Endangered Saddlebacks Back on Mainland after 100 years
By Rebecca Fox, ODT Friday, 17th April, 2009

.

Huirapa Upoko (chief) David Ellison, of Karitane, gets up close to a South Island saddleback, one of 34 released into their new home within the Orokonui Ecosanctuary yesterday. Photo Gerard O'Brien.

Eight of the 34 nationally-endangered birds brought from Ulva Island on Wednesday were released into the forest yesterday morning following a welcome ceremony led by Mr Ellison.

The rest were released deeper into the bush later in the day.

Another six birds would join them soon.

Protected within the ecosanctuary's predator-proof fence, the saddleback, or tieke, will be able to live on the South Island mainland for the first time in 100 years.

It is thought the birds, which are banded, are unlikely to fly far from the enclosure as they are not long-distance flyers and prefer the forest to open spaces.

They join the kaka and jewelled gecko already released into the ecosanctuary.

Tuatara's New Home
By Edith Schofield, ODT Tuesday, 24th March, 2009

.

University of Otago PhD student Anne Besson contemplates how this young tuatara will enjoy its new home in a secure outdoor enclosure at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary. Photo by Alison Cree.

The tuatara is the symbol of the Orokonui Ecosanctuary, and the arrival of 15 young tuatara has delighted sanctuary staff. The juveniles will live in an outdoor enclosure at the sanctuary, but their move brings one step closer the eventual return of tuatara to wild habitat in the South Island.

"It's very exciting," sanctuary general manager Chris Baillie said.

"We are hopeful that, in the future, a thriving population of tuatara will live in the ecosanctuary to inspire visitors to assist in the protection of this precious reptile."

The tuatara came from the University of Otago and will be closely monitored in the secure outdoor tuatarium. University researchers have been studying how tuatara respond to the colder temperatures of the South.

Tuatara are native to New Zealand and once lived as far south as Bluff, but all captive tuatara in the South Island, including those in Invercargill and Queenstown, now originate from the few dozen populations found on offshore islands in Cook Strait and northern New Zealand.

Project leader Associate Prof Alison Cree, of the university's department of zoology, said tuatara laid eggs and warm soil was needed for embryonic development. Several of the transferred tuatara came from eggs incubated in the sanctuary, so the soils there were warm enough for embryos to survive during winter, Prof Cree said.

PhD student Anne Besson found tuatara basked more efficiently when sunlight hours reduced, and they remained active at temperatures as low as 5degC. While the tuatara will not be on display, ecosanctuary staff and university researchers are in consultation with the Department of Conservation and iwi about the eventual free-release of tuatara within the sanctuary.

The tuatara youngsters are not the only new arrivals at the sanctuary.

The hatching of the first kaka chick has also thrilled staff. Ms Baillie said a young pair of kaka - "barely the minimum age" - were released into the sanctuary last year, had paired up, found their own nest hole, incubated two eggs and were now rearing a young chick. The chick was about 40 days old and still had grey feathers, she said. The other egg is believed to be no longer viable.

The sanctuary hopes to establish a viable breeding population of kaka which could eventually negate the need for a captive breeding programme.

Centre recycling exemplar
By Rebecca Fox, ODT Saturday 14 February 2009

.

A crane lifts two former shipping containers, which will form the basis of Orokonui Ecosanctuary's new visitor centre, into place. Photo by Craig Baxter.

Orokonui Ecosanctuary's hopes of achieving an environmental Green Star 5 rating became visible this week, as the two former shipping containers, which will form the basis of its new visitor centre, were lifted in to place.

The $1.9 million visitor centre sits outside the predator-proof fence and will provide opportunities for further education about the sanctuary's inhabitants.

General manager Chris Baillie said now the containers were in place, the foundations would be laid, steel erected and the environmentally-friendly glass windows put in place.

"It's very exciting, as it has been a long time in the planning."

The aim was for the centre to be finished in July and opened to the public in September, she said.

