The Bob Stewart Environment Award 2011
Trevor Stones

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Bob Stewart was one of the Rotary Club of Newmarket pioneers who answered the International Rotary President's call in 1990 to "Preserve Planet Earth".

The Club adopted a forest remnant at Mullet Bay, Motutapu, and have been active in supporting the restoration project ever since.

To celebrate 100 years of Rotary, the Club built the Rotary Centennial Walkway in 2005 and are working with the Trust and the Department of Conservation to extend this walkway into a Home Bay Loop Track which will provide visitors with a two hour bush and ridge round trip walking experience through the Home Bay volunteer planted forest.

The Club also established in 2005 the Rotary Club of Newmarket Bob Stewart Environmental Award to recognise individuals who had made a significant contribution to "preserving Planet Earth". Previous awardees include Richard Griffiths who led the Department of Conservation's pest eradication project and Luis Ortiz - Catedral for both his contribution to the development of a green corridor for birds in the Hauraki Gulf and the translocation of the kakariki within this corridor.

Rotary Club of Newmarket President Roger Gower,
Bob Stewart Environment Award winner, Trevor Stones and Rosemary Stewart

In the citation nominating Trevor for this year’s award, Rotary acknowledged that the success of the restoration project was due to the ....."Incredible support of Motutapu's volunteers.....but that there had been no greater, no more effective and no more productive volunteer than Trevor Stones. He has given his skills and experience over 30 years to a huge number of conservation projects in the Auckland Region: Shakespeare, Wenderholme, Tiritiri Matangi, and Motuora, not to mention Motutapu."

Rosemary Stewart and President Roger Gower made the presentation to Trevor whose thank you remarks were typical of Trevor, quiet, sincere and committed. 

Rotary Club of Newmarket President Roger Gower,
and the Chair of the Motutapu Restoration Trust, Chris Fletcher

Motutapu Restoration Trust Chair Christine Fletcher spoke of her pleasure in seeing Trevor honoured in this way. Chris was also appreciative of the excellent support the Trust had received from the Rotary Club of Newmarket and was surprised to be presented with a "History of the Rotary Club of Newmarket" which included a colourful presentation of the Club's involvement on Motutapu. 

Rat on Rangitoto Island eats lethal dose of poison

DOC Media release June 17, 2011

Department of Conservation staff who’ve been hunting a rat detected on Rangitoto Island in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park are confident the rat is dead after eating a lethal dose of rat poison.

“We haven’t found its body but we’re confident the rat is dead as it’s eaten six pellets of poison bait and two pellets are a lethal dose,” says DOC Auckland Area manager Brett Butland.

“It’s been more than three weeks since we found any rat tracks on Rangitoto, further evidence the rat has died after eating enough poison to kill three rats, ” says Brett Butland.

DOC launched a major search and trapping operation six weeks ago when a ranger and his specially trained dog found rat tracks in a routine check of rodent detecting tunnels near the Rangitoto wharf. The tunnels ring Rangitoto and Motutapu as part of the biosecurity measures DOC has to protect the pest free islands it manages in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.

DOC has been treating Rangitoto and Motutapu as pest free after conducting an eradication programme to remove rats, mice, stoats, feral cats, hedgehogs and rabbits from the islands in 2009. Possums and wallabies were removed in the 1990s.

The pest eradication will enable the islands to become one of the country’s largest sanctuaries for endangered wildlife - like takahe, tïeke, kiwi, kaka and tuatara - in the heart of Auckland. It also protects native plants including the world’s largest pohutukawa forest on Rangitoto.

“DOC rangers, with help from the Auckland Council, have been working hard to catch the rat,” says Brett Butland. “We’ve been using rodent detecting dogs and have set 231 traps.”

“We’ve deployed a variety of traps and used a wide range of baits including cheese, peanut butter, almond butter, smoked fish, fish oil soaked dog biscuits and chocolate buttons.”

“Unfortunately the rat refused to enter any of the traps. We suspect it may have survived an encounter with a trap in the past and become trap shy.”

“It did however regularly enter tracking tunnels and eat food baits which led us to place pellets of the rat poison in a number of tunnels.”

“The rat ate six pellets of poison bait in a detection tunnel leaving just a few crumbs behind. That’s a triple fatal dose. We’ll continue working to protect Rangitoto and Motutapu from pests but the search and trapping operation targeting this particular rat is being wound up.”         

“It’s disappointing the rat got onto the island but the reality is that pest incursions like this will occur due to the number of vessels that visit Rangitoto and Motutapu.”

“The fact we detected the rat and are confident we’ve poisoned it shows our biosecurity measures and surveillance systems are effective.”

“We want people to visit and enjoy these islands but the public needs to be aware of the risk of unwanted pests accompanying them onto these sanctuaries for rare wildlife and plants,” says Brett Butland.

