Boom of rare native birds in Wairarapa Moana

by Elena Smith-Beech (Media advisor - Greater Wellington)

Years of restoration and predator control efforts have given critically endangered native bird populations the chance to thrive in the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands, says Greater Wellington.  

Bittern - Photo credit Fran Bell

The matuku-hūrepo or Australasian bittern’s threat status is nationally critical – the last step before extinction – with less than 1,000 birds living in wetlands across Aotearoa. Nestled in the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands, these rare native birds meld into the grasses and raupō, found only by their booming call.  

Matuku are secretive, stealthy and difficult to spot due to their clever earth-coloured camouflage. To count the birds is to stand in the wetlands just before dawn or dusk, and listen for the “booms and wooms” of the males’ call. 

The best time to hear a bittern is between September and February during their breeding season – booming season. Roger Uys, Senior Environmental Scientist at Greater Wellington, says recently more matuku have been heard at the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands than ever before.  

“Not so long ago there was serious national concern that the bittern population was going backwards,” says Uys. “Now I can confidently say the bittern are thriving at Wairarapa Moana, because of the predator control work we do.  

“Both the bittern and spotless crake nest on the ground, where they’re vulnerable to predators with nests in easy reach of stoats and hedgehogs.  

“Hearing the breeding matuku is a special sign that all the restoration efforts are working.” 

The matuku-hūrepo, Australasian bittern wading in a wetland. Credit: Fran Bell

The Wairarapa Moana Wetlands are one of the few wetlands in Aotearoa recognised as a Ramsar site of international significance. Locally, Māori pūrākau and connection to the area run as deep as the lake.  

Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa kaiwhakahaere taiao Rawiri Smith belongs to the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands project, often sharing kōrero about the plants, pests, and place.  

“In te ao Māori, the male matuku booms in loneliness and despair. The matuku and its calls were woven into waiata and kōrero to comfort people in their grief,” says Smith. 

“The calls still hold that chilling feeling, as we grieve the loss of 97 percent of the repo (wetlands) that surrounded Wairarapa Moana. 

“We want to work collaboratively to expand the remaining wetlands, in Māori we call this mahi tūhono, the work of connecting.  

“If we can reduce the introduced predators in our lands and forests, then we might have a chance to replenish, and a chance for manu (birds) like the matuku and pūweto (spotless crake) to grow and enhance the mauri (life force) of the place.”  

Matthew’s Lagoon, Wairarapa Moana Wetlands

If the wetlands were a quilt, traps to reduce predators would be a decorative border surrounding the blue, green and brown shapes of flora and fauna. It was Greater Wellington’s Senior Biosecurity Officer Steve Playle who set up the intricate network of 470 traps in 2013.  

“I’ve known the wetlands for more than 40 years,” says Playle. “As a hunter and frequent visitor, I saw my role in leading the wetland’s predator control as an opportunity to give back to the land. 

“It can take years of trapping and planting before we begin to see the impact of our work. We’ve removed thousands of hedgehogs and rats, and hundreds of ferrets, feral cats and mice from the Wairarapa Moana. 

“And now, we’re seeing endangered wildlife flourish – it’s the wetlands telling us how effective long-term predator control is.” 

Decades of conservation efforts have fed into the Wairarapa Moana project, a collaboration between Greater Wellington, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Rangitāne o Wairarapa, Department of Conservation and the South Wairarapa District Council.  

Visitors of the Wairarapa Moana may hear the booms as they bellow across the wetlands, or see a matuku standing upright with its beak toward the sky, imitating the tall rāupo.

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Rare native birds in Wairarapa Moana booming

check out another great article by James Perry, interviewing Rawiri Smith

Te Ao Māori News Article

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Wairarapa Moana celebrated

This story first appeared in the Wairarapa Times-Age

Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project held an open day at Lake Domain on Sunday to celebrate Wairarapa Moana’s recognition as an ‘internationally significant’ wetland under the Ramsar Convention.

Wairarapa Moana is one of the largest remaining wetland complexes in New Zealand, a spokesperson said.

Nine organisations had joined, many non-government, working to restore Wairarapa Moana to its former glory, and had stalls with engaging displays.

In one of the more distinctive displays at Whakarongo ki te taiao, acclaimed musician Warren Maxwell resurrected the remains of a fallen tōtara tree found at Wairarapa Moana, transforming the log into a musical instrument.

Stretching strings to a section and fixing stereo contact mics linking to an effects pedal and PA system, he fused an old log with new technologies, a spokesperson said.

The result was an eerie sound of murmurs and vibrations that helped to unlock some of the mystery of this once magnificent tree and the land where it had stood.

Excited rangatahi (young people) experimenting with the sounds of “Koro”, the name Maxwell gave the old tōtara log, captured the essence of Whakarongo ki te taiao, which translates to “feeling the land’s rhythms”.

There was also live music and interactive artworks, including installations from artists Siv Fjaerestad, Sam Ludden, and Warren Maxwell.