Ecosanctuary building aquarium for native fish
By Michelle McCullough, ODT 7 February 2009

Orokonui Ecosanctuary aquatic biologist Noel Jhinku gets up close and personal with a koura, a freshwater crayfish found in the Orokonui Stream. The ecosanctuary is building an aquarium which will house creatures found in the stream. Photo by Michelle McCullough.

Have you ever wondered what lurks beneath the water and plant life in your local stream?

If so, you could have your questions answered when the Orokonui Ecosanctuary's native freshwater fish aquarium is completed.

The project, which is being set up by aquatic biologist Noel Jhinku, is set to be completed by August and will form part of the ecosanctuary's new interpretive displays and education programmes.

Mr Jhinku, who studied marine science, anatomy and structural biology at the University of Otago, hopes the aquarium will give people a better insight to what is in their "own backyard".

"This will be the only fresh water display in Dunedin. We are trying to get people interested in fish because people don't tend to think about them too much, especially the natives.

"The aim is to bring them [the fish] out of the stream [into the aquarium] so that visitors [to the ecosanctuary] can actually see them, because it is pretty hard to see them when you are just looking into the stream."
The aquarium will house fish found in the Orokonui Stream such as endemic native galaxiids (small native freshwater fish), common bullies, Koura (freshwater crayfish) and short and long-finned eels.

Otago Natural History Trust chairman Ralph Allen is excited about the aquarium being added to the ecosanctuary's visitor centre.

"The Orokonui Stream is very special because it does not have any introduced species in it, and it is a little bit away from the centre so it will give people, especially those who aren't very mobile, the chance to see what's in the stream."

"It will be another string to our bow and it will show that Orokonui is not only a bird sanctuary which many people think it is. We are there for all native wildlife, not just birds but insects, reptiles and fish."

Mr Jhinku said while there were only plans for one aquarium at present there was potential to add several more aquariums at a later date.

The aquarium will be part of the Orokonui EcoSanctuary's new visitor and education centre which is expected to be completed in the spring of this year. The centre has been designed to be as energy, water and waste-efficient as possible in keeping with the ethos of the sanctuary.

Jewels in the crown of ecosanctuary
By Hamish McNeilly, ODT on Tue, 13 Jan, 2009

.

Orokonui Ecosanctuary trainee ranger Sinead Mills with a male jewelled gecko, one of 19 released at the sanctuary yesterday. Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.

Nineteen jewelled gecko were released at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary yesterday, and kiwi, tuatara and the saddleback are set to join the rare gecko by the end of the year.

Ecosanctuary general manager Chris Baillie said the bright green geckos, found only in Canterbury, Otago and Southland, were taken from Otago Peninsula as part of the sanctuary's plans for translocation - effectively reintroducing species into an area where they once lived.

A team of nine people spent five hours locating the bright green geckos, which were under threat through predation, loss of habitat and poaching, she said.

It had taken a year to gain the approval for translocation so the geckos could join the kaka as the first species to reside at the ecosanctuary.

Given six pregnant females were among the jewelled gecko population, it was hoped a viable, healthy population could be achieved, she said.

Orokonui Ecosanctuary conservation manager Elton Smith said the geckos would act as a backup population and further research would be carried out to learn more "about this local, iconic species".
Helping the reintroduction of species to the sanctuary was the reserve's pest-free status as of last November, he said.

Since eradication began in July 2007, 12 of the 13 introduced species had been eradicated from the area, including hundreds of rats, 2000 possums and 24 hedgehogs.

Mice were the only introduced species yet to be ruled out; but with none having recently been detected the signs were promising, he said.

The sanctuary was now preparing for other species, including kiwi, tuatara, saddleback, and the New Zealand bush robin, to be translocated by the end of the year.

" It will be a busy year," he said.

The sanctuary is expected to open to the public in spring.

