Cleaning up our waterways

For 25 years, the Rotary Club of Huntly, NZ has been involved with the New Zealand Bow Hunters’ World Koi Carp Classic which is held over the first weekend of November to coincide with the spawning season of the carp. 

Koi Carp are classified as an unwanted organism under the NZ Bio Security Act with huge fines or imprisonment for anyone caught releasing, spreading, selling or breeding them. 

The idea of NZ Bow Hunters member Alan Metcalfe has seen approximately 75,000 kilograms of Koi Carp caught from its inception in 1990 to 2015. These have been caught by both local and overseas bow hunters from the Waikato River and 18 lakes surrounding Huntly. 

This annual event is sponsored by the NZ Department of Conservation, Waikato Hunting and Fishing, Waikato River Authority, Fulton Hogan - HEB Construction Alliance and Rotarian Peter Sweetman of Sweetman's Ltd. 

Huntly Rotarians under the guidance of Peter, have weighed in and tallied all the monsters and minis caught. What happens to the caught fish?  Presently the surplus fish that are not winners of the many categories are minced up in a Hogger. 

Members of the public make a monetary donation to Huntly Rotary for berley.  This has allowed Huntly Rotary over the last five years to put more than $5000 back into the local community. 

However, this only known one of its kind event is under threat of closure. 

Unless a satisfactory solution can be found for the disposal of the excess fish, and the impending closure be stopped, the Waikato, Bay of Plenty recreational waterways are under threat from these pests.  They absorb the nitrogen from the lakes compromising the water quality, but as a fertiliser they are extremely rich in nitrogen, and the annual fundraising for our club’s community projects is also under threat.

Perhaps there is a solution out there that we haven't yet found, in which case Huntly Rotary and New Zealand Bow Hunters will be receptive to all suggestions. Please email Huntly Rotary President Dennis Murdoch via ldm2@clear.net.nz.  

ROTARY ASSISTS IN DEVELOPING WETLANDS AS AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM.

Bushy Park Sanctuary,situated 20kms north of Wanganui,N.Z.,with its historic homestead, 91ha native lowland forest and wetlands is one of the regions hidden gems.Indigenous wetlands are one of the most seriously threatened habit types across the whole of N.Z.,with less than 2% of original wetlands remaining.Bushy Park Trust and The Rotary Club of Wanganui North recognised this by forming a partnership late 2013 to develop and extend the Parks wetlands.

 

The Bushy Park wetlands is fast becoming an important facility for school groups to use as an outdoor classroom.The wetlands is home to rare native plants,gecko,frogs and freshwater creatures.An abundance of insect life infiltrates the wetland area providing further food sources for increasing numbers of bird species including fantails,robins,kingfisher,kereru,hihi,bellbirds,tui and falcon.

 

With assistance from a Bushy Park Trustee Wilf Emmett and his machinery, this $35,000 plus project included……

 

ROTARY NORTH BOARDWALK.New forest tracks lead down to the wetlands from the homestead.Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of Wanganui businesses and individuals sponsoring $55 named planks, the 90m boardwalk and its jetties have been fully funded.The boardwalk weaves across the wetland giving visitors an uninterrupted view of this beautiful tranquil area,surrounded with its native bush landscape reflecting in the water.The boardwalk is linked to the amphitheatre.

 

ROTARY NORTH AMPHITHEATRE,has been funded by the Rotary Club of Wanganui North raising funds through a raffle and a matching grant from District 9940.The 60 seater amphitheatre is roofed to provide shelter and with its stunning views across the wetland will be used as an outdoor classroom for the many school groups visiting Bushy Park.A shed has been erected for storing equipment used in observing the many water creatures in the pond.

 

NATIVE PLANTING. With advice from a local native plant expert and generous funding from The Eleanor Burgess Trust and the Wanganui Beautifying Society, 2000 native plants purchased from the Department of Corrections Wanganui nursery, were planted.

 

INTERPRETATIVE SIGNAGE has been erected giving information on the wetlands floira,fauna,birdlife and water creatures.

 

                                            WETLAND OPENING

Official Opening, from left to Right.

Liz Tennet, Chairperson Bushy Park Trust

John Maihi, Kaumatua

Annette Main, Mayor of Wanganui

The Governor General’s Aide de Camp

The Governor General, Sir Jerry Mateparae

Rotary North President, Iain Macleod (speaker)

With stalls,entertainment,vintage car display,and 100,s of people in attendance His Excellency Lt Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae GNZM,QSO, Governor-General of NZ, formally opened the Wetland Project on Saturday 23^rd May 2015. Offical guests also included Wanganui Mayor Annette Main and Rotary District 9940 Governor Anthony Scott.