As a recognised driving force behind many musical projects, Maxwell said he came up with his idea as a way to indigenise his music practice and reconnect to the natural world.

“I have been really lucky to have been brought up using western music pedagogy, but my Maori indigenous side is going, ‘what did my ancestors use to inspire music’.

“So I want to augment my very privileged music background with researching indigenous stuff,” Maxwell said.

Maxwell found the log washed up on the shore where the Tauherenikau River enters Lake Wairarapa.

“He feels like a Koro to me, an old grandpa,” Maxwell said.

Speaking at Sunday’s event, Greater Wellington Wairarapa committee chairwoman and councillor Adrienne Staples said the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project’s vision began in 2007 to ensure this taonga was cherished as a place of cultural and historical significance that inspires future generations.

Staples said the next step was developing a “master plan” that would include community input to ensure maximum progress could be made.

Over past years, input had come from far and wide, including Victoria University’s school of landscape architecture, which five years ago came up with some concept designs for various beautification projects
around the moana.

Some of these were on display at a stall hosted by Rawiri Smith of Kahungunu ki Wairarapa.

Smith said that he hoped they might become a reality one day, pointing to the various funding initiatives announced last year earmarked for Wairarapa Moana.

Funding opportunities included $3.5 million from the Ministry of the Environment through the Jobs for Nature programme, which has been scaling up restoration efforts at wetlands.

Showing what a collective effort can achieve was Featherston-based group, Pae Tu Mokai o Tauira, who last year undertook a planting project at the Lake Domain Reserve entrance.

Spokesperson Narida Hooper said they used the Hugelkultur technique, which works by burying woody materials under the soil, then growing plants on top or between the buried trenches.

The wood in the bed acted as a sponge, providing moisture to the plants and the decomposing wood continually providing nutrients.

The project has been hugely successful, with nearly all of the plantings thriving in the harsh conditions.

They have now been providing habitat for mighty totara, the likes of Warren Maxwell’s koro, to once again stand tall over this wetland treasure, she said.

The Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project is a collaboration among Ngati Kahugnunu ki Wairarapa, Rangitane o Wairarapa, the Department of Conservation, South Wairarapa District Council, and Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Whakarongo ki te taiao Feeling the land’s rhythms

When: Sunday, 21 March from 11am - 2pm

Where: Lake Domain, Soldier Settlement South, Wairarapa

Join us at Lake Domain, on the Northern shores of Lake Wairarapa, for music, interactive artworks and to meet some of the creatures that live in the waters of Wairarapa Moana.

Talk with experts to learn more about this special place and help us celebrate Wairarapa Moana becoming Aotearoa’s newest wetland of International Significance under the Ramsar Convention.

Bring a water bottle and gold coins for a sausage sizzle.

This event is brought to you by the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project, a collaboration between Ngāti Kahugnunu ki Wairarapa, Rangitāne o Wairarapa, the Department of Conservation, South Wairarapa District Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Check out the event details on Facebook.

Lake’s young kākahi desperately need some mates

With all of Lake Wairarapa to play in, it can be a lonely life for a juvenile kākahi, the native New Zealand freshwater mussel. While there are plenty of the adult mollusc living on the lake bed, juveniles are few, and it is cause for concern.

This year’s annual kākahi monitoring survey day at Lake Domain Reserve in the Wairarapa recorded reasonable numbers of adult kākahi, but not a single juvenile.

The kākahi monitoring programme, now in its seventh year, is one of a number of projects underway at Lake Wairarapa as part of the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project, a joint initiative of Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Wairarapa Inc, Greater Wellington Regional Council, the Department of Conservation, and South Wairarapa District Council.

Freshwater ecologist Amber McEwan, who coordinates the event says the juvenile no-show is troubling, and signals a worrying outlook for the fate of the species in Lake Wairarapa.

Kākahi play an important ecosystem role as they filter water, as one kākahi can filter about one litre of water per hour. In the past, large beds of kākahi probably helped to maintain the clarity and ecological health of New Zealand’s waterways.

Kākahi are a taonga species for Māori; as a traditional source of food and as tools.

NIWA freshwater ecologist Mark Fenwick says kākahi are considered to be a bioindicator in freshwater environments.

“The fact they are still relatively easy to find in Lake Wairarapa is encouraging. Like all species, however, their future will be dependent on having babies, and right now baby kākahi are hard to find,” says Mr Fenwick.

“It is a problem mirrored all around New Zealand. Populations of kākahi are year-by-year getting older which will eventually get to a tipping point where there is no recruitment.

“In some places they are becoming virtually extinct; there are viable adults but they are not producing any babies - Lake Wairarapa is not there yet,” says Mr Fenwick.

Greater Wellington’s Wairarapa Moana Project Lead, Kereana Sims says “The kākahi monitoring programme helps us to build our understanding of what is happening with the ecology of Wairarapa Moana, but it’s also a really important way for us to grow the connection between people and the Lake.”