Orokonui kaka getting stronger
By Rebecca Fox, ODT on Thu, 13 Nov 2008

A kaka at the Orokonui bird sanctuary. Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.

The six young native parrots released at Orokonui Ecosanctuary nearly a fortnight ago are getting stronger every day, general manager Chris Baillie says.

The kaka, which had been living in an aviary at the ecosanctuary for six months before the release, had not ventured far since.

They are the first species to be reintroduced within the predator-proof fenced area.

Some of the birds, which were being tracked daily, had popped over the fence for a look around but came back very quickly, she said.

They had also been returning to the aviary to rest, especially on colder days.

"They are getting stronger flying around," Ms Baillie said.

The birds were feeding from the platform provided within the ecosanctuary but were also eating from the nectar and berry vegetation which had been planted within the fence.

Release of kaka brings joy, hope
By Sam Stevens, ODT on Mon, 3 Nov 2008

A newly-released kaka native parrot explores its new home at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary. Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.

The release of six kaka at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary is a step towards recapturing days when huge flocks of native birds winged their way across Otago skies, staff say.

Ecosanctuary volunteer and former Dunedin Botanic Garden aviary curator Tony Pullar said the release of the "beautiful birds" on Saturday was a poignant moment. About 30 minutes after their cages were opened, the three male and three female birds, some aged 2 and some 3, were fossicking for seeds and insects.

Yesterday, they used feeding stations to eat "very expensive" almonds, walnuts and sunflower seeds and "looked exhausted" after enjoying their new-found freedom, he said.

The release was believed to be the first reintroduction of the native parrots to the South Island mainland, Mr Pullar said. A further breeding pair would remain in an enclosure to produce chicks and act as "call-birds".

Early European settlers in Otago reported seeing flocks of kaka which would take 10 minutes to pass overhead, he said. But deforestation, attacks by predators such as stoats and weasels, and competition from possums for food meant kaka numbers had greatly reduced.

"They are not endangered but are rare, and are certainly very thin on the ground," Mr Pullar said.

All the birds have been fitted with transmitters, attached by a small wire harness and effective within a 20km range.

While the parrot's strong beak and claws meant they were "no easy kill for cats", staff were keen to hear of any banded birds seen outside the sanctuary.

The ecosanctuary covers 307ha at Orokonui, near Waitati. A $2.1 million predator-proof fence was erected around 230ha to create a safe habitat for native species.

General manager Chris Baillie said the kaka release was the culmination of years of hard work by staff and volunteers.

"It's pretty momentous. Kaka are very sociable birds and will be a star attraction."

It was hoped robins would be released over summer and kiwi would be introduced next year provided the Department of Conservation approved the habitat as safe, she said.

Ecosanctuary's Fenceposts Popular
Fri, 24 Oct 2008 ODT

Nearly half of Orokonui Ecosanctuary's fenceposts have been sold to the public and the Otago Natural History Trust hopes a new fundraising campaign will sell more. The fenceposts form part of the predator-proof fence around the ecosanctuary.

The new campaign was launched in the Otago Daily Times yesterday.

Ecosanctuary general manager Chris Baillie said the $100 post donations supported maintenance and helped fund ecological restoration, such as tree planting and the return of rare native species.

Name Your Post >>
Buy a fence-post with your name on it & support us.

Kaka success vital to ecosanctuary
By Rebecca Fox, ODT on Wed, 29 Oct 2008

One of the kaka in the aviary at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary. Photo by Linda Robertson.

The future of Orokonui Ecosanctuary's translocation plans will hang in the balance when it releases six young native parrots on Saturday. The kaka, which have been living in an aviary at the ecosanctuary for the past six months, are the first species to be reintroduced within the predator-proof fenced area.

General manager Chris Baillie said reintroducing species which had been lost was what the project was all about, so the likelihood of future translocations was riding on the success of this release.

As the birds were known for being curious, playful and intelligent and for having a propensity to travel long distances, it was expected they might explore wider Dunedin " If you see a native parrot in your garden, it's not an escapee from the botanic garden."

