2011 Events and Achievements

Ecological Plan meeting 18 Nov 2011

Committee members and specialists met with Auckland Council ecologist Chris Ferkins to initate a plan of action to monitor the ecology of the Little Shoal Bay wetland. This project will be documented on another page.

Sunday 13 November 2011 - Maritime Tce Good Neighbours Day

The aim of the 13 November working bee was to clear re-surgent weeds in the escarpment along below Maritime Tce facing the south-west arm of the Little Shoal Bay Wetland. Thanks to the association supporters, local residents and property owners who helped to clear invasive weeds from the boundary of their properties and the wetland.

The most serious problem we found was masses of blue morning glory climbing into the canopy - before long it would have been strangling the ponga and trees.

Conservation Volunteers 8 Nov 2011

A group of Conservation Volunteers worked with committee member Geoff Tisch to clear nut sedge in the wetland edge at the bottom of the Glade Place track and to plant over 100 natives (pukatea, kahikatea, cabbage trees and carex). Many thanks to all concerned.

Labour Weekend - ad hoc working bee 2011 - East of Highbury

Thanks to the Auckland Council, we had some kowhai, totara and lancewood to plant in the area around the Westpac Building, Ken, Geoff, Denny and Keith planted them all. We are now looking for volunteers to help water these plants - if you would be happy to help on a roster, please email Keith

Progress of 10 July planting

Here are some photos taken early October 2011 showing the progress of some of the planting undertaken on 10 July in the wetland beside the Glade Place to Valley Road walkway. The carexes and cabbage trees are looking very healthy. Many thanks to Kit Hustler for the photos. In the background the raupo is regaining its colour after winter.

It is interesting to note how the carex wins against the raupo in shadier locations.

Weeding Bee - bottom of Glade Place - Sunday 18 September 10am to noon

Heavy rain forced the postponement of the weeding bee on 11 September - and on 18 September only 3 people braved the heavy showers.

However, it was an interesting occasion on many fronts: One of the participants was the Greens candidate for Northcote, Vernon Tava. He is an environmental lawyer who teaches at The University of Auckland. He showed an interest in our plans for Le Roys, the kokopu, the impact the RMA amendment would have had on for those people who came to live in the area for Le Roys and enhanced by the bush on private land around the reserve. When we came to dig out the nut sedge, they turned out to be very deep rooted and quite hard to dig out.

Then during one shower, we heard a roaring noise which might have been a flood or a distant plane - it turned out to be a mini flood which suddenly gushed out across the area where we planted on 10 July. We got a bit of hail then a heavy shower set in so we paused to discuss rain gardens and the benefits of neighbourly engagement in the community then called it a day.

Thanks to Lynda, Keith and Vernon for turning up in grotty weather. We will need to come back and tackle the nut sedge again - it is already spreading actively amongst the carexes and other plants. If you would like to help with an ad hoc working bee, please email LeRoysBush@gmail.com and let us know when you would be available.

Given the volume of rain coursing across the planted area, it would also be worth giving consideration to developing a small rain garden around the bottom of the Glade Place stream. Council have recently replaced the sewer cover. The old one is waiting by the bottom of the stream and there are two waratah stakes at the bottom of the stream. We will get in touch with council and discuss some plans for managing the erosion that is occurring where the stream discharges.

Notes on "Nut Sedge" (Cyperus rotundus). It has been described as the `world’s worst weed’ due to its aggressive nature, persistent growth and resistance to control. Nutgrass is an erect, perennial herb growing between 20-50 cm high. It has a deep and extensive root system of tubers and bulbs. The stems are triangular with no branches.

Control methods must aim to exhaust the perennial tubers. Cultivation is effective, but only if it is very deep, thorough and persistent. Depth is important to bring as much of the root system as possible to the surface. The process must be thorough to ensure that all tuber chains are broken. Persistence is needed to kill all the shoots at the time of most active growth.

Cultivation is most effective when the soil is dry as the plants require moisture to grow. If cultivation is not sustained it will stimulate growth, further increasing the problem and may spread the plant pest to clean areas. Glyphosate can be used - but should be used on mature plants so the poison is more likely to go down into the roots and to impact on the tubers under the soil. Dormant tubers separate from the parent plants will not be affected and may emerge over coming years. Repeat applications of glyphosate may be required over many years. We have planted this area many times over recent years - let's get the nut sedge under control this time around so it doesn't kill off the native plants this time round!

"Naturally Smarter" planting day - Valley Road reserve - Sunday 7 August 10am to noon

Thanks to Megan and Holly for organising this planting day. And thanks to all the volunteers for helping to plant 400 trees on a very steep site and picking up a lot of rubbish thrown over the fence by passers by.

Thanks to the following helpers: Carol, James, Isobel, Don, Eloise, Helen, Emily, Maia, Ella, Brendan and Charlotte, Geoff, Susan, Colin, Becs, Richard, Keith, Darren, and [who have I forgotten?].

The site was on a slope and rather slippery but hopefully the trees planted up near the Valley Road footpath will discourage people from tipping their rubbish over.

