The Challenges in the Forest

The list of both introduced plants and animals that are adversly impacting on the New Zealand environment is long.
And the legacy of land uses has meant that there is very little of the environment that hasn't been altered.
Here at Te Kauae O Maui (TKOM), our biggest challenges are:  

• Control and eradication of invasive weeds.   
• Control the numbers of introduced predators, such as rats, mice, mustelids, feral cats, pigs, wasps & possums.        
• Restoration of uncommon species through propagation and planting of underrepresented nectar/fruit bearing natives.
• Establishment of suitable cover for the protection of lizards.            

A big thanks to the volunteers who turn up to help us in our weed busting efforts!
In 2014/15 we mainly attacked Asparagus Weed and Woolly Nightshade along our boundary and  we have made quite a hole in it! We aIso eradicated the last known Kahili Ginger patch, so hopefully we are rid of it for good! Now we are checking for regrowth in the areas that we have already dealt with and prevent new areas of weed infestation to establish. We bag the weeds in rubbish sacks that go to the noxious plant dump. Every summer the short term goal is to stop existing weeds from fruiting and spreading. In spring, autumn and winter when the ground is soft we pull as many weeds as we can. If you feel energetic we would love to have you along! We have jobs for all levels of fitness.
 A BIG Thanks To Our International Helpers!
In 2014 we received grants from the Honda Tree Fund and Project Crimson which enabled us to plant Pohutukawa, Kowhai, Kakabeak,Tree Fuchsia and Tree Lucerne along the margins of our creeks. We are very grateful!!! Thanks a lot!
In 2015 Environment Waikato (EW) gave us another batch of Pohutukawa to go out into the forest, which we planted along our high spurs.
In 2016 we planted mainly Kowhai and a few donated Pohutukawa from EW were added to the high spurs. Greatly appreciated!
If you feel like getting involved in planting just get hold of us and come along. It is fun and only a moderate level of fitness is required. (Remember that most of the planting is done in August).

What has been done

On the weed front:
With the help of young, mainly international volunteers we have made some progress, especially against Climbing Asparagus, Kahili Ginger, Pampas and Wooly Nightshade! One highly invasive Moth Plant has recently been found on the neighbouring property and we have put a lot of effort into trying to contain the spread.
On the animal pest front: 
TKOM was one of the first private blocks of land in the northern Coromandel to have traps set for mustelids. This was set in motion by a donation from the Karuna Falls Fig Fair Fund.
Department of Conservation (DOC) then gave us 20 stoat traps which were mainly placed around our boundary.
The servicing of these traps was originally done by volunteers but in 2005 it was taken over by MEG (Moehau Enviroment Group) and has been incorporated into a much bigger trapping program going from east to west across the northern peninsula. In addition we run 25 stoat traps throughout the property to protect our precious kiwi chicks.
With funding from Kiwis for Kiwi we have replaced our old fenn traps and now run 25 new DOC200's supplied by the Moehau Environment Group.
This is great news as some of our oldest traps dated from pre 2000!
For years the eastern boundary of TKOM has had a limited and voluntary possum trapping program (using Timms traps) in place. On average around 120 possums were trapped every year.
From 2011 the trapping was expanded to cover the whole property. Now we average around 500 possums a year!
Through intensive landscape trapping over 2013 -2015 we have caught: 1550 possums, 1071 rats, 969 mice, 25 stoats, 8 weasels, 13 cats, 23 pigs and 47 magpies. We also destroyed 11 wasp nests.

                         Biodiversity Condition Fund
  At the end of 2010 we applied to the Biodiversity Condition Fund to help us finance the implementation of a sustainable pest management program covering all of the TKOM block.
  Unfortunately, the initial application was declined, however the Biodiversity Advisory Fund paid for an ecologist to visit and write a report, which outlined TKOM's biodiversity values and challenges. He also recommended pest management strategies to enhance and restore the forest ecosystems.  
  Armed with his report we applied to the Biodiversity Condition Fund again and this time our application was successful!l Although we only received one third of the funding sought, we are very grateful to the Biodiversity Condition Fund and feel that it is a big step towards the realization of our vision.