She asked people not to feed the birds, as some foods could be harmful. She urged that cats and dogs be kept away from them.

To encourage kaka to stay in the ecosanctuary, safe from predators, staff would continue to provide food, and adult kaka would remain to call to them, she said.

The birds would be fitted with transmitters to help monitor their movements. Kaka used to live throughout the South Island but were now restricted to large tracts of low and mid-altitude forest in northwest Nelson, Westland and Fiordland because of habitat loss and predation. They still thrive on Stewart Island. Anyone seeing a kaka in their garden was asked to phone the ecosanctuary on 482-1755, she said.

Hospital for Injured Lizards at Orokonui Ecosanctuary
By Rebecca Fox, ODT on Thu, 2 Oct 2008



Cats, dogs, birds and even the fearsome lawn mower are known to occasionally injure native wildlife including lizards. Thanks to the Orokonui Ecosanctuary and the Department of Conservation these injured lizards now have a "Lizard Hospital" to go to! DOC Herpetologist Dr Mandy Tocher will oversee the running of the Lizard Hospital and expects common skinks to be the most likely patients. Other species that may become injured around Dunedin City include the common gecko, the jewelled gecko and the green skink.

Orokonui Ecosanctuary has set up the Lizard Hospital within the predator-exclusion fence where injured lizards can recover and once they are well, be released into suitable, safe habitat.

Orokonui general manager, Chris Baillie, strongly emphasises "we don’t want folk bringing in healthy lizards they have collected from the wild – we only want to assist those lizards that are in obvious need of Lizard Hospital care or are at risk of further attack. It is illegal for people to handle or keep lizards without a permit from DOC however approval has been obtained for people to bring injured lizards into Orokonui. Lizards must come from around the Dunedin city area, NOT central Otago".

Dunedin residents may see their cat playing with lizards and the lizards dropping their tails. This means the lizard is stressed and possibly has other injuries. Instead of releasing lizards back into the cat’s play-ground people are asked to bring them to the Lizard Hospital at Orokonui Ecosanctuary. Lizards with severe injures may need to be humanely euthanased.

If you find an injured lizard please phone the Ecosanctuary on 482 1755 to arrange delivery or collection. More information can be found at www.orokonui.org.nz

Parisian Volunteer happy to help Ecosanctuary
By John Lewis, ODT on Sat, 6 Sep 2008

French student Loan Venkatapen sets a possum trap at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary. Photo by Jane Dawber.

Swapping the cosy confines of the cafe culture in central Paris for the Orokonui Ecosanctuary was a daunting experience for French engineering student Loan Venkatapen. The 20-year-old has spent the past five weeks as a volunteer at the conservation park and admits the snow, winter gales and horizontal rain were far from his comfort zone.

He arrived wearing pure white shoes, at a time of the year when he would usually be enjoying summer holidays in Europe, he said. "In the beginning, I was a bit homesick. But this is a great job, I think. The staff are great and this [the ecosanctuary] is one of the best views I have ever seen. In France, we do not have that."

Mr Venkatapen is in his third year of study for a construction engineering degree at Ecole Speciale des Travaux Publics in Paris and said his volunteer work was part of his studies. "To get my degree, I have to spend five weeks in a foreign country to do technical work - something other than construction work. It is supposed to make us more well rounded and give us an open mind."

Mr Venkatapen said he had always wanted to visit New Zealand and discovered the ecosanctuary while searching the Internet for work placements. Since early August, he has been helping with pest monitoring and track construction.

Boost for Orokonui Ecosanctuary
ODT 23 July 2008

It is now "full steam ahead" to complete the Orokonui Ecosanctuary's visitor centre after a $1.5 million Lottery Significant Project Fund grant topped up the funds already raised in the community. Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker yesterday made the cheque presentation of $1,531,290 in person, congratulating the Otago Natural History Trust on "an impressive project". "The work will complete the ecosanctuary infrastructure and enable it to be opened to the public," Mr Barker said. Much of its success was due to the strong support from local communities, he said. "The trust relies heavily on the efforts of its volunteers."

