January Update No images? Click here An update from Lou SansonTēnā koutou, It gives me great pleasure to share our conservation stories and give you an inside look at DOC's work, as well as the efforts of others contributing to the important work of conservation. I would like to wish everyone a fantastic 2020 and take a look back at some of our incredible successes and challenges of 2019.
I'd particularly like to acknowledge our recreation rangers. They are busy looking after all DOC's campsites, picnic areas and tracks for the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders and overseas visitors who want to experience nature over the summer season. This is a huge task! New Year HonoursI would like to acknowledge a record 22 individuals who received a New Year honour for conservation, environment, science, recreation and community service. This year included such well-known community leaders, Tamsin Orr-Walker from the Kea Conservation Trust and Graeme and Rosslyn Gale from Helicopters Otago – our major 1080 Helo contractor, and rescuer of Flint the conservation dog from Campbell Island. Some of the others honoured for their conservation work were:
Whakatāne Office visitThe Whakaari White Island eruption on 9 December had a significant impact on our Whakatāne DOC whānau. I’d like to acknowledge Jade King-Hazel and her team in Whakatāne. Many of our staff there either knew the local Whakaari White Island guides or gave support to Ngāti Awa. Jade has been a strong leader through this. Our thoughts continue to be with the victims, their families, and everyone involved. Michelle Hippolite, Deputy Director-General Kahui Kaupapa Atawhai (second from right), and our Whakatāne staff during our visit on Friday. Photo: Lou Sanson (DOC) While in Whakatāne, Rob Whitbourne from Ngā Whenua Rāhui briefed Michelle Hippolite (Deputy Director-General Kahui Kaupapa Atawhai) and I on the incredible work being done with Ngāti Porou and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui to lead the Raukūmara Pae Maunga forest restoration project. The aim is to restore the Raukūmara Forest which has been devastated by possums, deer, goats, stoats and rats. This is a totally new approach towards Predator Free 2050, with a first ever partnership approach with our Treaty Partner. Raukūmara back country, understorey damage from deer browse. Photo: Koby Brebner, 2018 Whitianga and Hauraki campsites in great conditionOur staff were flat out before Christmas getting ready for the influx of New Zealand and international holiday makers who will enjoy a DOC experience with nature this summer. I visited all our Coromandel campsites and New Chums Beach. Anybody visiting Coromandel will be pretty pleased with how well DOC is looking after our visitor assets and stopping kauri dieback – a huge thanks to all involved! Whitianga Operations Manager Nick Kelly at New Chums Beach. Photo: Lou Sanson (DOC) The campsites (many with new sewerage and toilets) are in fine form, as were our picnic areas - all nicely mown and tracks cleared. Another Coromandel highlight is the Northern New Zealand dotterel programme. This is enjoying a record year for breeding success with 500 of New Zealand’s 2,200 dotterel now on the Coromandel Peninsula. Key to success has been the advocacy of New Zealand Dotterel Watch, fencing off sand dunes, and bans on dogs and vehicles on beaches. Pou whenua at Ngāti Hei Wharetaewa pa overlook Wharekaho bay north of Whitianga, at the site where Tupaia met Toewaka and his hapū on 12 November 1769. Photo: Lou Sanson (DOC) Heading towards Predator Free Chatham IslandsThere is remarkable conservation work happening on the Chatham Islands. Chatham petrels/ranguru numbers have gone from 40 birds to 4,000 birds in 10 years. Chatham Island oystercatcher/tōrea now have around 350 birds after recovering from a 50-bird low. With 30% of New Zealand’s threatened species on the Chathams, the potential for new landscape scale conservation programmes has significant benefits. Key to this will be One Billion Trees - the potential to establish active nursery stocks to achieve larger scale revegetation programmes where healthy ecosystems, along with being predator free, are the key to biodiversity recovery. Rachel Bruce (DOC's Deputy Director-General Corporate Services) and I visited our staff on the Chatham Islands to see some of this work first-hand. We were able to appreciate the potential for One Billion Trees there and Predator Free Chathams to be run as a collaborative landscape scale project with Chatham Islands Council, Predator Free 2050 and Environment Canterbury. We were delighted to meet our new permanent staff on Chatham’s Pitt Island - DOC’s most remote staff in New Zealand, Andrea Rix and Craig Harrison. They are doing fantastic work with local landowners on cat control, fencing and threatened species recovery. It is 20 years since DOC had permanent staff on Pitt Island. From left Andrea Rix (Pitt Island ranger), Erin Patterson (Senior Ranger), Gemma Green (Chatham Island ranger), Brent Swanson (Chatham Islands Operations Manager) and Craig Harrison (Pitt Island ranger) at New Zealand’s most isolated public hut - Glory Hut on Pitt island. Photo: Lou Sanson (DOC) We were also briefed on the need for continued investment and technical expertise provided by the Chatham Islands Advisory group to black robin, Chatham albatross, Chatham Island oystercatcher, parea and our precious native plants. DOC staff arriving on predator free Rangatira Island. Photo: Lou Sanson (DOC) 2019 Kea Summit – Te AnauThe biennial Kea Summit was held in Te Anau on 30 November. I was honoured to open the event along with the Trust’s patron, Peter Hillary – son of Sir Edmund Hillary. Organised by Kea Conservation Trust (KCT) chair Tamsin Orr-Walker, with support from DOC Te Anau, a broad range of thinkers, speakers and conservation practitioners were brought together – from Ngāi Tahu, DOC, NZ Bird Rescue, NZ Zoos, Zero Invasive Predators and social media. Kea, Lake Greaney, Arawhata River. Photo: Lou Sanson (DOC) The KCT, led by Tamsin, has successfully raised the public profile of kea and changed peoples’ view of them from pest to treasure. The Trust has consistently