This year’s monitoring involved about 35 citizen scientists, measuring and recording information about the kākahi and returning them safely to the lake. The survey alternates between two sites at Lake Wairarapa - Lake Domain at the top end of the lake and Wairarapa Lake Shore Scenic Reserve on the Western side.

Mr Fenwick says the two locations are quite different and may help to explain why there were no juveniles found in this year’s survey.

The monitoring site at Lake Domain Reserve is between two waterways flowing into the lake - Tauwharenīkau River and the outlet of Barton’s Lagoon. It makes it more likely that trout and other introduced fish such as rudd and perch are prevalent, a factor which may be contributing to the decline of kākahi.

Kākahi populations rely on host fish species - their favourite being the native kōaro - to facilitate successful reproduction. As host fish they act like a taxi whereby kākahi larva, called glochidia, are sneezed out by their mother and latch onto a passing fish using a hook at the top of their shell.

“This side of the lake probably has less native fish, and more exotic which has a negative effect for the kākahi population because they are not able to transform into the adult form on the exotic species, instead probably dropping off and dying.”

Not only are exotic fish likely making it hard for juveniles to successfully transform, it is also very difficult for baby kākahi to survive in most parts of Wairarapa Moana these days.

This is due to the effects of nutrient and sediment runoff from surrounding land, which creates a hostile lake bottom, rather than the clean, oxygenated habitat that baby kākahi need.

The Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project began in 2008 with the aim of enhancing the native ecology, recreational and cultural opportunities on public land in the area, and includes restoration work at Ōnoke Spit, Lake Domain Reserve, Donald’s Creek as well as Ōnoke/Ōkorewa Lagoon.

Wairarapa Moana is one of the largest remaining wetland complexes in New Zealand, and has ecological values of national and international significance.

For more information on the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project visit the website: www.waiwetlands.org.nz

New website uses digital storytelling to share Wairarapa lake histories

A new website brings together Māori and Pākehā histories, scientific insights and personal memories of Wairarapa lakes as part of a project that aims to kick-start fresh conversations about lake health and mauri (a Te Ao Māori concept meaning life-force).

The website (Wairarapa Moana Pūrākau Kete – lakestoriesnz.org) uses a range of mediums including short documentaries, audio recordings, photography and art to share stories that bring these lake histories to life.

They feature local experts and community members whose lives have been shaped by these lake taonga, sharing what the lakes mean to them and their vision for improving the health of both the lakes and their communities.

The project is a part of Cawthron Institute and GNS Science’s joint Lakes380 research programme which aims to weave together different forms of knowledge, ranging from traditional scientific knowledge collected through lake sediment sampling, alongside social histories that provide important context.

Lakestoriesnz.org project leader Charlotte Šunde of Cawthron Institute said that some of these stories include how Ngāti Kahungunu gifted Lake Wairarapa to the Crown in 1896, the ‘battle’ to control Lake Ōnoke’s opening and the return of the lake bed to Māori through treaty settlements.

“Digital storytelling like this is a fairly new and very effective way of bringing lake stories to a wide audience, reaching far beyond the impact of scientific publications,” Charlotte Šunde said.

“By combining scientific insights from lake sampling with the stories that are told through these audio-visual pieces, we set out to open a space for dialogue about the history of Wairarapa Moana and what we might do to improve the health of these lakes and their communities.

“The stories also celebrate the positive changes that are happening throughout the community to improve the condition of Wairarapa waterways.”

The Lakes380 project has focused on building in-depth relationships with iwi in the Wairarapa and Rangitīkei, with different styles of engagement being adopted in each rohe that reflect the relationships formed and the unique priorities for each iwi. In Wairarapa, storytelling immediately emerged as an important opportunity given where iwi are at with environmental projects and treaty settlements for Wairarapa Moana, hence the decision to create a website that could be home to these histories.

Environment manager Rawiri Smith of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa said that the stories touched the right tone with the community and that iwi would like to build on the project’s outcomes by creating a living record for all waterways in Wairarapa.

“These lake stories have provoked thinking, encouraging behaviour change out of our common humanity rather than through confrontation or enforcement,” Rawiri Smith said.

For more information about Wairarapa Moana Pūrākau Kete, visit lakestoriesnz.org.

For more information about Lakes380, visit lakes380.com.

Wairarapa school nurtures muddy paddock into thriving wetland

Kahutara School is fostering students’ connection with te taiao (nature) by developing a wetland to encourage biodiversity back to the local area, following the school’s participation in the Whitebait Connection programme.

The programme was led by Mountains to Sea Wellington and supported by Greater Wellington Regional Council. Greater Wellington biodiversity advisor, Micheline Evans says, “Since the land donation by the grandparents of a former student in 2017, the restoration work has been integrated into the school’s curriculum with students learning about the wetland and getting involved in seasonal planting and monitoring.

“Three years on, students are already witnessing positive changes in their local wetland ­– with flourishing locally sourced kōwhai, kahikatea, harakeke, cabbage trees, black beech and frequent visits from kotare, ducks and the occasional white heron.”