It had already raised nearly $1 million towards the $2.3 million visitor and education centre, which would sit alongside the specialised 9km, 2m-high pest exclusion fence surrounding the sanctuary, which cost $2.2 million to build. Trust chairman Dr Ralph Allen said when accepting the cheque he was " tickled pink" with the grant, as it was often difficult to raise funds for an environmental project, especially the last amount. "It's absolutely fantastic." The minister was right about the community being what mattered to the project, he said. "We wouldn't be where we are today [without them]."

Francie Beggs, who was representing Forest and Bird which had donated $40,000 towards the sanctuary, said the grant meant the project was taking another step forward. "It's marvellous. I didn't expect it to be that generous." The visitor centre with its educational facilities gave the walks through the sanctuary a point of difference, she said. "Without that, it would just be another walk. The next stage is very necessary."

The trust would meet contractors this week to arrange a starting date for construction of the centre and it was hoped it would be open within a year. New Zealand Lottery Grants Board had allocated $16 million to significant projects in 2008-09 with funds that come from profits of the NZ Lotteries Commission.


Les Cleveland, Andrew Noone, Chris Baillie and Dr Ralph Allen show Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker the predator-proof fence protecting the sanctuary. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY

Business gets in behind planned visitor centre
By SAM STEVENS, ODT 27 May 2008

FLORA and fauna is flourishing at the Orokonui Ecosantuary thanks to the hard work of staff and volunteers, and the project will continue to take flight with commercial sponsorship, its managers says.
The sanctuary, 20km north of Dunedin, yesterday received a $100,000 donation from Allied Press Ltd, owners of the Otago Daily Times and Star newspapers.

Ecosanctuary general manager Chris Baillie said after completing a 10km pestexclusion fence around the sanctuary, funds were needed for a Visitor and Education Centre, and tracks and restoration programmes.
Allied Press led the way as a local business which supported the construction of the centre to which 25,000 visitors were expected annually, she said. ‘‘We have had good support from a number of trusts and are encouraging the business sector to become partners in this exciting project.’’


Seeing the bird for the trees . . . From left: Orokonui Ecosantuary business board directors Tony Crick and Stewart Harvey with Dunedin businessman Julian Smith and ecosanctuary general manager Chris Baillie. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY

A decision on resource consent for the $2.3 million centre would be received this week. If successful, building consent applications would be lodged, and the centre could be operating within a year, Ms Baillie said.
Allied Press Ltd managing director Julian Smith encouraged other Otago businesses to support the sanctuary, which, apart from making a valuable contribution to preserving wildlife in the area, would enhance Dunedin’s reputation as an ‘‘ecotourism’’ destination.‘‘ This new attraction will bring visitors to the region and will complement existing heritage attractions. It will also teach people about protecting our unique species.
‘‘Allied Press is also pleased to recognise the very many people who give freely of their time. The project needs support from all who are able to help,’’ Mr Smith said.

Ms Baillie said 120 volunteers had recently put in about 800 hours of work a month planting 1000 native trees and shrubs. The 307ha ecosanctuary included 230ha of conservation land which has the highest protection category, Nature Reserve. The forest within the reserve mostly comprises regenerating (100-year-old) native species, with isolated pockets of much older trees. The area was already home to native wildlife including South Island tit, South Island rifleman, brown creeper, bellbird, grey warbler, fantail and many other birds.
Fern birds were last week seen in the reserve for the first time, Ms Baillie said.
A pest eradication scheme was progressing well, and it was now thought only ‘‘one goat, a few hares, and a few mice’’ remained, she said.

