Welcome to Connecting Conservation, and our Horizons Biodiversity Community Team who are here to help you with all things biodiversity.

You are receiving this newsletter because you have previously submitted an application for funding through Horizons Regional Council. Should you not wish to receive these please use the unsubscribe button at the bottom of this email.

The aim of this newsletter is to connect groups and individuals working on indigenous biodiversity projects across the Horizons region. We hope to share your stories for information and for motivation, resources to share, events to participate in, and funding options that are open for applications.

We want the content to come from you so send us your stories or tips and tricks to us here and we will collate and distribute to the wider group four times a year.

We hope you enjoy and find this information useful and relevant.

Sian, Tyler, Martin & Christina

P.S Our next edition will be in May. If you have something you want to share send an email no later than Monday 5 May 2025.

FEATURE STORIES

KOITIATA WETLANDS RESTORATION PROJECT 

The Koitiata Wetlands Restoration Project is in its 5th year of delivering against their goal to 'improve and preserve the ecology of the wetland so it protects and supports biodiversity, and provides an area for residents and visitors to explore and enjoy'. The wetland is part of the Koitiata Domain Recreation Reserve, Turakina Beach, which is enjoyed by locals, people in the Whanganui and Rangitikei districts and wider, including walkers on the Te Araroa Trail. To date we have had over 140 working bees, with community members and Landbased Training students committing over 3,000 volunteer hours. We enjoy great support from the community, Rangitikei District Council, Horizons Regional Council, Ngāti Apa, Landbased Training and local nurseries. Approximately $40K has been invested in weed control, pest control and plants over the last 5 years.

We have seen measurable changes in the volume of invasive weeds including pampas, gorse, purple ragwort/groundsel and lupin in the zones we have identified for input.

If anyone has a solution for dealing with pockets of agapanthus we'd love to hear from you - seven spray sessions with three different products and it's still progressing!!

We are fortunate that the area has been a focus for botanists and other researchers over the years and we have records showing changes in the biodiversity of the domain going back to 1967. More recent surveys were identifying an increase in both the volume and types of adventive species and we can demonstrate that we are reversing this trend.

This year we will be engaging with our partners to discuss the development of a wider Reserve Management Plan to ensure that the gains to date are sustained into the future. 

We hold regular working bees on Fridays from 10am (weather permitting) for a few hours, finishing with a BBQ lunch. If you are interested in joining us at any time please contact the project coordinator Jo Anson 027 446 3261.

 ŌWHANGO ALIVE

We’re thrilled to announce that Ōwhango Alive has caught its 10,000th predator! On 26 January 2025, this incredible achievement happened on the ‘Peter Lacy’ trapping line, thanks to the dedicated efforts of volunteers Robert and Annemie Peter.

Our journey began in 2013 with just 20 DOC200 traps and three volunteers. Today, we have over 300 predator traps in the Ohinetonga Scenic Reserve and surrounding areas – all monitored by an amazing team of volunteers working hard to protect our native wildlife.

But that’s not all! Alongside trapping, we’ve removed invasive weeds and planted over 1,500 native trees to restore our forests. We have also held a trap building event for Mahi Aroha and have been teaching the next generation about how they can help with protecting our precious manu.

Join us and be part of the next big milestone! Whether it’s checking traps, clearing weeds, or planting trees, YOU can make a difference.

Get involved by messaging us here 

 RUAHINE WHIO PROTECTORS

Ruahine Whio Protectors (RWP) have had a great spring and summer season so far with trapping and sightings of growing whio families. The low river conditions have been kind to whio breeding success. 

The North West Ruahine Te Potae project team had successful re-baiting trips in October, December and January.

The Leon Kinvig hut along the Pohangina River is a strategic location for volunteer success.  After being pushed off its foundations during Cyclone Gabrielle; it is a significant outcome to have the hut relocated and refurbished with help from the Back Country Trust.

It has been great to see two whio families with ducklings along the Ōroua River.

A new group, known as the Social Trappers, is servicing traps for the Ōroua and Pohangina projects. This team makes the most of trapping trips. They still do the same work loads but take longer enjoying sitings of whio, and a few nights out in the back country.

Photo by Malcolm Thomas "Nearly fledged - Mum, Dad and 3 big babies, Ōroua River December 2024”)

Photo: Te Potae volunteers January 2025 (left) &  Social Trappers (right) - photo by Graham Peters

HORIZONS PRIORITY HABITAT PROGRAMME 

Horizons Regional Council priority habitat team identified 30 of the most threatened and rare ecosystem types to prioritise for protection. Currently this team manages 95 sites that include examples of 29 of these 30 ecosystem types.

