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 To find out a little about what we at Ducks Unlimited are up to and learn about future
events please be sure to check out this page regularly. We would love your support &
participation so please drop us a line if you would like to attend any event or outing.
         
 
NEWS ARTICLES    
   
Pateke progress at Cape Kidnappers
A further 35 pateke have been released at the Preserve, which brings the total released this year to
95. They join the 11 from last year. Over 40 ducklings ducklings hatched later than usual meaning
extra birds hatching from 10 pairs and a possible four more nests on available for release to the wild.
There are now at least 15 established pairs spread the length of the Preserve.

Jenny Ricketts has spent the last four months following the progress of the released pateke, and the
news is both good and bad. Sadly, four were lost earlier in the year – one was hit by car, and three
were killed by a predator. The dam area, where the deaths occurred, was flooded with traps and lures,
and a cat was eventually caught. As with the banded rail,the nationwide captive breeders make these
releases into the wild possible. The Preserve team is very grateful for funding from Banrock Station to
enable these releases and to Sirtrack for sponsoring the transmitters.		  
 
Paul and Johanna McCarthy - Bay of Plenty 2009 Supreme winners
Galatea dairy farmers Paul and Joanna McCarthy were named
Supreme Award Winners of the 2009 Bay of Plenty Ballance
Farm Environment Awards. They were also recipients of the
PGG Wrightson Land and Life Award, LIC Dairy Farm Award
and Fish and Game New Zealand, Eastern Region Water
Management/Conservation Award. Ballance Farm Environment
Award judges described the McCarthys’ operation as ‘almost
the perfect situation one could wish for when farming’.

Judges said the McCarthys ran a ‘profitable farming unit
developed over 23 years of hard work’. Their 131ha dairy
unit near Murupara contains about 300 cows. The judges
declared that ‘Paul is a passionate dendrologist (someone
who studies the cultivation of trees or woody plants) and
this can be seen in both the home garden surrounds and
out in the paddocks and riparian area of the farm. Trees in paddocks and along paddock-riparian
boundaries provide shade for the stock, and in some areas away from watercourses the stock are
able to wander into ring-fenced thickets of trees.’ They praised the presentation & the infrastructure
of the farm which they said was farmed in a very environmentally-conscious manner.

In 1987 a series of ponds were built to attract and accommodate waterfowl. Dabchick and scaup,
grey teal, now breed here every year. This area has developed into a beautiful garden park with
well designed landscaping complimenting the ponds.
 
 
Dan Steele receives Bill Barrett Trophy
Neil Candy is pictured presenting the Bill Barrett Trophy to
the indefatiguable Dan Steele of Blue Duck Lodge for his
work with whio. Dan and his energetic team have recently
received a DoC conservation award as well. See the article
on page 15 of the January 2009 issue of Flight which covers
much of the activity at this King Country reserve.
  
       
 
Raffle Results 2009
1st Audrey Pritt, Ohakune
2nd John McKinstry, Masterton
3rd Stephen Loach, Dunedin
4th Dennis Handyside, Featherston
5th Tracy Grey & Peter Billington, Palmerston North
6th Andy Lowe, Havelock North
7th Neil Fisher, Hamilton
8th Tim Tatham, Masterton 		 

It will be remembered that the first prize for this year’s 2009 Ducks Unlimited Raffle was donated by
Jay Robertson of the Cape Kidnappers and Ocean Beach Wildlife Reserve which consisted of two
nights’ accommodation for two at the beautiful cottage site of The Farm. The prize included pre-
dinner drinks, dinner and breakfast daily. We wrote about this on page 15 of the July 2009 issue
140 of Flight. Kevin Campbell organised both this and the other generous prizes this year - taking
over from Howard Egan of Carterton who has done this duty for more years than we can remember!

  
 
NEWS PAGES 1 | 2 | 3
 

EVENTS

JUNE 2010
Wairio Tree Planting 2010 Review
 
OCTOBER 2010
Ducks Unlimited Manawatu Chapter
Dinner & Auction Fundraiser
 
 
 
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