Ecosanctuary turns back clock ODT Saturday 26 April 2008 PATCHES of scrub. A scruffy expanse of long grass. Low bush in the distance. A dirt track and a tall, mesh fence. The first view of the Orokonui ecosanctuary from the road falls well short of a picture-postcard tourist installation. But consider the ecosanctuary from the bird’s eye point of view. Here, at last, is a place to touch down safely — the only place in Otago for centuries guaranteed free of guns and spears or pests and pets. Birds can roost near the ground without the fear of being killed by a stoat, a ferret or a weasel. They can leave their eggs in a tree stump safe from rats and hedgehogs. And possums, mice and goats are no longer chewing through their food supply.

Rearing to go . . . The Orokonui Ecosanctuary will release Kaka in the spring.

Ornithologist Tony Pullar says ecosanctuary birds will be able, finally, to ‘‘relax’’.
‘‘They seem to know where they are safe.’’He says normally it is ‘‘unheard of’’ for New Zealand native birds to roost near the ground. ‘‘But there is something about sanctuaries. Once they are established and stay predator-free, the birds tend to revert [to their natural behaviour].’’

The Orokonui ecosanctuary is a 307ha slab of land north of Dunedin overlooking Blueskin Bay and in the hands of the Otago Natural History Trust. It contains remnants of a distinctive Dunedin-style ‘‘cloud forest’’ of podocarps and kaikawaka [New Zealand cedar] that have survived logging, farming and the spread of pests and weeds.

To begin turning back the clock to ‘‘prehuman’’ times, the trust has removed more than 3000 exotic pines and macrocarpas, cleared gorse and broom and created wetlands. It has planted shrubs, trees and grasses indigenous to the cloud forest that hangs on to Dunedin hilltops by feeding on east coast fogs.It has poisoned 800 possums and every last stoat, weasel, ferret, rat, cat and mouse. The only remaining pests are one young goat, a few hedgehogs and some hares, and when they are gone, in the next few weeks, the ecosanctuary will be declared pest-free. Gaining that status will be an occasion fit for Champagne. But the real test of the Orokonui ecosanctuary will be its ability to stay pest-free behind its 10km, $2.2 million mesh fence, which manager Chris Baillie points out is designed to keep out every predatory mammal down to a baby mouse.



‘‘ People say, well what’s wrong with mice? But mice do eat little eggs . . . so we have a fence that can keep out all introduced mammals.’’Every second day, volunteers spend up to four hours walking the new road around the ecosanctuary’s circumference looking for damage to the fence or the ground on which it stands. A simple crack in the soil in a dry spell of weather could provide an opening.‘‘Some of the sections are quite steep and because they are looking at [the fence] quite carefully, they can’t rush it. They go out in all weather. They are very committed.’’A hundred volunteers give on average 800 hours a month of their time, energy and skill.
Tony Pullar is one of them. His specialty is the raising of the kaka — the ‘‘very vocal, very visual’’ native parrot — which was common 130 years ago. ‘‘They used to flock and migrate up and down the east coast. One book cites an eyewitness account of a flock of kaka that took 10 minutes to go past.’’The ecosanctuary has four juvenile kaka in an aviary ready to release in the spring. There is no guarantee that they will stay.
Baillie: ‘‘We’ll retain the two adult birds in one side of the aviary so that will be an aural anchor. Their cries will call them back.’’The young kaka will retain free access to the aviary enclosure and supplementary feeding will be provided. '‘We’ll let them go and we’ll hold our fingers crossed.’’

The ecosanctuary has been possum-free for five months and Ms Baillie says their absence has already made a difference. ‘‘You can see the vegetation increasing. The flowering trees are prolific. Certain trees and plants that possums like are really going crazy now.’’ And that will benefit the ecosanctuary’s populations of riflemen, tomtits, grey warblers, brown creepers, wood pigeons, tuis, bellbirds and fantails.
Waitati ornithologist Derek Onley is in charge of monitoring bird numbers at more than 20 stations inside and outside the fence.