The message is clear that educational and environmental projects provide practical opportunities to support the student’s wellbeing and ultimately set our region up for success by leaving a healthy and thriving biodiversity legacy.

Kahutara School deputy principal, Hamish McRae says, “It’s the small things like our students all picking a tree to research and name that build their sense of connection and belonging with the area.

“Some of these children will grow up to become farmers, so it’s awesome they can begin to appreciate the value of these activities.

“We can see children making connections between the conservation work they are already doing on their family farms, like trapping and planting.”

Mr McRae says Kahutara School couldn’t have transformed this once-was muddy paddock into a thriving ecosystem without the further support of numerous community groups, such as South Wairarapa Rotary and Featherston’s Own Charitable Trust. 

The school has also used the programme to reel in a range of experts to inspire the students. A recent visit from Scottish dragonfly experts, Ruary MacKenzie Dodds and Kari de Koenigswarter, helped students discover that the wetland is a hotspot of baron dragonfly larvae. 

And the school’s good work doesn’t stop there, with a community track around the wetland in the final stages and future plans to include QR codes on the trees for visitors to learn about species’ history.

Greater Wellington councillor, Adrienne Staples says, “The young generation is paving the way for a greener, healthier and a more resilient future through kaupapa like these.

“We hope Kahutara School inspires others to start their own projects, whether it’s getting involved in sustainable school programmes, planting, trapping or looking after a wetland.”

This ongoing educational project is one of many initiatives that Greater Wellington has supported as part of the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project, a collaboration between Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Rangitāne o Wairarapa, Greater Wellington, the Department of Conservation and South Wairarapa District Council.

Learn more about the sustainable school programmes supported by Greater Wellington.

International recognition of Wairarapa Moana celebrated in Conservation Week

The North Island’s third largest wetland ecosystem has been approved as a Wetland of International Importance, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced today.

The 10,000 hectares of wetland and open water that comprise Wairarapa Moana have been granted this status by the Ramsar Wetland Convention. It aims to raise the profile of wetlands in response to the continuing loss of these important habitats across the globe.

“Wairarapa Moana has become Aotearoa New Zealand’s seventh wetland to receive this international recognition.  Wetlands are integral to the health of the land, waterways, plants and wildlife because of the crucial ecosystem services they provide. Wairarapa Moana wetland is home to 96 bird species, 25 native fish species, and countless plant species.

Eugenie Sage was joined by iwi and community members at a Conservation Week event at Lake Ōnoke, celebrating the Moana and the work of those who have championed the conservation of the

“It’s also clear that the Wairarapa Moana also has incredible value to people. The name ‘Wairarapa’ itself refers to the wetland’s glistening waters. Recognising this site as globally significant is an excellent way to raise the Moana’s profile and remind everyone of its worth.

“I warmly congratulate the Wairarapa iwi, community groups and organisations that have championed this kaupapa. Ramsar status not only recognises the value of the wetland but also the community efforts to restore and protect the site.”

International recognition comes at a perfect time, with the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands project and wider Ruamāhanga Catchment recently receiving a $6 million investment from central government’s Jobs for Nature programme and $4 million investment from Greater Wellington Regional Council.

“The focus of Conservation Week this year is on wellbeing and seeing nature though new eyes. Wairarapa Moana is a relatively accessible wetland, and its many short walks and impressive biodiversity make it a perfect place to immerse yourself in nature. I would encourage people to take the time to visit and really look at what’s here,” she said.

“Nature is fantastic for our wellbeing, and when we take the time to care, that can be fantastic for nature’s wellbeing too.”

New Zealand has lost 90 percent of wetlands and many of those remaining are threatened by development and poor water quality.

Recognition as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention means New Zealand must manage this wetland to protect the values that it currently has, monitor them and report periodically to the convention. 

For more information about Wairarapa Moanasee https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/wairarapa/places/wairarapa-moana-wetlands/

About the Ramsar Convention

The Ramsar Convention was formed in 1971 in the Iranian town of Ramsar on the Caspian Sea to recognise wetlands of international significance. The convention was formed to raise the profile of wetlands in response to the continuing loss of these important habitats across the globe, particularly those on the flight path of migratory birds.

There are six other Ramsar recognised sites in New Zealand - Firth of Thames in the Hauraki Gulf, Kopuatai Peat Dome on the Hauraki Plains, Whangamarino wetland in the northern Waikato, Manawatu Estuary near Foxton, Farewell Spit at the top of the South Island, and Awarua Waituna Lagoon in Southland.

Wairarapa Moana is managed collaboratively by the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Group made up of representatives from Rangitāne o Wairarapa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, hapū, Greater Wellington Regional Council, South Wairarapa District Council and the Department of Conservation.

Groups driving conservation work at Wairarapa Moana include hapū and whānau, Ducks Unlimited, Forest and Bird, Fish and Game, South Wairarapa Biodiversity Group, and Friends of Ōnoke Spit, among others.