Other ecosystem types that are not managed by Horizons are located in inaccessible locations like cliff faces, difficult to find types in tiny microclimates on the mountain tops, or types well represented on public land and managed by the Department of Conservation like the beech forest in the Ruahines CDF4-1 totara, pahautea, kamahi forest.

The sites managed by Priority Biodiversity Advisors are located on private land and not accessible to the public. The same challenges are faced by this team just like community led projects. 

Parikino Swamp Forest WF8: kahikatea, pukatea forest

Swamp forest ecosystems are critically endangered in the Horizons Region, because they have historically been logged or drained to make way for farmland. A rare example in the Whanganui district is a bush on a private farm near Parikino, which was recently added to the Horizons Priority Habitat programme. The bush was fenced in 2007, and the undergrowth is slowly recovering.

One of the challenges following fencing is that without either stock browse or established ground plants, weeds can quickly invade clearings. Although the bush at Parikino is relatively weed free, there is one small patch of tradescantia.

Tradescantia (also known as wandering willy) is a very common weed which grows rapidly via rooting fragments, making it quick to establish and difficult to remove. It covers the forest floor and prevents any native seedlings from establishing, eliminating a healthy forest understorey. This has been identified as one of the main issues at the only other remaining swamp forest of importance in the Whanganui district, Gordon Park, therefore preserving the bush at Parikino without this invasive weed is significant for biodiversity in the district. Biocontrol agents do exist for tradescantia (beetles and a fungus), but can only suppress its growth.

In an attempt to eradicate the tradescantia completely, biodiversity staff are maintaining a programme where it is sprayed every three months with a herbicide that doesn’t leach into the soil, preventing by-kill of the surrounding trees (double strength glyphosate with penetrant). It could take up to two years of treatment before it is gone completely, so this level of intensive control is only viable because the weed is still in a relatively small area.

The image below shows the patch of Tradescantia still healthy and established on the right, but showing signs of knock-back around the left edges of the patch.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

This is a selection of funding that is currently open for applications. You will need to read through each one to understand the application process & criteria and make sure to answer the questions with the specific information they need to assess your application.

ALL YEAR FUNDERS

This is a selection of funding that is available to apply for all year round.

Mātauranga Kura Taiao Fund - For whānau, hapū and iwi to preserve traditional Māori knowledge and its practical use in the management of indigenous biodiversity.

Ngā Whenua Rāhui - For protection of the natural integrity of Māori land and preserve mātauranga Māori.

ENM Environmental Initiatives Fund - For small grants less than $1000 For Palmerston North city only for biodiversity protection and enhancement

Whanganui Community Foundation

Four Regions Trust - For Whanganui, Rangitieki and Ruapehu only no specific fund categories

Pub Charity - For providing some enduring or demonstrable community benefit

The Lion Foundation -For No specific fund categories

EVENTS 

Kanorau Koiora Taketake Biodiversity Community Grant Open Day - Saturday - 12 APRIL

10am to 2pm

Te Pae Tata, 43A Ruapehu Road, Ohakune

Join us for biodiversity stories and questions email us to register

Manawatū Estuary Information and Advice  - Every week day morning EXCEPT Tuesdays

9am to 12 noon at the Senior Citizens Hall, 207 Seabury Ave, Foxton Beach

RESOURCES 

This section is for sharing some great web links to information, consumables or equipment that you may have to share or you may have a question that would be worth asking others. Send us an email with any of this information and we can share it here.

Environment Network Manawatū Calendar 

Predator Free New Zealand 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED 

JOIN THE TRIBE | Tōtara Reserve Indigenous Biodiversity Enhancement

The second Tuesday of every month between 10am -2pm at the reserve.

We will meet you at the Kererū Campground office block for a 10am start for the health and safety briefing, and then you can participate for as long as you can up to 2pm

We will be doing a variety of different tasks during the year so keep an eye on our events tab for full details and any updates to meeting locations.

All essential equipment required will be supplied, including gloves and Hi-vis vests, so you just need to dress appropriately to keep warm, dry and protected from the sun and bring some sunscreen, water and lunch.

If you have any questions please about volunteering at Tōtara Reserve please email us on here

Need help with something??

email BiodiversityCommunityTeam@horizons.govt.nz