Read our stories from Nelson Lakes about nature, recreation and community engagement. No Images? Click here BirdsongYou are receiving this newsletter because you signed up for updates from us in the past or have indicated you are interested in hearing from us. If this is no longer the case you can click unsubscribe at the bottom of this email. Welcome to the second edition of the new Nelson Lakes Newsletter. This quarterly publication aims to provide readers with an insight into the work undertaken by Department of Conservation staff and volunteers at the Nelson Lakes Office. Project updates, facilities developments research results, community engagement and plans for the future will feature in regular updates bringing you closer to the daily work of the dedicated local staff and illustrating how our work contributes to wider national outcomes and objectives of the Department. Biodiversity & RecreationTrees in the wrong place - alpine wilding conifersNelson Lakes volunteer Jonny Christie has recently made three extremely helpful sightings of wilding conifers while off the beaten track in Nelson Lakes National Park. These sightings are like gold for our War on Weeds. The light seeds of some conifers are spread many km by the wind and it’s concerning (but not unusual) to find them in these seemingly random positions. It’s very important that we prevent them going to seed in these sensitive locations. If you make a similar find then please be in touch, as Jonny has, with a photo and a GPS location (if possible), as well as any action you’ve taken. Then staff will be able to record the sighting, and know whether they need to revisit the site or not. If you are keen on joining future wilding control trips as a volunteer, please contact the Rotoiti/Nelson Lakes Office. Douglas fir above Lakehead (Lake Rotoiti), Contorta pine above John Tait hut, St Arnaud Range Photo: Jonny Christie The P. contorta, dealt with! Rock Wren sightingImagine the shock and delight Patrick van Diepen, Biodiversity Ranger, felt when he saw a rock wren (Xenicus gilviventris, or tuke) happily doing the ‘rock wren dance’ on top of the St Arnaud Range recently. Rock wren are known in the Nelson Lakes National Park, but sightings have not been recorded for a while. Rock Wren © Liz Whitwell 2014 Rock wren are tiny birds (16-20 g) living their entire life above the bushline of the Southern Alps, making them New Zealand’s only truly alpine bird. Like most birds, they are vulnerable to mice and stoat predation. If you see rock wren when you are tramping, cross-country skiing, or mountaineering, please notify the Nelson Lakes Visitor Centre or Nature Watch. A clear description or GPS coordinates of where you saw them is very helpful, as is a photo. When you are above the bushline, look for a small greyish bird with a very short tail that bobs up and down. You can find more information on rock wrens on our website or NZ Birds online. Kaka captive breeding programme for the Abel TasmanThree male kaka (Nestor meridionalis) were taken from wild nests in Nelson Lakes in early 2016. They have been raised by the Natureland Wildlife Trust and will form the core of Northern South Island kaka breeding programme. Chicks bred in the programme will eventually be released into Abel Tasman National Park and the genetic diversity of top of the South Island kaka will improve over time. Watch this film showing the birds being caught and the effort made to enhance the breeding success of this taonga species. Nelson Lakes staff and Friends of Rotoiti volunteers spent a lot of time observing the nests to find signs of breeding as the first step of finding where kaka were breeding in Nelson Lakes. This made it easier for Dr Ron Moorhouse and John Henderson to capture the young birds. The programme is supported by Project Janszoon. Avalanche season at Nelson LakesWinter is well underway and snow in the hills requires specific skills, equipment and higher avalanche awareness. Angelus Hut booking season extended to long weekendsAngelus Hut in the Nelson Lakes National Park will become bookable on two long weekends outside the peak season: Labour weekend and Queens Birthday weekend. Read more: Media release on DOC website Revive RotoitiNelson Lakes Great Spotted Kiwi ProjectFriends of Rotoiti (FOR) members are excited to have training in monitoring and handling Great Spotted Kiwi underway. FOR was successful in receiving a grant from the DOC Community Fund. The 3 year long project, in partnership with DOC, aims to enhance the existing Great Spotted Kiwi population at Nelson Lakes. DOC staff have provided learning opportunities with a night walk for training in kiwi call monitoring, training with and practical experience with kiwi data stream monitoring and tracking, locating and catching kiwi for transmitter changes. If you would like to be involved with or support Friends of Rotoiti please visit their website. Community & EducationNelson Lakes volunteer opportunities now open for applicationsIf you are thinking about volunteering this summer, check out the fantastic opportunities the picturesque Nelson Lakes area offers! The new, dog accessible Teetotal Campsite is the gateway to our popular mountain bike trail system and offers a great location for camp hosts traveling with dogs or mountain bikes. Online applications are now open for all volunteer hut warden and camp host positions. Orienteering comes to Nelson LakesThe foresight of the Nelson Orienteering Club has made St Arnaud a popular orienteering destination. The Club attracted over 400 people to the 2016 National Champs and over 80 competitors took part in recent events. The Club’s website explains orienteering is a challenging adventure sport that exercises both the mind and body. The aim is to navigate between control points marked on a highly detailed orienteering map while deciding the best route to complete the course in the quickest time. No specialised gear is needed for beginners – just good walking or running shoes and heaps of enthusiasm. The Club’s Lindsay Smith had the vision to set up a permanent course around St Arnaud village and lakefront so people can try this exciting sport for themselves. Local children enjoying the new permanent orienteering course in St Arnaud DOC was really excited to accept the challenge as we really want to get more people out enjoying nature and outdoor activities. We supported Nelson Orienteering Club to mark their course, and helped prepare an attractive instruction brochure. Courses suit beginners trying the sport for the first time through to experienced athletes honing their skills. Look out for the orange and white markers. Event: Learn more about orienteering on Saturday 12 August at noon in the DOC meeting room, then have a go afterwards. Maps provided. Maps can be downloaded from the Nelson Orienteering Club’s website or pick one up at the Rotoiti/Nelson Lakes Visitor Centre. Snippets from the ManagerOur second Birdsong is out in the sub-zero temperatures of Nelson Lakes in August. We are concentrating on keeping this edition ‘short and snappy’ – kind of like the winter days we are experiencing. Much of the field work through the winter months is more confined to what we call the ‘front country’ where the work can be managed without the need for overnighting, especially when that means tent camping. That is not to say that there are not some overnighters but not as many as through summer. The low temperatures and sometimes snow and ice on the ground do make the job tougher and I am hugely appreciative of my ranger staff who without complaint put on an extra layer and a beanie head out and get stuck in to the work. It is a good time of year also to catch up with the reporting on how the last year’s work has gone and get together and plan work for next season and beyond and ensure the staff are well trained to undertake that work. This kind of work is generally not visible to public and can be underappreciated. It is however vitally important to ensure we are sufficiently skilled and are doing the right kind of work to the highest standards - and can demonstrate that. Only a couple of months to spring now, bring it on. John Wotherspoon |