Our Wairarapa wetland treasure seeks international, Ramsar status

“Recognition of the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands under the Ramsar Convention would be a real achievement, and not just for the Moana. It will raise the profile of the value of wetlands and hopefully support the process of identifying and protecting them throughout the region.”

“Over the years we’ve learned a lot from Wairarapa Moana. It has also brought to the forefront the extensive partnership and hard work from landowners, iwi, local hapū, local authorities and the community­ to protect this taonga (sacred) treasure and to restore it back to health.”

That’s the message from Greater Wellington Wairarapa Committee Chair Councillor Adrienne Staples, in welcoming the decision by the Government to recommend Wairarapa Moana Wetlands for recognition under the Ramsar Convention.

Cr Staples says we need to take the opportunity to celebrate the environmental and cultural benefits that wetlands can deliver, and to acknowledge the significant work that goes into protecting them.

Currently, various initiatives are underway to address the environmental changes that have occurred in the last 150 years as a result of human settlement and activity around the Moana.

Since 2008, the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project has been working towards the vision Whakaora te repo, ka ora te taonga wai (Restoring our wetland treasure). This project is as ongoing collaboration between Greater Wellington Regional Council, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, local hapū, Rangitāne o Wairarapa, Department of Conservation, South Wairarapa District Council and the support of local landowners.

Alongside this partnership project, Greater Wellington also works with partners on water quality challenges that span environmental, social, cultural and economic factors.

A few of these initiatives include mitigating impacts from climate change and flood risks, improving human health through connection with nature, enhancement of indigenous biodiversity and upholding cultural values.

Ngāti Kahungunu representative, Ra Smith says, “Wairarapa Moana is an ancestor of local Māori. The area has been and continues to be a highly valued spiritual site for Wairarapa iwi and hapū. Wetlands are important sites for all people, as they play a significant role in our future.”

Despite the environmental changes to Wairarapa Moana, visitors from across New Zealand and the globe seek out this wetland to enjoy recreational activities, learn about the unique ecology and delve into its rich history.

The application has been sent to the Ramsar Secretariat in Geneva and an outcome is expected later in the year.

Donalds Creek Freshwater Restoration Project 2019

This story first appeared on Mountains to Sea Wellington’s website

St Teresa’s project initiation (2017)

Since 2017  students at St. Teresa’s school have been taking part in Mountains to Sea Wellington freshwater programs.

They’ve raised whitebait, explored rivers and streams right across the catchment and thought about what they could do in their local area. From this, the class developed a vision for what the nearby Donald Stream area could become.

Their plan included a picnic area with bins, the right trees to attract native birds, clear water in the stream and healthy biodiversity with plants, insects and fish and even an “eel hotel”. Find out more about the students involved in the 2017 project initiation.

From these initial school projects, the community has been inspired to come and take more steps as guardians of this stream.

Inspiring the community (2019)

With thanks to Trust House Limited, MTSW were able to sub-contract local artist Siv Fjaerstad to work with the students to help coordinate a stream celebration on the 30th November 2019. Everyone was invited to come along to a fun-filled, freshwater event where locals could spend some time getting to know the stream and learn about the great mahi achieved so far by St Teresa’s students and supporters to restore the freshwater ecosystem.

The event

Visitors to the event were able to take part in the Kaitiakitanga Challenge, which was directed by the fortune tellers that the St Teresa’s students had made. These directed participants to various activities and stalls on the day. Below are the eight types of stalls the fortune tellers would lead people to, giving them a range of fun experiences for them to interact with and learn about Donalds Creek.

Event stalls

AWARE

This station was all about bringing the local community to the stream and inspiring them to bring their friends and family awareness to it. It was set up with an ABC bike check run by Moana Bike Trail, where they helped check over peoples bikes as a way to prompt people access the site by bike. On the table at their station they had a large printout map where you could draw the path from your home to Donalds Creek.

CRITTERS

The Mountains to Sea Wellington station covered everything freshwater monitoring, allowing people to get up close and personal with life in the stream including  macro-invertebrates, which are the amazing bugs that live in our local streams. There were also several baby tuna (eel), a freshwater crayfish and bullies found that people were able to look at, and were later released back into the stream by participants.

INSPIRE

For those interested in the history of the local area, and how the steam has been a part of the community over the years,  locals shared stories of the region, old site maps, and Māori names of the streams.

EXPLORE

On the underside of the bridge a mural waterscape had been painted for the locals to stencil on their own freshwater flora and fauna and leave their creative mark on the restoration site. There was also a chill area laid out for people to come collage, colour in Taniwha, and press plants.

KAI

Hungry? You can’t hold an event from 12:00 until 2:30 without good food for all. We were lucky enough to have some amazing baking from a range of our volunteers. A simple koha donation got you some yummy brownies, cakes and savoury items whilst also support continued restoration efforts.

RIFFLE

Tackle the not so explosive rapids and race a nature made boat down the stream. Kids and adults alike could make mini boats from leaves and test the velocity of the stream by embarking them down the stretch of water alongside the event.

