A long-term planning process for the Hauraki Gulf called Sea Change is under way. It is intended to secure a healthy, productive and sustainable future for the Hauraki Gulf.
The first stage involves finding out which places people visit – sea, coast, and islands – and why they value these locations, and you can give your input with this online survey. If you value the Gulf please fill it in and encourage your friends to have their say as well.
This serious fungal disease is well established in Australia and affects plants of the myrtle family. Unfortunately this includes some common natives like rata, pohutukawa and manuka, and since the spores could be carried here by wind a biosecurity alert has been issued to watch out for it. It can also attack fruit like feijoas…
This month’s pest plant is Woolly Nightshade, also known as tobacco plant or flannel plant because its leaves have a velvety texture . It has dense clusters of purple flowers, green or yellow berries about 1cm in size and oval, grey-green leaves. It is a major problem because its seeds are spread by birds, it colonises readily and it…
There has been a significant incursion of Norway rats inside the Sanctuary in the last few months. Following the capture of an adult rat near the campground at the end of May, a series of juveniles was caught there and in the swampy gully nearby and toward Pink Beach. A standard pest incursion response was…
At our recent AGM Allan Parker stood down as Chairman, having overseen the Society and the Sanctuary since their inception 10 years ago. Along with Jean Bell (who died last year) he was also awarded a Community Volunteers Award 2013 by the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board of the Auckland Council. Matt Maitland, Open Sanctuary…
Our fundraising for this project went better than expected – many those to those who contributed. We purchased three solar-powered speaker systems and installed them at the end of April this year along the eastern cliff tops of Shakespear Open Sanctuary to attract seabirds. Each system has two directional speakers which broadcast the target species calls out…
Shakespear Sanctuary is fortunate in having at least two mature patches of bush in Waterfall Gully and Kowhai Glen. However the intention has always been to increase the natural vegetation areas by planting more trees and shrubs. Apart from the initial amenity planting carried out in the 1970’s before the opening of the park, planting…