raised six figure sums each year, investing in important collaborations with DOC on field research, threat mitigation, public engagement and environmental education. I look forward to seeing the progress unfold and attending the next kea summit in two years time. Annika Werner and Tamsin Orr-Walker from the Kea Conservation Trust. Photo: Lou Sanson (DOC) Warren Geraghty – 50 years of serviceThank you to Warren Geraghty, from our Tauranga Office, for 50 years of dedicated service to conservation. Starting at the Woodsmans Training School at Kaingaroa Forest in 1970, Warren has been involved in the Kaimai-Mamaku Forest park for 43 years. He grew up there, where his father was a logger and helped build the Ngatuhoa Lodge. Warren recalls building the Wairere Falls track - before the days of helicopters – and hand carrying all the materials up the track. Warren Geraghty - 50 years of service. Photo: DOC He assisted establishing five Conservation Corps and has done a stint on Australian bushfires after Ash Wednesday. He has also performed Acting Area Manager roles at Tuatapere, Minginui and Aotea Great Barrier. Warren is currently supervisor for DOC’s Kauri Dieback Team and rates his work with iwi, hapu and whanau on Treaty Settlements as his career highlight. A huge milestone Warren – thank you! The rescue of Flint from Campbell IslandThe rescue of our Conservation Dog ‘Flint’ caught the hearts and minds of New Zealanders. A number of critical factors combined to mean that Flint was left waiting on Campbell Island with his muzzle on. Flint and his handler, Richard, were down on the island doing critical pest detection work. Flint is a trained pest-detection dog and Campbell is Predator Free. Richard was making his way back to board the HMNZS Canterbury when a sea lion became aggressive. Flint became startled and bolted. Critically, a storm was approaching and the HMS Canterbury was facing a mechanical issue - but Flint was nowhere in sight despite a thorough search that included heat seeking radar. A 1400 kilometre return helicopter flight by pilot Clayton Girven, Kevin Gale and Ian Ridley from Heli Otago, from Dunedin to Campbell Island, made sure that Flint - a beloved member of the DOC conservation team, and an extremely valuable pest detector - was returned to safety and his very relieved handler Richard. This has been DOC’s biggest social media story for 2019 and made international headlines including The Washington Post and The New York Times. We are very grateful for the financial support provided by Kiwibank, who stepped in to enable the rescue as our national partner for the Conservation Dog Programme. Pilot Clayton Girven and Flint. Photo: Heli Otago Paparoa Great Walk opensNew Zealand's 10th Great Walk, Paparoa Track, was officially opened by Minister Sage alongside the Pike River families and Ngāti Waewae at Blackball on 30 November 2019. Dave Dobbyn played to the large turn-out from the West Coast community and the Pike River families, to whom the track is dedicated. Pike River families unveiling the new track sign. Photo: Dawn Muir (DOC) DOC and NIWA sign a memorandum of understandingVery symbolically, at the world’s first intensive glacial monitoring research site at Ivory Glacier, we signed a memorandum of understanding with NIWA. Ivory Glacier looks likely to be the first New Zealand glacier to completely disappear. Significantly, the Cropp Valley, just over the ridge, is the third wettest place in the world. John Morgan, CEO NIWA, and Lou Sanson signing the memorandum of understanding at Ivory Glacier Research Hut. Photo: DOC The memorandum of understanding has agreed:
Cropp River - third wettest place in the world. Its annual rainfall of 18 metres is equivalent to the height of a six-storey building. New Zealand’s biggest ever rainfall was recorded here at 1.3 metres in 36 hours on 26 March 2019. From left: Barry Biggs (NIWA General Manager- Technology and Innovation), Ken Hughey (DOC Chief Scientist), John Morgan (NIWA CEO), Nicole Kunzmann (DOC Operations Manager), and Rob Murdoch (NIWA General Manager - Research). Photo: Lou Sanson (DOC) Upper Waitaha River - one hour below Ivory Lake. From left: Ken Hughey (DOC Chief Scientist), Nicole Kunzmann (DOC Operations Manager), Barry Biggs (NIWA General Manager - Technology and Innovation), John Morgan (NIWA CEO) and Rob Murdoch (NIWA General Manager - Research). Photo: Lou Sanson (DOC) NIWA seconds scientists to DOCDOC’s Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan, due to be finalised soon, will set out actions to make DOC’s work more resilient to climate change impacts. Petra Pearce, a Climate Scientist from NIWA, was on secondment to DOC’s Planning and Support Unit (Auckland office) for much of 2019. This follows an earlier secondment of NIWA’s Andrew Tait, who is now Chief Scientist - Climate, Atmosphere and Hazards at NIWA. Petra was part of DOC’s Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan project team and worked with the Threats and Planning and Support Units on three projects – understanding future habitat suitability for Hochstetter’s frogs under climate change, climate change assessments for sites under consideration for extended pest management, and climate change implications for the Waituna Lagoon in Southland. The Waituna Lagoon work was published as a Science for Conservation report. Gregor Macara, NIWA Climate Scientist, is taking over the secondment for 2020 and will work towards implementing some of the actions in the Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan. Bringing NIWA’s climate expertise to DOC has been enormously beneficial, allowing us to combine to NIWA’s climate change model data with our conservation expertise. Petra at Windy Canyon on Aotea Great Barrier Island. Photo: Petra Pearce Climate change impact on snails leads to call for more ungulate controlSince DOC’s snail monitoring programme in Kahurangi National Park and Marlborough Sounds began 30 years ago, we have seen a significant decrease in summer rainfall and increasing summer soil moisture deficits. Dr Kath Walker, DOC’s snail scientist in Nelson, took me through some key facts on how climate change is impacting our Powelliphanta population.