SENSES

Between the chill area and the yummy kai, people could take some time to take in the beautiful sounds of nature and listen to music from Warren Maxwell.

TIDY TUNA

A great opportunity to look after the flora on the river bank and provide Mulch for the native grasses St. Teresa’s school had planned earlier in the year. This stall was also run by the sustainable coastlines, who were also happy to help educate around current NZ water issues.

The event

Once you had completed at least 5 of the activities, the participants would enter into the draw for beautiful freshwater books and resources donated by Amber McEwan. Whether they won a prize or not, every participant walked away with a limited edition Donald’s Creek Fortune Teller or a coloured in taniwha, or knowing they had painted a stencil onto the under bridge mural, or the memory of having captured, identified and learnt the names of a macro-invertebrate, said hello to a baby eel, explored a catchment, watered a plant, and more. These were beautiful and meaningful experiences and memories from the day and stream.

Continued restoration

After this event more community within the Wairarapa Moana have been given ties to take guardianship over their local stream. Students of St Teresa’s plan to continue their freshwater monitoring and tree planting through out 2020. An exciting permanent installation to this area is also the science table designed by the wonderful Siv Fjaerstad, which was show cased at the restoration event. A big thanks to Rotary and the Lionesses clubs for supporting this incredible installation to happen. Please stay up to date with community planting days and actions on the Donald’s Creek Kaitiakitanga Blog.

Something Fishy Featherston

This story first appeared on Mountains to Sea Wellington’s website

The Wairarapa Moana catchment is a puna of keen conservation-minded community rōpū. Mountains to Sea Wellington have been loving getting out in the wai and bringing them together to support through our freshwater fish monitoring workshops.

On the 21st and 22nd of November 2019 Mountains to Sea Wellington ran our second ever freshwater fish monitoring workshop in the Wairarapa Moana catchment.

Workshop focus

The workshop focussed on easily accessible methods of fish monitoring, looking at trapping and night spotlighting.

This was all while learning about why to monitor fish, proper handling and care, identification, understanding what the fish are telling us, and what to do with all the data.

The fish monitoring part of the workshop was held in the outflow of Bartons Lagoon to the Wairarapa Moana, and the night spotlighting was in a section of Abbots Creek (the Otauira).

Running workshops like this one, it is always awesome to see excitement on peoples faces when they see an eel or fish for the first time. The chance to interact that closely with nature is an incredible experience.

Bringing together like-minded locals

These workshops provide a great opportunity to connect, to both other like-minded locals and to the taiao. There was a wide variety of people; from from farmers, to ex commericial eelers and local rōpū.

Local critters

With two-full days in the field there was no shortage of highlights, from finding massive kaumatua tuna and tiny dwarf galaxiids through to building a great network and having a whole lot of fun. As Karen Mikaera of PTMoT put it: “This has been the start of something great for Featherston.”

A big thanks

These workshops have been made possible thanks to funding from MfE’s Community Environment Fund and co-delivery support from Greater Wellington Regional Council. We look forward to helping spread this knowledge in the future.

Find out more about monitoring Wellington’s freshwater fish.

Tamariki lead stream restoration

This story was first published in the Wairarapa Times Age on August 5 2019

A stream in South Wairarapa is getting a helping hand from a bunch of Featherston Year 6 students keen to restore and protect its native biodiversity.

The children from St Teresa’s School have started riparian planting on a section of Donald’s Creek at the south-eastern corner of town.

In chilly conditions on Wednesday the students planted 300 native grasses alongside the stream in an effort to improve the environment and to encourage life back to the water.

The planting is the first of what the students hope will be the start of many more to come and a source of pride in the community.

Donald’s Creek is part of the Featherston landscape, marking the eastern boundary before cutting under SH2 and passing between several properties on its way to Lake Wairarapa. South Wairarapa District Council granted guardianship of the area being planted to Featherston schools in 2016.

St Teresa’s classroom teacher Liz Lark said students are genuinely interested in their local waterways and have been learning about stream health and stream restoration.

“We’ve been working with the team from Mountains to Sea Wellington, monitoring stream health, and developing a restoration plan for this section of Donald’s Creek”, Mrs Lark said.

“They know that through planting native grasses and shrubs, they will encourage greater biodiversity.”

Year 6 student Van Rozing said this means more fish and eels in the stream, and more birds and insects hanging around in the shrubs.

As well as providing habitat for wildlife, when established the plants will create much needed shade for fish in the stream too, said Van’s classmate Rosie Renshaw.

Mrs Lark said the students have aspirations for the area one day being made a public place that people can come and enjoy.

“They know it will take a lot of time and effort to achieve, but long term that is their vision and I think it’s something the whole community will be really supportive of,” Mrs Lark said.

Student Benjamin Everlein encourages “everyone in Featherston” to roll up their sleeves and get on board.

Mountains to Sea Wellington Director Zoe Studd said the enthusiasm and passion of the the students and their teacher is “inspiring”.

“They want to see fish and native animals thrive again in this forgotten spot, and they are doing something about it . . . that’s so exciting,” she said.

