes in the wider Nelson Lakes and southern Kahurangi National Park areas.

The number of staff fluctuates. In January before the wasp eradication programme began there were five staff – two permanent and full time staff, one employed on a one year appointment, and two part-time. Staff numbers increase when the labour-intensive wasp programme begins.

“Decisive backing financially and intellectually” For the project to succeed there will be a need for continued support from the Government and continued appointment of suitably qualified and enthusiastic staff.

“The good will of the people who actually live here” The community at St Arnaud is right behind the conservation efforts in the National Park.

The project planners made a wise decision in involving the children in the school from the outset. In the short term the enthusiasm of the children is likely to increase the whole family involvement in the project. In the long term this experience will give them a special respect for our native flora and fauna and will give them a basic training in dealing with the pests that threaten them.

This is the children’s Pledge The members of Lake Rotoiti School promise to do their best to:

1. Work with the Department of Conservation to do whatever we can to support our Mainland Island Project.
2. Show our respect for the bush by keeping it in its original condition.
3. Teach others to protect the area for the future.
4. Use the Mainland Island Project as a learning centre for young and old alike.

Take only memories, leave only footprints.

Sir David Attenborough with the children of St Arnaud School and their pledge. source – Ross Wearing

Wasp eradication in the St Arnaud Village A wasp eradication programme was conducted by Colin Clarke and helpers in the village, an area not under DOC control. It was funded by donations from St Arnaud businesses and home owners. Such an initiative is evidence of what the community can do when mobilised by someone with the skills and the experience. They have wiped out 400 wasp nests this summer. They got densities of up to fifty nine nests to the hectare. With the possiblity of up to 1.5 million wasps in a nest that is a huge number killed in this operation.

DOC has taken the initiative to make contact with property owners and held a seminar to advise them on control of pests and problem plants which DOC does not want to spread into the Beech forests. These included Douglas Fir trees, cotoneaster, rowan(mountain ash) , buddleia, blackberry, Russell lupins, broom and gorse. The timing of this seminar immediately after New Year meant that many bach owners holidaying at the Lake were able to attend. (‘Bach” is a Kiwi term for a simple style of holiday house.)

Monitoring the programme There is an extensive programme in place to monitor the success of this project. First there will be a check to see whether the native species have increased after the pest control. These numbers will be compared with two test areas where pest control is not used.

Improvements resulting from the programme Plants Many will be long term gains, but a greater flowering of rata and mistletoe is expected this summer.

Mistletoe flowering on a beech tree in the Rotoiti area

Native snails Investigations in the recovery area have revealed a previously unknown population of native land snails.

Kaka This bird is a large native parrot. When there are large numbers of them they gather in flocks in the early morning and the evening and appear to chatter. They were plentiful in all the forests when colonists settled in New Zealand but had been confined to a few areas by 1930. The South Island kaka is mainly found on the West Coast and is now rarely found in the Nelson area.

Kaka chicks

Kaka live on berries, seeds, the nectar of kowhai, rata and flax, and search for grubs in rotten logs. The young birds leave the nests before they can fly and are therefore an easy prey for predators such as stoats and cats. These attack the females on the nests and reach the chicks and the eggs. The result is that the female kaka have been seriously reduced in numbers.

DOC has a number of projects under way to improve kaka numbers in both the North and South Islands of New Zealand.

Kaka being banded

Increase in kaka numbers Even though this does not appear to be a beech mast year – the time when kaka nest more frequently – there appears to be increased nesting acitivity in the recovery area at Rotoiti. Trees with nests have been surrounded with stoat traps and banded with aluminium bands to prevent the stoats (and possums) from climbing the trees.

A good beginning These changes add up to an encouraging start for the hardworking team involved in this programme.

NZine will publish new information resulting from the mainland island programme as it becomes available.

Please use the backchat facility for your questions and comments.