What still needs to be done

The control of plant pests is a constant battle with very few options if you don't want to use herbicides. So far we have hardly used herbicides, instead we are digging weeds out and transporting them to a noxious weed dump.
We found that the best way is to pull as many as you can when they are still seedlings and the ground is soft, which makes autumn, winter and spring the ideal times to attack them.
 Once weeds reach maturity and start to produce seeds/bulbs and the ground is dry, the endeavor to control them becomes a lot more difficult. Our aim is to remove as much of the flowering/seeding tops to limit the number of new seedlings in the next year. It is definitely work in progress....
Below is a list of weeds that we are mainly dealing with: 
             SPECIES                                         COMMON NAME

•     Hedychium gardnerianum                       Kahili Ginger  
•     Aspargus asparagoides             Smilax /Climbing Asparagus       
•     Solanum jasminoides                                 Jasmine    
•     Solanum mauritianum                         Woolly Nightshade           
•     Phytolacca octandra                          Climbing Passionfruit                  

 Rats and more rats

We feel that wasps and pigs are probably our biggest challenge right now.
But control of rodents is probably a close second. Our (ambitious) aim is to one day cover the whole land with sufficient rat traps to make a noticeable difference to the flora and fauna.
The funding from the Biodiversity Condition Fund went mainly towards the purchase of Ka Mate rat traps over a 3 year period.
The first intensive pest control area was established in 2012/13 and we started trapping in March 2013. Over the next two years we added another two intensively trapped areas, bringing the grand total of intensively rat controlled area to around 60 ha!
We can really see the difference we have made to the condition of the bush! Seed germination especially has gone through the roof and our rata trees have never looked healthier!
On the possum front
Thanks to two grants from the Waikato Community Conservation Fund (WCCF) over a couple of years we have been able to buy Possum Killmaster Traps, mainly to target possums reinvading from neighboring properties.
It has been a learning curve and we have had problems with pigs taking traps and possums off to have lunch elsewhere. We have worked out a way around this problem and now modify all the Possum Killmaster traps and Timms traps before they are placed in the field. If you want to know how to modify your traps go the the following link:
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We still have big problems with pigs eating possums out of our traps or just disturbing the traps to eat the fruit bait.... A big "Thank You" needs to go to the Waikato Regional Council for a donation towards building materials for a pig trap! A custom-built cage trap is now in action and catching pigs nicely! An even bigger "Thank You" needs to go to an extraordinary pig hunter, Luke Fenton, who has helped us to considerably reduce the resident pig population with over 50 pigs caught in the last 6 months.
In February and March we catch the most possums and it's very important to do some possum control over that period.
In 2016 we extended our possum control into a neighbouring property to help the Colville Water Supply Society to improve the town's water supply.
Late in 2016 we were also successful in securing funding from the Environment Initiative Fund to extend our possum control into Waitete Bay and Tukituki Farm. Again a big "Thank You" to Waikato Regional Council for their continued support!!

How you can get involved

A huge THANK YOU to Kiwi for Kiwi who have funded the replacement of our aging stoat traps and to fill in a few gaps with 25 new DOC200's!
If you are spending some time in the Coromandel area and would like to donate a few hours to a worthwhile cause, there are plenty of things that need to be done at TKOM:
In autumn, winter and spring we spend a lot of time weeding and we would love some company!
We intend to plant more Pohutukawa, if you prefer to put thing into the ground, rather than rip them out....
The established intensive rat trap areas need regular servicing, especially in autumn and spring. If you want to come along to set and clear some traps we would love to see you here! Great exercise in a beautiful environment! Just use the contact form below to find out more.
For Accommodation in Colville go to :http://www.colvillefarmholidays.co.nz  or http://www.colvillebaymotel.co.nz

Alternatively, if you would like to financially support our efforts to sustainably look after this wonderful piece of native bush, here are some suggestions of how you could help:
Sponsor Ka Mate rat trap bait @ $6.50 a jar
Please donate any amount, great or small, to the following account:
TKOM NATURE RESERVE           Bank of New Zealand (BNZ)    
02-0304-0325584-002

Your help is greatly appreciated!

A big thanks to all the organisations that have provided
                                   funds and materials.