Many thanks to Fil and Albie Burgers, Paul Kilgour and Andrew McLellan for their great work on the trap line. Trapping rats and stoats is a matter of survival for the native birds at Rameka. Over the last 12 months, they have caught 19 stoats and 30 rats.
This has provided a much better environment for birds, and we can now confirm that there is a family of weka resident at Project Rameka!
Matt the hunter is stalked by a resident weka.
General Pest Control
If you’ve been wondering why you hardly ever see a possum at Project Rameka anymore, that is because Matt Shoult fills possum bait stations twice a year. The native plant and animal species are really thriving as a result. The growth is phenomenal.
Matt has also teamed up with Project Devine to wipe out some huge infestations of banana passionfruit on the new block of land. It’s scary how much forest area those vines can smother.
Matt has also been fast to react to reports of wild goats and pigs, keeping numbers as low as realistically possible. (15 and 19 down respectively) Thanks Matt.
We are currently fundraising to build a 12-metre bridge across Rameka Creek at the bottom of Great Expectations. This will enable the track to be safely used all year round and will also provide an emergency escape route for local residents.
Crossing Rameka Creek in flood.
The total cost of the bridge is calculated at $15,600, and so far we have raised $8,100.
Before we can build the bridge we will need to raise another $7,500.
or by direct deposit to the Project Rameka Kiwibank account 03-9007-0752396-00 (Please include details to clarify who is paying and that it is a donation in order to make it easier for us to prepare a suitable receipt.)
If you have any ideas about ways to progress the bridge or anything else on the project, we’d love to hear from you. Email us any time at: projectrameka@kennett.co.nz
With the addition of the new land, Project Rameka is now absorbing 3.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide every day. The total sequestered since the project began in 2008 is approaching 7000 tonnes.
To put that into a personal perspective, the average New Zealander has a carbon footprint of 18 tonnes emitted per annum. Of course, you are not average New Zealanders!
Climate Snapshot
While the scientific reports on climate change remain very serious, since the Paris Climate Talks in December last year there has been a political shift around the globe.
Greenhouse gas levels have risen to record levels and so have global temperatures. 2015 temperatures shot past the record levels of 2014, and now, with the help of El Niño, 2016 is set to be hotter again. Droughts, heatwaves and storms are impacting on food and water security as well as having a massive range of other environmental effects. Just as some countries are particularly unlucky (right now, Zambia, New Mexico, and Australia to name a few), others are very lucky. Perhaps at the top of the latter list is New Zealand, which will be one of the last countries this century to experience an average temperature increase over the notable 2-degree limit.
Possibly that is one reason why New Zealand continues to lag behind most other countries when it comes to introducing effective policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But we live in a globalised world, and change, both of the climate and our government’s policies, can only lag so far. Meanwhile, at Project Rameka we will continue to Make Good Shit Happen!
Trees
Last August, we had another great tree planting week, with 600 native species planted in their new homes. These include northern rata from DOC as well as lemonwood, kohuhu, beech, kaka beak, rimu and miro. It’s great to report that these trees are flourishing at Project Rameka!
Come along and join us for the 2016 tree planting. You would be most welcome.
We will be meeting at 10am on the 20 and 21 August at the top entrance to Project Rameka, which is on Rameka Creek Road, approximately 10 km from Takaka township.
On Christmas Eve 2015, after a long campaign involving fundraising, negotiations and legal approvals, 45 hectares of land was added to Project Rameka, almost doubling the area under protection (now 98 hectares).
The results are an increase in carbon dioxide being sequestered, a broader range of native species under protection and eventually the reopening of a spectacular 3 km section of the historic Rameka Track.
Pete Simm leads people to the new land, which is in the background of this photo.
On behalf of the Project Rameka committee, we would like to thank the 60 people, from as far afield as Christchurch and Auckland, who chipped in and made the land purchase possible. Your generosity has resulted in environmental and recreation benefits that will last well beyond your lifetimes.
The generous supporters are:
Amanda Dobson,
Amy Austin,
Andrew Carman,
Jo Mackenzie,
Andrew Smith,
Ann & Phil Kendon,
Ann-Louise Metcalfe,
BMC MTB Gurran,
Brent Morris,
Bridget McMillan & Craig Tolson,
Bronwen Wall & Jonathan Kennett,
Catherine Hill,
Catherine Jewett,
Charles & Michelle Dawson,
Christian Williams,
Christopher Bennett,
Christopher Dempsey,
Dave Rudge & Jenny Cassie,
David Halliday,
Dean Johansson,
Dene Waters,
Evan McCarney & Liz Keller,
Geoff Plimmer,
Ginny Wood,
Ground Effect,
Guy Trainer & Deborah Morris,
HECUA,
Helen Scott,
Henry Fisher,
Janet Holmes,
Janne Halonen,
Jean Wignall,
Jean-Marie O’Donnell,
John Kempster,
Karyn Burgess,
Kate Ford,
Kate Potter,
Mandy & Simon Holdstock,
Mark & Glenda Allinson,
Maryann Nesbitt,
Murray Drake,
Paul Bruce,
Paul Kennett & Michelle Ducat,
Paul Nichols,
Paul Shepherd,
Perrine Gilkison,
Peter Leslie,
Peter Mcllroy & Janet Hayward,
Phaedra Upton,
Phil & Sue Shoemack,
Raewyn Gainsford & Graeme Lindup,
Richie Singleton & Laura McKim,
Robert Ashe,
Robin Dawson & David Bennett,
Robin Quigg,
Ruth McDavitt,
Shona Drake,
Simon Johnson,
The Kennett Brothers,
Simon Kennett,
Simon Minto & Bryony Walker,
Sonja Mitchell,
Stuart Palmer,
Tim Galloway,
Tim McMains,
Tony Baldwin, and
Vera Burgess.
Last Monday a guide book to forest carbon sinks called The Carbon Forest was launched in Wellington. Rod Oram was the key speaker, and explained brilliantly how forests are important for sustainable land use (ie, preventing top soil loss) and New Zealand’s Kyoto obligations. Rod described The Carbon Forest book as “An ‘owner’s manual’ that will prove invaluable for people who want to use forestry to improve the economic and environmental performance of their land.”
Simon Johnson, Paul Kennett, Jonathan Kennett, Rod Oram, and Tom Bennion.
The idea for the book came from Paul Kennett, who, after reducing his annual carbon footprint to one tonne, was then looking at ways of offsetting the rest. Forest carbon sinks appealed, and so he started researching the possibilities. Jonathan Kennett and Simon Johnson, from Project Rameka, are both co-authors, along with environmental lawyer Tom Bennion.
Project Rameka is among several case studies that are used to show the broad range of carbon sinks in New Zealand.
The book can be purchased for $30 from www.kennett.co.nz or from independent book stores.
