Planting dates, 2016
Since the formation of the Park in 1975, annual planting has greatly extended the original areas of native bush. Steeper gully areas have been fenced off and the current planting plan aims to fill gradually these.
Since the formation of the Park in 1975, annual planting has greatly extended the original areas of native bush. Steeper gully areas have been fenced off and the current planting plan aims to fill gradually these.
A comprehensive digital encyclopedia of NZ birds is now available online. To quote Graeme Taylor, DOC Principal Science Advisor: This new website has an excellent function that can be used to identify birds where the people concerned know very little about birds in general. It uses a system of habitat groups or broad plumage patterns…
Now that spring is here we are re-starting our regular Sunday at Shakespear events from 19th October. These are volunteer events which are open to anyone and will be followed by a BBQ lunch. We plan to run them on the third Sunday of each month (not December) but if the weather is really bad…
Shakespear Open Sanctuary is a sanctuary not only for birds and reptiles but also for rare and threatened plants. Pimelea orthia is one such plant. It is possible that the park’s pest free status is allowing its numbers to expand as well as the suitable habitat being present. The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network categorises…
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…
The planned planting site for 2018 was changed after the storm in May 2017 which caused a major slip adjacent to the Lookout Track. This massive rainfall neared 200mm and this slip at the end of the airstrip was the major site of damage in the park. It is hoped that the plants will help…
There are some gregarious new residents at Shakespear Regional Park! While other birds have repopulated the area naturally since pests were removed, recent events saw the first release of native birds behind the predator-proof fence. In July 2015, after many months of behind-the scenes work, a group of bird translocation experts and experienced volunteers caught…