 

ROTARY CAMARADERIE.  100,s of hours of fund raising and working bees over many months has given the members of the Rotary Club of Wanganui North a new focus and togetherness.As one member said…”The working bees are what I enjoy and what Rotary is all about.”

 

TO ALL ROTARIANS AND FRIENDS.  If you are in the Wanganui area please take time to visit Bushy Park,791 Rangitatau East Rd, Kai Iwi. Its homestead,native forest,bird life and now its developed wetland is something very special,and a must see in the Wanganui Region.

 

Iain Macleod                                            Cranleigh Chainey

President                                                   Project Director.

Rotary Club of Wanganui North

Nature walk raises funds for local charities

A family relaxing at the lighthouse after walking 8 kms on Nelson’s Boulder Bank. Only one more km to go!

“Awesome!” and “Thanks for a great day out. It was fascinating to see the Boulder Bank up close for the first time.”

Those were some of the comments posted on the Facebook page of the Rotary Club of Nelson West, NZ after its sixth annual Boulder Bank Challenge. The event involves a 9 km walk along the iconic Boulder Bank, an unusual natural landform that defines Nelson’s harbour.

Nelson West Rotary organises buses to take ticket holders to the starting point. Three hours later, boats bring the walkers back to land from the southern end of the Boulder Bank, at “the Cut” that forms the entrance to Nelson’s port. A boat both ways option is available for those who choose not to walk the distance.
 

To see Nelson from a different perspective, participants can climb up the historic lighthouse on the Boulder Bank – the second one built in New Zealand. They were met there by Craig Terris, of Port Nelson, who told them about the reconditioned light that was recently returned to service. In previous years, speakers have included local Maori historians, a geologist, and a descendant of the longest serving lighthouse keeper.

There are also six historic “baches” (that’s Kiwi for holiday cottages) on the Boulder Bank, accessible only by sea, and some of the owners were on hand to welcome walkers and give them a look inside. One is owned by the son of a charter member of the Rotary Club of Nelson West, and has a club photo from 1966 on the wall of the bach.

Doing good is fun! The currents that formed the
Boulder Bank now bring a steady supply
of flotsam and jetsam. A trailer load
of rubbish was collected this year.

Walkers help protect nesting birds by picking up rubbish during the event, as the currents that brought the boulders from a nearby bluff over the millennia now bring a steady supply of flotsam and jetsam.

Knapps Lawyers, a local law firm with a Rotarian partner, is the gold sponsor for the event. With financial sponsorships and many local businesses that donate goods and services, all costs are covered, so ticket sales go entirely to charity. The primary beneficiary is Coastguard Nelson, a volunteer organisation that is well regarded in a community where boating and fishing is a way of life for many.

“Coastguard was fundraising for a new boat when we started the event in 2010, so we decided to help”, explains Dick Carter, a Nelson West Rotarian who has helped organise the event every year.

 

“We are really grateful for the financial contribution,” says Mark Rumsey, a Coastguard past president who joined Rotary two years ago, “but equally important to us is knowing that a group like Rotary appreciates and supports what we are doing for the community.”

The event has attracted over 200 participants in previous years, but numbers were down this year due to rain in the forecast. Originally scheduled for the previous weekend because of predicted heavy rain that never arrived, the event was rescheduled for Sunday, March 29.

Nelson West Rotarian Jim Sinner, who led the organising team, said they were a bit anxious when it started to rain at 7am, only an hour before the first participants were due to show up. But a quick check of the weather radar confirmed that it was only a passing shower. The sun was out by 8am and it turned into a beautiful morning.

However showers were still lingering around the Nelson ranges, and at 12:45 the team got a call from Coastguard to say that rain was likely within an hour. “We had planned to have everyone off by 2:15 anyway,” said Jim, “because a brisk afternoon sea breeze is pretty common in Nelson. So we just mobilised to get everything packed up and back to land a little more quickly.”

There was no shortage of volunteers from the
Rotary Club of Nelson West, who all chipped in
to keep things running smoothly.

Members of the public were all ashore by 2pm, and by 2:30 the Nelson West team was relaxing and conducting a de-brief, discussing how to make the event even better in 2016.

Hand-digging walking tracks has positive environmental impact on local community from people to native fish and birds

Landcare Okareka Team: From left, Brian Law, James Blakely, Katharine, and Mike and Sandra Goodwin are digging out a walkway to link Boyes Beach to the Lake Okareka campsite.

Photo courtesy of the Rotorua Daily Post.

