January 2008
DU patron Jim Campbell and DU president Ross Cottle, with DU treasurer John Bishop spent Thursday and Friday in Hamilton in December. The purpose of the visit was to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with DoC. Ross reports, "We had a very positive discussion about the project with DoC and staff from Environment Waikato who have land which borders the property. Environment Waikato will address the bund along the edge of the Opuatia Stream this summer, which should hold the water in the wetland well into the summer and, as the land is very flat, we are hopeful that there will not be much more digger work required". read more...
Taumata Lagoon - Home to Gretel wetlands
January 2008
Drying out as a result of agricultural irrigation
In 1990, Neil and Sylvia Hayes and their family purchased a major part of the Taumata Lagoon, 9km from Carterton, Wairarapa, recognised as one of the last vestiges of natural, wild wetland in the Wairarapa, with an outstanding oxbow lagoon and a remnant block of native bush. The bush was logged in 1964, but in 1990 the Hayes family undertook a major native bush restoration programme and have now planted thousands of kahikatea, totara and native flax. 7.5 hectares are under a QEII covenant and the regional council earlier conferred the area, Key Native Ecosystem (KNE) status. The Hayes' Brown Teal Conservation Trust which is dedicated to captive-breeding and in-depth study programmes based on researching and recovery of pateke, is based here at the Gretel Lagoon wetlands. read more...
Wetlands: Nature's Sponges
August 2007
Nature's curse or nature's gift? It's all the way you look at it.
I'm talking about those wet and hard to drain parts of most farms or life style blocks, the bits where the
water ponds during our wet winters, which will cost a lot to drain. Why not think outside the traditional
"farms are about growing grass" stereotype and consider a different land use option for these areas? One which
will give you a lot of pleasure and make the day to day grind of running your farm more interesting.
read more...
Wairio Wetland Tree Planting - Stage II
1 August 2007
A great day! Well, it was actually raining when the team assembled. Some of the 5 to 12 year old
children from Pirinoa Primary School even had to go back home to collect wet weather gear before coming
to the wetland. However, the rain cleared and it was all hands to the...spades!
read more...
33rd AGM Highlights
July 2007
The 33rd AGM of Ducks Unlimited held over the weekend of 27-29 July 2007 at Suncourt, Taupo, was
well attended and highlights which will be more fully produced in October Flight magazine are as
follows:
read more...
President's Report
July 2007
Another 12 months has come and gone and DUNZ is going strong. Wetlands are being recognised, more
and more, for their importance in the filtering of sediment and nutrients before they get into lakes
and waterways, and as feeding areas and habitat for a whole range of wildlife.
read more...
Rotary Club of South Wairarapa supports Wairio Wetland Restoration
June 2007
Lesley Christian, President of the Rotary Club of South Wairarapa, presenting a cheque for
$5,000 to Ross Cottle, President of DUNZ, said "the Rotary Club was delighted to be able to
support Ducks Unlimited NZ with its restoration project at the Wairio Wetland."
read more...
Wairio has a planting day
April 2007
700 plants were planted on Wednesday 21 March. Planting consisted of the windrows in stage 1 as
delineated in Howard’s Minutes of 6 December 2006, i.e. carex, sedge, flax, ti. On the
high ground south of the bund: eight species of mixed shrubs and trees. 500 were planted in the
morning, 200 in the afternoon.
read more...
Wetland Care report
April 2007
A busy period so far this year.
read more...