Pest meat! Unfortunately there does not seem to be a market for the rats and Possums I catch… fertiliser?
My Brothers awesome diet
Things Aucklanders can do to help the Hauraki Gulf
Inspired by some recent conversations, I put together this list (in no particular order).
Things Aucklanders can do to help the Hauraki Gulf
- Have fun and do good with Voluntours
- Join an event in your area ecoevents.org.nz
- Look for and photograph invasive pests and post them here inaturalist.nz
- Survey your favourite spots
- Do restoration at your favourite spot naturespace.org.nz
- Find and submit plastic pellets pelletwatch.org
- Join BirdsNZ (the Ornithological Society of NZ) contribute to bird counting surveys and beach patrols osnz.org.nz
- Join Sustainable Coastlines and clean up a beach sustainablecoastlines.org
- Donate to Revive our Gulf reviveorgulf.co.nz
- Volunteer to cleanup rubbish with the Watercare Harbour Clean-Up Trust
- Report pollution
- Report poaching
- If you fish learn how to better release undersize fish. fishing.net.nz FYI, I don’t think we should kill our native fish.
- Explore and understand your waterway. Use these resources to improve it: waicare.org.nz and lawa.org.nz
- Join the conversation facebook.com/loveourgulf
State of the Hauraki Gulf Report 2014
I was absolutely stoked to work on this document. I have so much respect for the author and the team that put so much work into getting it right.
The Hidden Valley
I made this sign for a restoration project I am involved in. The Hidden Valley I am not sure if it will go ahead now as the Selwyn School Plans to bulldoze down the native bush and build a… carpark. I think its interesting they didn’t have money to remove this hazordus waste from their creek but do have millions to cover it with asphalt.
Pohutukawa
Cloning Pohutukawa makes sense if you’re breeding them for a specific purpose. In my case erosion control. I just want Pohutukawa that are great at holding onto cliffs.
It’s growing slowly tho. While my seedlings are doing great.
Guerilla Planting Winter 2014
Pest Monitoring
Monitoring Tunnel (S6) Selwyn Bush 24 March 2114
MY IDs: Using this guide
S1 –
S2 Rat
S3 Rat & Hedgehog
S4 Hedgehog
S5 Mouse
S6 Mouse & Rat (confirmed by Camera Trap)
S7 –
S8 Rat
S9 Rat
S10 –
This gives us a an Autumn result for 2014 of 56% Rat, 22% Mice, and 22% Hedgehog.
Wax Tags
These are only ones with marks, note S10 had no wax tag. I assume because of the ink markings and camera data they were both mouthed by rats. I am surprised there is any wax left on S6 given the amount of times the rats ran unto/past the tag (camera observations). On further inspection I think S6 is the only conclusive rat bite. Next time we should leave these out for 7 nights.
Shell Drop
Awesome day building a shell habitat for Fairy Terns in the Kaipara.
Also made some signs
Philosophy
I found this old thing on my hard-drive. Might help me get focused.
I think the obvious answer is a wetland because those environments were hardest hit buy farmers. Tho interestingly I do not know much about threatened wetland species. Our rivers and shorelines face a lot of commercial & recreational pressure. A wetland also sits at an interesting intersection:
- When I visit forests I hear a lack of quality in the silence (lack of bird life)
- When I drive through the countryside I see a lack of quality in the monotonous monocultures.
- When I kayak in NZ, the water feels empty. I think for me — quality is biodiversity and the water is overfished and often polluted.
It would be magic if I could fill all three buckets with one hose.
Trees