It’s been a huge team effort for members of Landcare Lake Okareka in New Zealand to work together on developing walkways to protect wetlands and enhance their environment.

The Lake Okareka walkway opened in 2003. The initial track included a boardwalk and lakeside track to the outlet of Okareka. The design and construction was managed by Rotorua District Council and financed by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. 

Landcare Okareka started three months later by residents who wanted to make a difference and founding members included Mike and Sandra Goodwin. Currently there are around sixty members, mostly residents, holiday home owners and people from the wider Rotorua community.

Their first project was Stage 2 of the walkway - composting toilets at Silver Beach, a shade structure with seats, a bird watching hid and raised edges to the boardwalk - completed two years later.

Significant achievements include a remembrance grove of native trees adjacent to the walkway and the pump station bank cleared of bush and replanted, including a track from Summit Road for children to get to the bus stop at the bottom of the hill.

Mike said, “Our current project is the most exciting, completing the Trans Okareka Walk, which when completed, will take about three hours to walk around Lake Okareka, both at lake level and along the top of the north eastern hill above the lake.”

The first part of this extension is a 1.5km path and boardwalk linking Boyes Beach to the Department of Conservation campground. This has involved considerable planning and has taken five years to gain all the consents, with formation work starting a few months ago. 

The track will feature a boardwalk through the wetlands where native birds live including the dab chick which is rarer than kiwi. This area is under threat from rats, possums and wallabies. 

Mike and Sandra Goodwin were both recently recognised with Paul Harris Fellow awards by the Rotary Club of Rotorua Sunrise for their outstanding achievement in building a better world through the enhancement of the Okareka surrounds that locals and people from around the world admire and enjoy.  Sandra replied, “It’s very humbling and very special to receive this recognition from Rotary Rotorua Sunrise. We are so amazed for our group to receive this.”

The highlight for Mike is the way the environment has flourished, enhancing the community, and members have found this very rewarding.  He said, “People from all over the world come here. I’ve seen visitors on their mobility scooters and I reckon it takes three weeks to get the smile off their face.  It’s such a joy for them to get in amongst nature.” 

Web:  www.rotaryrotoruasunrise.co.nz ; www.rotaryrotorua.org



Included in April

Rotary Down Under

magazine

 

Rotary International President Gary Huang Visits Motutapu Island Rotary project

In the Hauraki Gulf, less than an hour's ferry ride from Auckland, NZ is the island of Motutapu, and a successful environmental project supported for 24 years by the Rotary Club of Newmarket working with the Motutapu Restoration Trust, the Department of Conservation, and the people of the land Ngai Tai.

The project was the recipient of the Rotary District 9920 Environmental Award at the 2014 Conference and it was selected by then District Governors Phil Ashton of District 9910 and Willard Martin of District 9920 for a visit by then Rotary International President Elect Gary Huang and his wife Corinna on May 21. Accompanied by Rotarians, the international guests travelled in style on the super yacht Pacific Mermaid supplied through the generosity of former Governor and Skipper Ken Winter and Bente. 

 

Motutapu Island was formed in Jurassic times, has an area of 1500 hectares, is farmed in partnership with the Department of Conservation, and has a popular camping ground. It also has many archaeological sites from pre-European occupation and formed part of the defences of Auckland during WWII. 
 

Thanks to this Rotary project partnership with the Motutapu Restoration Trust, Motutapu island and adjoining Rangitoto Island are pest free, the Home Bay wharf was repaired, and a nursery of local native plants was established near the education centre. The Rotary Centennial Walkway project was officially opened in 2005, 90 hectares of plantings are completed out of 500 hectares eventually planned, the homestead was restored as a visitor centre, and the Red Barn rebuilt for the volunteers. Over 60 native bird species have returned, including releases of Kiwi and Takahe. 
 

Gary and Corinna toured the Rotary project and learnt of current work underway to complete a loop track, and in particular construction of the Home Bay Stream Bridge and the Monument Lookout.

Additional funding is being sought from fellow clubs, particularly in District 9910 and District 9920, to assist with completing this important environmental project for future generations. Contact Trustee of the Motutapu Restoration Trust Iain MacKenzie, of the Rotary Club of Newmarket, via 027 495 5226 or ismackenzie@xtra.co.nz.

www.motutapu.org.nz

New Winton Rotary Trail enthusiastically supported

The Winton Rotary Trail is a fantastic community asset for current and future generations to enjoy using. It was officially opened jointly by Minister of Parliament Bill English and landowner Joan Hodges on April 12. An enthusiastic crowd of approximately 300 joined in the celebrations at the culmination of three years and more than one thousand man hours of work by Rotary Club of Winton members.

