Uncovering the Path

Andrew McLellan - Aug 31, 2016

With only a few formal work parties fantastic progress has been made in the last 10 months uncovering a bit of Golden Bay history.

Snaking up the west facing slopes of the land added to Project Rameka late in 2015, the Historic Rameka Track weaves its way between limestone outcrops and tomos.

Surveyed and built in the 1850s as an alternative route for droving stock to and from the Bay the historic track has laid hidden for a number of decades by a flourishing cover of regenerating native forest and pines.

With a walker and biker friendly gradient of 1:40 we are very keen to finish uncovering this path to both expand access for pest control and recreational opportunities in Project Rameka.

Armed with chain saws and pruning saws over 1000m of the track has already been opened up, spearheaded by Martin Langley, our neighbours Peter and Jim Sim and volunteers such as Phil Castle from Motupipi Hill.

The long term plan is to have this track opened up as a formal cycleway linked to the top of The Odyssey track.

Help us make it happen – keep an eye out for workparties here

Jonathan Kennett, Paul Bruce and Sonja Mitchell tidying up one of many switchbacks

Gory business time

Jonathan - Jun 27, 2016May 27, 2016

Trapping

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!

DSC04176 (Large) — 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.

Carbon in – Oxygen out

Jonathan - Jun 2, 2016May 27, 2016

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!

DSC09450 (Medium)

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.

Rameka Campaign Success

Jonathan - May 27, 2016May 27, 2016

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.

Rameka Carbon Forest boundary (Large) — 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.

An August Pilgrimage to Rameka

Bronwen - Jan 14, 2016

20150825_133617 (Large) — Contributors express how they really feel about being part of Rameka during an excursion to Farewell Spit.

By August, the necessary funding had been secured and negotiations were well down the track for purchasing the land to add to the Rameka carbon forest. Yeeha! It was time to show everyone what their contributions were going towards.

Jonathan hired a bus and accommodation at a backpackers in Takaka township for a week of exploration and celebration – and the contributors responded in kind. From Christchurch, Mapua, Wellington and Masterton, for one night to seven days, the size of the group ebbed and flowed as work commitments allowed.

We started by meeting in Mapua to help the locals plant a roadside reserve, then after fish and chips at the wharf (in brilliant sunshine of course! What else could you expect from a visit to Mapua?), we continued over the hill for our first sighting of the new-look Rameka.

The next day, Sunday, was totally committed to the land. We planted and explored both the new block and the existing Rameka.

The start of the working week meant that many of the troops had to say goodbye and return to their working lives, but they were replaced by others! Over the rest of the week, we planted more trees – concentrating on rata from Project Crimson this time, worked with neighbours to put in a new waterpipe and cleared some of the historic Rameka pack track on the new block of land.

20150827_140040 (Large) — Sonja Mitchel and Paul Bruce attack the blackberry and Himalayan honeysuckle with aplomb.It wasn’t easy work, but somehow, Sonja and Paul managed to make it look like a ball!

20150827_143248_001 (Large) — One of the easier sections; a zigzag remnant of the original Rameka pack track, originally built in the late 1800s.

And there was even time for exploring the further reaches of the Bay.