There are plans to add more species to the ecosanctuary, with kiwi near the top of the list. It is 136 years since kiwi have lived in Dunedin bush. The skins of the last two are part of the Otago Museum’s collection. They were killed by dogs at Burkes in 1872 and the dogs’ owner took them to the museum. Ms Baillie says the kiwi recovery group working at Haast was keen to bring 20 breeding pairs to Orokonui. ‘‘They’ve been out to have a look at the soil, the climate and rainfall. All those sorts of things are important.’’ Birds that might follow are South Island robin, saddleback, kakariki, takahe and perhaps even kakapo.And not forgetting jewelled gecko, Duvaucel’s gecko, short-tailed and long-tailed bats and tuatara. We’ve started negotiating with Doc and the Ngati Koata, who are the guardians of tuatara on Stephens Island, where they would probably come from. It’s a long negotiation process but we’ve started . . .’’		Safe from predators . . . this New Zealand tomtit has the safest perch in Otago.
‘ She acknowledges that a new ecosanctuary must ‘‘establish its credentials’’ with those working to save endangered species. ‘‘What we are doing here is creating a healthy ecosystem, a natural ecosystem. It’s not a zoo so there won’t be things in cages . . . it will be people coming through and seeing nature on its own terms.’’

Groups of trained volunteers count birds by listening.So far, they have found no marked difference but Mr Onley believes that is because birds everywhere have thrived in this summer’s good weather.‘‘I suspect there are more bellbirds than there were but there are bellbirds all over the place this year.’’He expects the difference to begin showing up after the winter. While she sees the ecosanctuary as ‘‘a community managed thing’’ with a ‘‘strong sense of ownership by the community’’, there has not been unanimous support. She says ‘‘some devel-opers’’ who have had resource consents for houses in the area turned down because of their ‘‘visual impact’’ have argued that for the same reason the ecosanctuary visitor centre should be declined. And she says while near neighbours have been welcoming, some in the area think having an ecosanctuary move in will decrease the value of their property. ‘‘I don’t think they are correct but that’s a view that they hold.’’ Whatever their views, neighbours certainly face a period of adjustment. They will need to get used to the night noises of kiwi, the swelling orchestra of bellbirds and tuis and the endless twittering of fantails. They will also, no doubt, need to get used to the growl of tourist buses and streams of cars using their narrow country roads. There seems little doubt that as the ecosanctuary begins to breath new life into Dunedin’s cloud forest, the quiet times for Orokonui are almost over.

Goodbye to pests . . . The Orokonui ecosanctuary operations manager Elton Smith and dog Jess are part of the team dedicated to keeping the enclosure free of predators..

Ruud Kleinpaste attracts funds for the Ecosanctuary

In January 2008 Mitre 10 hosted popular guest speaker Ruud Kleinpaste (the ‘bug man’) and donated the proceeds ($1500) to the ecosanctuary. Ruud’s description of the importance of protecting the biodiversity of our invertebrates has direct relevance to the sanctuary’s aims. Chris Baillie, General Manager, also spoke to the audience about the Ecosanctuary project. Many thanks to Mitre 10 Mega.

A different kind of wedding gift!

Warm thanks and congratulations to two recently married couples who encouraged their wedding guests to donate to the ecosanctuary instead of buying gifts. Thanks to Teresa Streamer & Stefan Cadogan, Terisha Luxford & Marvin Hubbard. More than $700 was raised.

Rotary commits to ecosanctuary track
By REBECCA FOX, ODT 12 March 2008

ROTARY Club of Dunedin members are prepared to get their hands dirty as well as raise funds in an effort to make the upgrade of Orokonui Ecosanctuary’s valley track a reality. The work could cost up to $240,000.
The track runs from the top of the sanctuary, where the proposed visitor centre will stand, across the Orokonui stream, passing through different types of forest and ending up at New Zealand’s tallest tree at the bottom of the sanctuary.