The Naturally Smarter programme continues in Le Roys Bush to foster native plants as a way to help control erosion in Le Roys Bush and the Little Shoal Bay catchment.

Here's some photos of the planters:

Planting Day 31 July 2011

A small working bee was held to plant trees grown and donated by Steve Matthews and to clear the mulch delivered by Tree Fellas. For more details, see East of Highbury project.

Planting Day 10 July 2011

Le Roys Bush/Little Shoal Bay wetland

by track between Glade Place (Birkenhead) and Valley Road (Northcote)

Thanks to a great turnout by 43 plus people, we planted over 1100 natives - including 850 native grasses - in less than 2 hours.

The photo shows some of the 44 people who helped make the planting day a success.

This section of the wetland between Glade Place and Valley Road had seen a number of working bees - but it is a hard location to manage. That's whe the committee decided to eliminate the nut sedge, beggars ticks and other weeds and then to plant it intensively with grasses, shrubs and trees that will help to suppress the recurrent weeds.

The stump in the foreground of this picture and the log behind it is a remant of the many crack willows which had been choking the wetland for many decades. In the 1990s a small group of local volunteers managed to get the large willows almost under control. Back breaking and exhausting work - two volunteers Dave and Adrian worked their way across the swamp with two planks. Unfortunately crack willows regrow from the smallest branch that breaks off. And over the past 4 years, thanks to grants from the Auckland Council (then ARC)'s Coastal Enhancement Fund and from the Birkenhead Licencing Trust/Lion Foundation, the management committee has employed Steve Cook of EcoScience to control the willows, pampas grass and many other invasive species. Steve has an Argo with big balloon wheels which is better able to access across the wetland and tackle the recurrent and new weeds.

Today we planted over $3000 worth of native plants - 450 of which were donated from the Auckland Council's Parks Department. The balance were purchased from Management Committee funds.

The plants included:

Grasses: Carex secta, Carex virgata and others

Ferns: Kiokio, Mountain flax,

Trees: Kahikatea, Pukatea, Puriri, Comprosma grandifolia.

We look forward to this area flourishing - with some regular weeding and enhancing the beauty of the walking tracks in Le Roys Bush and this shortcut from Birkenhead Point to Onewa Road.

Many many thanks to Adrian, Brendan, Megan, ..., ..., ..., ..., Darren, Geoff, Lynda, Dave, James, Isobel, Werner, Don, John, Sue, Maraea-Rose, Nicola, Duane, Gene, Holly, Eloise, Thibault, Carl, Clyde, Henry, Margi, Linda, Pam, Margaret, Robyn, John S, John, Pauline, Kris, Brent, Chrissie, Zebbie, Dorota, Kaya, Robin, Emily, Maia, Lydia, Lynne, Jenny. (My apologies to anyone we've missed out - Keith has a dreadful memory and he can't read some people's handwriting - if you dont get a thank you email please contact Keith to provide your correct details).

A special thank you also to the following for your help:

• • Steve Cook, EcoScience

  • Holly Stannard

  • Megan Beard and Nicki Malone, Auckland Council

  • Geoff and Lynda Tisch

We look forward to seeing you at the Valley Road planting - 10am Sunday 7 August 2011.

Very best wishes, Carol Hosking (Chair) and Keith Salmon (project manager)

Le Roys Bush and Little Shoal Bay Management Committee

PS Did you leave behind a water bottle with an insulated cover and a matching thing - not sure what it is. Call/txt Keith 021-240-9414.

Some other photos:

Nicola and Duane (from Epsom):

Carl and Thibault (AFS students from Sweden(?) and France)

Brent and Zebbie

Don from Ashore and Eloise

Henry and Clyde

If you want access to more photos, or larger sizes of the above, email LeRoysBush@gmail.com

Working Bee - Rods Island 8 May 2011

The purpose of this working bee was to spread mulch around the edges of Rod's Island - especially on the side facing up the valley. And to keep the interface of the "island" with the raupo clear of invasive weeds.

Our general strategy for Rod's Island is to make it look more attractive with native trees - but without blocking views up the valley to Le Roys Bush.

We had a very pleasant morning tea (thanks Carol and family for the mother's day baking) in the autumn sunshine. It would be a great spot for a family picnic. We chatted about the history of the valley - the cliffs fringed with pohutukawa reveal that this was once a salt water estuary. The pipi walk from what is now Wernham Place led down to what we assume was a mangrove fringed beach where kai moana was gathered. Underneath a layer of silt lie the beaches that lay below the cliff faces.

The "island" is the beginning of what was intended by the Birkenhead Borough Council of the day to be reclaimed as a large playing field. In the early 70s, local residents lay down in front of the trucks to stop more concrete and clay being dumped in the wetland. Now the estuary is said to be the North Shore's largest raupo wetland. Home to both native fish and the nasty mosquito fish (gambusia).

Thanks very much to Lynda, Eloise, Julia, Isobel, James, Carol, Adiran, Don, Geoff and Keith who move two truckloads of mulch today.