August Ecology Newsletter

Hello!

Weather permitting this Thursday I will be down at Wainoni Park with students from Greenhithe Primary School planting trees, getting muddy and making new friends.

There are a lot of plants to be planted in our planting area so we are having another planting day this Sunday. Come and join us on Sunday 18th August 1.30pm as we plant the rest of them. Please bring your own gloves and spades (we have a few but not enough for everyone).

Volunteers at Wainoni Park have been busy clearing weeds from the planting areas. Japanese honeysuckle is one of the main pest plant species in the park and can be found smothering and strangling our native trees. Friends of Wainoni Park meet every Thursday morning at 9.30am and everyone is welcome to join us.

Thank you to Michelle Yates who at our last ecology network meeting showed us how to make beeswax wraps. We also learnt about pest plants that are found in our community. Two of those plants is Chinese privet and tree privet. If you have this tree in your backyard, please consider removing it as it can cause respiratory problems (asthma), is poisonous and displaces species in our native bush areas. More information is provided towards the end of this newsletter.

Thanks also to the Greenhithe Mens Group who have a ‘virtual’ shed. They recently made over 20 trap boxes for our community. Great stuff! The men’s group is a group of men working together for fitness and fun on community projects, but have no shed yet. For more information contact Johnathan .

Finally we’re also starting to prepare for the Lucas Creek Clean Up event in September. To register for this event please click here and/or email me if you can help us with organising this event.

Hope to see you soon!
Nicola

FRIENDS OF WAINONI PARK
School Holiday ActivityFriends of Wainoni Park had a successful school holiday activity in the July school holidays. A dozen trap boxes were made and children went exploring around Wainoni Park. On our adventure around the park, 15 different types of fungi were discovered, a rat was seen (not alive – it was in a trap box), and children learnt to identify different animal/insect tracks. To finish the morning, everyone planted a native tree. Whilst down by the waterway a birds nest was also discovered. The chicks have since hatched. Thank you to all the supporters who came along and made this day possible.Further to sign up to regular updates on Friends of Wainoni Park or for further information please contact nicola@greenhithecommunitytrust.org.nz

Pest Control in Greenhithe

Due to a warm summer which resulted in heavy seeding of our native plants, this year has seen an increase in rat numbers in many residential areas around Auckland, Greenhithe included. To keep on top of the rats in our area we need more people to become involved in trapping, particularly if you live near reserve areas or around the foreshore.

If you would like a trap for your backyard or would like to help manage a trap line in a reserve please contact us. We can help set you up.

If you trap for pests on your property there are several options for recording your data and/or getting reminders to reset your traps. One option is to sign up to the Urban Rat Project which can send you weekly or ‘pulsing’ reminders to check your trap and provide notifications on what is happening in your neighbourhood.

Another option is to download the Ecotrack App and once signed up, you can enter information about your trapping activities. You can also enter other information on conservation activities you may be undertaken on your land (such as pest plant control).

For those who follow the Auckland Council ‘Pulse’ guidelines, you should be undergoing the August pulse.

Weed of the Month
Privet

There are two species of privet – Chinese privet and tree privet. Privet is a declared pest plant by Auckland Council. It is fast growing and quickly displaces native trees, dominating in forests. During spring they produce hundreds of flowers which cause respiratory problems for many people. The leaves and seeds are poisonous. The berry like blue/purple seeds are dispersed by birds.

It is often found alongside roads, in backyards and coastal forests. It is found throughout Greenhithe and down at Wainoni Park. Friends of Wainoni Park are constantly removing seedlings and small privet trees. If you see this plant in your garden, pull out any seedlings before they get too big. Alternatively cut them down to prevent the seeds being dispersed by birds. For more information on controlling this plant go to the Auckland Council Pest Plant website. Images above are from the Auckland Council Pest Plant website.