It’s going to be really important for them to have lots of community support to help realise their vision, she said.

The students hopes and aspirations fit into a much wider initiative, the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project, a joint venture involving Local and Central Government, and local iwi. The project was launched in 2008 with the aim of restoring this “wetland treasure”. Greater Wellington Regional Council is a key partner, and also a funder of Mountains to Sea Wellington.

Wairarapa Moana is the largest remaining wetland in the lower North Island. It is of national and international importance due to its significant cultural, ecological, and recreational values.

Wairio creating a template for wetland restoration

This story was first published in the Wairarapa Times-Age on 25 July 2019

It’s not so much from “small seeds that mighty trees grow”, but rather small seedlings.

This is the case on the eastern shores of Lake Wairarapa where Wairio Wetlands is a shining light of what can be done to restore health to a damaged ecology.

Poke a seed in the ground and it is unlikely that it will ever get enough light to germinate and rise above the thick mat of grasses. But a staked seedling, plus a bit tending to during its first couple of years, that’s a different story.

Thanks to the sheer doggedness of some ardent ‘duck enthusiasts’, the once devastated wetland is well on the road back to its former glory. And the mighty tōtara and kahikatea that towered over the wetland forest and surrounding bodies of open water are now returning.

Wairio Wetlands is a joint venture between conservation group Ducks Unlimited New Zealand and the Department of Conservation and is supported by Greater Wellington Regional Council. The project has been going for 14 years, it covers 132 hectares of which 100 hectares is open water.

The transformation from bare paddocks with poor pasture, (an outcome of the Lower Wairarapa Valley Development Scheme during the 1960 and 1970s), back to thriving wetland is extraordinary. The area is now teeming with flora and fauna including endangered bird species as well as numerous common waterfowl and waders.

For Ross Cottle, chairman of Ducks Unlimited, it is “enormously gratifying” to see the flourishing ecosystem they have created.

“It's a leader in this region and a template for how to restore a wetland," Cottle says.

As the template shows, it requires a vision, huge effort and lots of money. To date the project has cost over $200,000 for planting, diverting water and fencing to limit stock access.

Mr Cottle says the early years were hard work but, as “significant funding” became available and boots ’n’ all support was received from Victoria University and community volunteers, progress has gathered pace.

“There have been a number of Victoria University students using the project for their masters theses enabling us to put some better science behind the whole project,” Mr Cottle says.

Led by Dr Stephen Hartley, Director of the Centre of Biodiversity & Restoration Ecology at Victoria University, students were back at Wairio this month carrying out “in-fill planting” of larger varieties of native trees.

Joining them were Patrick and Janet Velvin who are supporting the project with a donation. Janet Velvin says they became aware of the Wairio Wetlands through the book, Wairarapa Moana: The Lake and its People, edited by Ian F. Grant and published in 2012 by Masterton-based Fraser Books.

“The area (Lake Wairarapa) is in a very poor state, and the difference the project has made to this wetland is really encouraging,” Mrs Velvin says.

The Velvins live in the greater Wellington region and believe strongly in the importance of improving water quality and conservation.

Wairio is not the first restoration project that the couple have supported. Each time they have used an intermediary, Wellington-based The Gift Trust, which carries out due diligence on recipient organisations on behalf of benefactors.

Cheryl Spain, executive director of The Gift Trust, says they found Wairio to have impressive credentials.

Wairio Wetlands is part of a much wider initiative - the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project, a joint initiative of Greater Wellington Regional Council, the Department of Conservation, South Wairarapa District Council, Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Wairarapa Inc.

The project began in 2008 with the aim of enhancing the native ecology, recreational and cultural opportunities on public land in the area, and includes restoration work at Ōnoke Spit, Lake Domain Reserve, Donald’s Creek as well as Lake Ferry and Ōnoke/Ōkorewa Lagoon. Wairarapa Moana is one of the largest remaining wetland complexes in New Zealand, and has ecological values of national and international significance.

Moana mysteries draw a keen crowd

This story was first published in the Wairarapa Times Age on Wednesday 13 February 2019

For anyone not previously familiar with Lake Wairarapa, their first discovery during an event on Sunday would have been how utterly beautiful the area is.

Supported by a glorious day, Lake Wairarapa was a picture postcard as it played host to “Mysteries of the Moana” at Lake Domain on the lake’s northern tip.

An initiative by the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project, the aim of the day was to raise awareness about the importance and significance of the lake and its surrounding wetlands.

Around 200 people visited, experiencing first-hand some of the mysteries that lie both beneath and above the Moana.

Wairarapa Moana is one of the largest remaining wetland complexes in New Zealand.

Nine organisations, many of them NGOs, who are working to restore Wairarapa Moana to its former glory, held stalls with engaging displays. Participants had the opportunity to test what they had learnt by completing a Mystery Trail of questions.

One of the event’s organisers, Greater Wellington Regional Council biodiversity adviser Micheline Evans, says the large turnout was very satisfying and could signal similar events in the future.