Ecosanctuary manager Chris Baillie said as the sanctuary was still in its development stage and, as fund-raising was ongoing for the proposed visitor centre, financial and volunteer support for things such as the tracks was essential. ‘‘We would not get off the ground with any of it without the volunteers.’’

The track project had yet to be fully assessed, so the cost could be anywhere between $60,000 and $240,000.
Rotary club president Derek Valentine said it was still early days, but the club was working on fund-raising ideas, including get ting other clubs involved. Members were looking forward to ‘‘getting their teeth into’’ a longer-term project, with the initial aim to make the track ‘‘walkable’’, which would involve building small bridges and steps he said. The club’s support meant the track could be upgraded much earlier than by sanctuary staff alone and the project would pro vide an educational experience for everyone, Mr Valentine said.

Fundraising Vital for the Orokonui Ecosanctuary
By REBECCA FOX, ODT 4 February 2008

The Otago Natural History Trust hopes to build a $1.9 million visitor and education centre which it says will be a ‘‘showpiece’’ of environmentally sustainable design. A land use consent application for the 560sq m building will be notified by the Dunedin City Council on Wednesday and the trust is actively seeking project sponsors. General manager Chris Baillie said the centre would provide essential facilities for the ecosanctuary’s education, tourism, conservation and research activities. A maximum of 120 people a day were expected to visit during the peak of summer.

‘‘ The centre will be a showpiece of environmentally sustainable design, materials and management and will meet the 5-green-star rating.’’
Rainwater would be collected from the roof for use in toilets, solar panels would be installed on the roof and timber used would be from the site or from sustainable sources. Sited at the top of the ecosanctuary, beside the area enclosed by the predator-proof fence, the centre would take advantage of spectacular views over the ecosanctuary, the Silverpeaks and Blueskin Bay.

A description in the resource consent application said it would be made up of seven modular units linked by corridors and propped off the ground by timber poles. It would be covered by a single lightweight atrium roof and would be painted middle green. ‘‘The design is intended to be unique and fit in well with the natural landscape.’’ The building would house a seminar room, a double-glazed glass atrium large enough to fit 50 people and a reception area, along with storage, toilets and a staff room. Small areas would be set aside for refreshments and for a retail outlet. It was proposed the building would be surrounded by a series of ponds with wetland plantings. Space had been allocated for two bus bays and 20 car parks.

The trust had raised more than $600,000 in cash and sponsorship towards the cost of the centre, but construction costs, floor area and facilities included have increased since initial cost estimates four years ago, Ms Baillie said. Funds were successfully raised for the purchase of land at the top of the ecosanctuary and a specialised 9km, 2m-high pest exclusion fence, which cost $2.2 million, Ms Baillie said. The ecosanctuary was in an area zoned rural and in the Flagstaff-Mt Cargill landscape conservation area.

Next stage . . . The planned Orokonui Ecosanctuary Visitor and Education Centre. The building has been designed by a team including Archeco, Healey Engineering, Hadley Robinson and Watercycle Ltd. GRAPHIC: OTAGO NATURAL HISTORY TRUST

Fund Raising - purchase Pressed Flower Cards and support Orokonui

Trust life member Dawn Ibbotson is again offering 500 of her beautiful pressed flower cards as a fundraiser for the ecosanctuary. Dawn has been making these cards since the 1990s and they have been sold to support a wide range of charitable causes, including Amnesty International, the Cancer Society, Friends of the Botanic Garden, and the National Council of Women. Dawn is getting close to her goal of $50,000 raised in total from the sale of her cards. Dawn collects all the flowers for her cards from her own garden and presses them herself. Dunedin Print donates the white card, while Dawn buys and donates the envelopes.

Please support the ecosanctuary and help Dawn reach her $50,000 target! These cards can be used for any occasion as they are blank inside. They come in packs of 4 for only $5 and a pack of cards makes a lovely gift too. Buy a pack for yourself and one for a friend! If you would like to order, please download this form or you will find contact details inside the latest newsletter