The nine kilometre trail encircles the whole Winton township and includes native bush, the Winton Stream to meander by, rural farm land, built up housing areas, and grounds beside Central Southland College.

The different seasons of the year provide extra aspects of nature for people to admire, ranging from daffodils flowering in a woodland bush setting, to coloured autumn leaves, plus bird life in the native bush and animals grazing peacefully on the nearby farmland.

It all started with the simple idea that Winton’s population would benefit from a walking and cycling trail that was safe for everybody to utilize. It was immediately welcomed by Rotarians and supporters.

The appropriate consents were granted and work started with great enthusiasm from local businesses and government-based organisations. The physical work was in the hands of Winton Rotarians, all of whom were eager to help. Winton Rotarian Lachlan McGregor was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship in December 2013 for his outstanding contribution of instigating this community walkway and his motivational work.

The extra assets on the trail include four car parks, two shelter sheds, and six seats for rest areas. There are many access points to conveniently hop on/ hop off certain parts of the trail. The most satisfying aspect is now watching young and old using this great community facility while walking, cycling or walking the dog.

The Winton Rotary Trail has come from the community for the community and it is owned by the community. Prior to the official opening, Winton Rotary Club hosted a thank you lunch for the landowners who had donated their land and for the business community who also donated time and materials.

 

-By Rotary Club of Winton President Winston Gill

 

For more about this club: www.winton.rotarysouthpacific.org  

Newmarket and St Johns Rotary Clubs take on Motutapu Bridge Project

Newmarket and St Johns Rotary Clubs have been working together recently to further the Motutapu Bridge Project.

In partnership with Motutapu Restoration Trust, DOC, local Iwi and Auckland Tourism there is the potential to create the equivalent of another Tiritiri Matangi on Rangitoto – Motutapu Islands.

To achieve this and to complete the Motutapu Loop Track, the Motutapu Stream Bridge needs to be built. The bridge is a key element to opening up public access to the tracks on the Island.

Consent to build the bridge has been received from Auckland City Council.  $10,000 has been committed by Newmarket and St Johns Rotary Clubs. We believe this important environmental project represents a great opportunity for Districts 9920 and 9910 to invest in their local community.

The following is an extract from the St Johns Rotary club bulletin of April 2014:

This week we were graced with the presence of the Honorable Christine Fletcher. Christine gave us some insight on the Motutapu Restoration project with which she has worked since its inception. Having worked Rotary since the start of the project, Christine was all compliments on the consistent contributions provided to the project by the Newmarket Rotary Club and numerous other Rotary clubs.

Since its creation, Motutapu has accounted for over 500,000 trees being propagated and planted on the island. Although some initial discouragement occurred with some stakeholders suggesting Aucklanders look to further locations for their recreation, this has been pursued as the closest sanctuary to Auckland.

Motutapu is an Island within eyesight of Auckland and therefore an ideal location for both conservation and recreation. They are currently pursuing regular Ferry transport to the island, an attribute that would certainly lend itself to increased numbers of visitors and therefore funding. 

The conservation potential of Motutapu is beyond any other location near Auckland. The island serves as a habitat for Takahe of which there are only a few hundred in existence as well as the Coromandel Kiwi. These rare birds are not cheap to introduce to the island with the kiwi costing about $35,000 each. These are but two of the 61 birds that contribute to the island’s impressive bird chorus.

Motutapu functions as a farm with all proceeds going to the Department of Conservations’ central funding pool for all its efforts nationwide. For this reason, alternative funding specific to Motutapu must be pursued. One source of funding is a mountain biking event with raised between 40 and 50 thousand dollars thanks in part to the efforts of over 500 volunteers (Rotarians included).

 

The history of Motutapu is as interesting as its diverse current uses. As Auckland’s largest farm it also served as a defense asset with its numerous tunnels. These tunnels could possibly provide additional tourist attraction if the funding to make them suitable is made available.

The uses and benefits of Motutapu Island are numerous and include both conservation and recreation. Christine made a note regarding the lack of government funding and the complete reliance on private funding to provide these valuable resources. As the walkway project goes forward we must consider why we are left to fund these efforts privately given their public benefits. Additional efforts will continue to be made in an attempt to acquire a regular ferry service.

Let us thank the Honorable Christine Fletcher for her work with the Motutapu Restoration Project as well as her insight into the future success of the project. We look forward to continuing to contribute to this project and to take advantage of the numerous conservation and recreation benefits that it provides.

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To read an earlier article about the Motutapu Restoration Project go to: http://rotarystories-nzandpacific.blogspot.com/2013/03/rotary-saved-largest-pohutukawa-forest.html