Growth-checks on the shells of the large land snail Powelliphanta “Gunner River” from the normally high-rainfall Heaphy Valley, affected by summer drought in 2000 and 2002. Image: Kath Walker (DOC) Kath’s view is that, given a warming climate, we urgently need to do a much better job of reducing the other causes of dried-out soils and degraded forest floors: unchecked feral pig, deer and goat populations. She thinks it’s time we set about fencing out ungulates from the most important natural areas: landscape scale habitat protection. Powelliphanta hochstetteri snails mating on the Flora Track, Kahurangi National Park. All Powelliphata activity is dependent on abundant moisture. Photo: Ivan Rogers (DOC) Read the article in New Zealand Geographic about Kath’s work. Check out the stunning photos! Anchor Island kākāpōOn a recent visit to Anchor Island with the CEOs of WWF and the Nature Conservancy, we were delighted to meet Jinty MacTavish and Brodie Philp, members of the Kākāpō team. Jonathan Peacey, The Nature Conservancy New Zealand Director, and Livia Esterhazy, CEO WWF-New Zealand. Photo: Lou Sanson (DOC) They are now responsible for 84 birds on the Anchor Island Kākāpō Programme. While there on a pouring wet day, one of the young kākāpō came out of the bush, so Jinty was able to conduct a routine health check, including weighing and vaccination. Juvenile kākāpō. Photo: Lou Sanson (DOC) Brodie Philp and Jinty MacTavish (Kākāpō Rangers) check for signs of parasites in a juvenile kākāpō. Photo: Lou Sanson (DOC) Australian bushfiresOur hearts go out to our close friends at Parks Victoria, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, and National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia. They have spent most of the past four months deploying virtually all their ranger staff to fighting the most extensive fires ever seen in Australia. Fire-fighting in national parks in Victoria, Australia. Photo: Parks Victoria They have lost large portions of Kosciuszko National Park, Blue Mountain World Heritage Area, Kangaroo Island National Park and overall an area of 10 million hectares. This is 10 times the size of Fiordland National Park and two million hectares more than all the conservation land DOC administers in New Zealand. Fire-fighting in national parks in Victoria, Australia. Photo: Parks Victoria So far, we have sent 23 DOC rangers to help fight the Australian bushfires, with more on standby if needed. Our first DOC crew to be deployed in New South Wales. From left: Will McBeth, Blair Calder, Scott Bowie, NSW Rural Fire Service Rep, Blair Williams and Wayne Beggs. Photo: DOC The 3rd DOC crew (who have just finished their deployment to Australia). From left: Darren Scott, Karen Ismay, Ken Torckler, Shane Cross. Photo: Fire and Emergency NZ Visitor behaviour in natureThe Tiaki summer campaign is a great example of government and industry working together to encourage travellers, both international and domestic, to care for Aotearoa – our people, culture and natural environment. This year there is more of a focus on New Zealanders leading the Kiwi way, showing by example how to care for Aotearoa for future generations. Tiaki-Care for New Zealand campaign poster - Kiwi kids are asking visitors, and New Zealander’s to promise to be kaitiaki and guardians of this place. I attended the 2020 campaign launch by Minister Sage and Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis. The campaign aligns with our ‘Love this Place’ campaign which seeks to encourage appropriate behaviour in nature. It’s an evolution of last year’s award-winning ‘Visit the Kiwi Way’ campaign, and focuses on five principles - Share your plans; Give wildlife their space; Take your litter with you; Poo in a loo; and Leave your drone at home. As kaitiaki and guardians of Aotearoa, we all have a role to play in promoting and modelling these behaviours. Love this place campaign banner. Image: DOC DOC on FacebookBe sure to follow DOC on our new Facebook page, on Twitter, Instagram and more. My team have set up a hub for my social media activity on the DOC website. #DOCBoss shows all my news, views and adventures in one place. Take a look and let me know your feedback by emailing Director-General@doc.govt.nz. Hei konei rā, Lou Sanson |