She hopes it will help more people better connect with Wairarapa Moana and give them the opportunity to explore what’s often hard to see.

“The wetlands support an amazing array of life, but much of it is under the water, or difficult to spot if you don’t know where to look,” Evans said.

IMAGE HERE

Carys Gibbs [left] and Joanne Sharpe digging for kakahi at Lake Wairarapa on Sunday.

Experiencing this first-hand were the citizen scientists who waded in to help with the kakahi count, part of an on-going monitoring programme.

In shallow lakes, the native freshwater mussels play an important role in regulating the populations of algae in the water by consuming them through filter-feeding.

Once found in large numbers in Lake Wairarapa, according to oral history, they are now under threat and in decline.

Freshwater biologist Amber McEwan, who runs the programme, says it is still too early in the study to draw any conclusions, however the mean shell length recorded indicates that the population’s average age is increasing, which is not necessarily a good thing.

“Ideally, we want to see more juvenile [smaller] kakahi as well,” McEwan said.

For 12-year-old Bryn Gibbs the kakahi count has become an annual pilgrimage for his family.

“It’s really exciting digging around in the mud with your feet and seeing what comes up,” he said.

His keen interest in kakahi would have made for easy pickings in the first question on the Mystery Trail: How do baby kakahi move around? [Answer, they hitch a ride on passing fish].

Back on terra firma, an undoubted show-stopper was the dung beetle.

An introduced species, dung beetles are seen as a potential way to reduce the levels of nitrates from animal manure which leach into the water contributing to the poor water quality in the lake and the surrounding wetlands.

Regional council land management adviser Kolja Schaller says there are around 30 farmers in South Wairarapa trialing the dung beetles on their properties.

Relative to their size, dung beetles are the strongest living creatures on earth, which brings us to another question on the Mystery Trail: How much dung can one dung beetle bury in one night? [Answer, 250 times its body weight.]

The Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project is a partnership between the Department of Conservation, GWRC, Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Rangitane o Wairarapa, South Wairarapa District Council and Papawai and Kohunui marae.

Also present on Sunday were: Mountains to Sea Wellington, Predator Free Martinborough, South Wairarapa Biodiversity Group, Sustainable Coastlines, Sustainable Wairarapa and the Pukaha to Palliser Alliance, as well as Featherston Rugby Club, which ran the sausage sizzle.

Keeping a close eye on whitebait

This story was first published in the Wairarapa Times Age on November 7, 2018

For a family of whitebaiters, ‘catch and not-eat’ was always going to be hard to stomach.

It’s not that 11-year old Xanthe Carrig wasn’t onboard – it was her idea – but her whitebait fritter-loving mum was the one who needed convincing that their catch of the little translucent fish should be spared the frying pan just this once.

And they were, much to the appreciation of Xanthe’s classmates as it meant that their project could go ahead.

Under the guidance of Mountains to Sea Wellington, St Teresa’s Primary School in Featherston is rearing the tiny native fish in a classroom fish tank.

They will monitor the water quality with regular testing, and keep a close watch on its occupants, it is hoped that the class of about 20 Year 5 and 6 students will gain a better understanding of whitebait and their habitat.

Later in the term the fish will be returned to the wild, down at Ocean Beach where Xanthe and her mum netted them.

The project is one of many being run by Mountains to Sea, which delivers freshwater and marine education programmes for schools and communities across the greater Wellington region.

Its director, Zoe Studd, says the aim is to provide young people with the opportunity to have a greater connection to nature, enabling a more meaningful understanding of conservation issues.

The Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project, a joint venture involving local and central government, and iwi, was launched in 2008 with the aim of restoring this “wetland treasure”.

Greater Wellington Regional Council is a key partner, and also a funder of Mountains to Sea which has been working with several South Wairarapa schools on Wairarapa Moana related projects.

For the project to succeed it will require a massive collective effort from multiple partners, perhaps none more important than this new generation of conservationists.

Led by the enthusiasm of classroom teacher Liz Lark, a year 7 and 8 class at St Teresa’s took part in the The Whitebait Connection.

This programme focused on monitoring the health of Donald’s Stream, a tributary waterway of the Wairarapa Moana wetlands, and developing a plan to protect and enhance its plant and insect life.

“We are teaching our students to become better equipped at looking after the environment where they live,” Liz says.

She is encouraged by the amount that her Year 5 and 6 students already know about Wairarapa Moana — its significance and precarious state.

Daniel Walker, 10, says he understands that before too long the lake will be “dead” if more is not done to look after it.

For fish fan Van Rozing, 9, that would be truly devastating. He finds whitebait fascinating.

“Did you know,” he says, “New Zealand has five species: inanga [the most common and the guests in the classroom tank], banded kokopu, giant kokopu, shortjaw kokopu and koaro.”

An interesting fact is that other than inanga, all are “very good climbers” and can “leap really high”.

It’s that inability to climb which keeps inanga downstream and in coastal areas living in shoals, making them easy prey for hungry whitebaiters.