For further comment                                                        Media Contact            

Phil Brown                                                                           Nick Hirst  

Biodiversity manager DOC Auckland Area Office              DOC Auckland Conservancy

027 289 4802                                                                      09 307 4846 or 0275 111 222  

At the Ferry Terminal, 7 November 2009
The Motutapu Outdoor Education Camp reopens after the completion of the bait helicopter drop.
Ace DOC rodent detection expert, Jak, checks the baggage destined for Administration Bay, Motutapu

Home Bay Live
TV ONE Breakfast Mon 13th Dec

Tamati Coffey, TV ONE Breakfast weatherman and roving reporter was on the island early on Monday 13th December.

Over 5 live feeds between 6.30am and 9.00am Tamati chatted about Motutapu with Christine Fletcher, chair of the Trust and Trustee Rick Braddock who holds the farming concession on the island.

Jackie from 'Live at the Islands' gave a promo about the 12th February 2011 Concerts & Conservation event being staged at Home Bay and there was discussion about the 26th March 2011 DUAL Motutapu-Rangitoto Traverse multi Sport event also happening at Home Bay.

A beautiful morning, the island looking its very best !    

Excellence in Parks - Environmental Winner:

Department of Conservation, NZ for the Rangitoto/Motutapu Pest Eradication project

Project Overview: The Rangitoto and Motutapu pest eradication project aims to enhance the ecological, recreational and cultural values of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park by removing seven pest species from the two islands (3,842ha).  For the first time five pest species were eradicated from a large area and prevented from reinvading highly accessible and intensively visited islands. 

While led by the DOC the project is a collaboration between a number of stakeholders and presents an unrivalled opportunity to engage the community in conservation.

Judging Panel Overview: The judges felt that this was an extremely high quality application which clearly articulated the goals and planning process. There was excellent community involvement and the project provides ongoing monitoring and learning opportunities.

Comment from Brett Butland, Auckland Area Manager, Department of Conservation

I am delighted to convey news that the Rangitoto/Motutapu pest eradication programme has received the Parks Forum's Excellence in Parks - Environmental award.

The programme has been, and remains, a team effort under the design, guidance and project management of Richard Griffiths and Fin Buchanan. Contributions by Departmental staff, Ngai Tai, Ngati Paoa, Ngati Whatua o Orakei, Te Kawarau a Maki, RIHCT, RIBCA, MOEC, MRT, MFL, POAL, Fullers and ARC, to name a few, have been significant and contributory to this success.

Recognition by the Forum is significant and this is a very proud moment for us to collectively reflect on.The Parks Forum is a body for park management organisations, with members across the UK , Australia and New Zealand involved with wilderness and protected areas and parks.

Comment from Chris Fletcher, Chairperson of the Motutapu Restoration Trust

As the chairperson of the Motutapu Restoration Trust, I wish to thank Brett Butland for bringing this award to our attention.The award conveys a strong sense of honour and achievement for the collective efforts of all of the voluntary organisations that serve the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.

 The pest eradication project for Rangitoto and Motutapu was hard fought for. It does now convey a sense of significant achievement for everyone associated and for the opportunities it opens up within the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. 

 It has been a pleasure for our Trust to have been involved from the beginning. We have enjoyed supporting the team with advocacy to the Auckland Regional Council for consenting purposes. I want to thank iwi particularly for their support and acknowledge the work of Mary Flaws and her courageous submissions in the light of much opposition on behalf of our Trust. I know too, that the resource consents would not have been granted without the support of and careful advocacy by Councillor Dianne Glenn. I wish to pay tribute to their work with the Auckland Regional Council.

 l also need to acknowledge the generosity of our farmer and trustee, Rick Braddock. It was not an easy task for him to agree to destock the island and bring forward his right of concession to farm the island. He chose to embrace a greater vision for the island and Gulf over his personal finances.  Rick could see the broader picture for Auckland and conservation and I want to thank him for his generosity of spirit.

 Lastly, I know nothing would have happened without the skills and leadership of Brett Butland at the Department of Conservation and his support for Richard Griffiths. On behalf of the Motutapu Restoration Trust, thank you Brett and Richard for your professionalism and profound commitment to conservation.

kind regards,
Chris

 July 2010

Air New Zealand Green team visit island heralding the beginning
of the Air New Zealand Environment Trust nursery expansion sponsorship

"..The Air New Zealand Environment Trust continues to do great things up and down the country. The planting day on Motutapu Island over the weekend coincided with the signing of a donation from the Trust for a new project to expand and upgrade the native plant nursery on the island. More than 50 Air New Zealanders and their families together with Norm Thompson and trustees Rob Fenwick and Ruud Kleinplaste all attended as well as several of the Motutapu Island Restoration trustees. More than 500 trees were planted as the effort to reforest Motutapu Island in natives continues. Well done everyone!..."

 Air New Zealand CEO, Rob Fyfe, 23 July 2010. Message to staff.