What: Forest & Bird Kaimai Mamaku campaign launch
When: 2pm, Saturday, November 14
Where: Exhibition Hall, Baycourt Community and Arts Centre, 38 Durham St, Tauranga
Forest & Bird launches its campaign to restore the Kaimai Mamaku forests in Tauranga on November 14.
Media and the public are welcome to attend this fun and informative event, which highlights a new chapter in the effort to bring the Kaimai Mamaku forest and its wildlife back to health.
Campaign patron Don Merton, well known worldwide for his pioneering work in saving threatened species, says he is excited at the chance to be involved with restoring biodiversity close to his new home in the Bay of Plenty.
“I have spent a career’s worth of effort saving birds on isolated islands,” he says. “Now we need to bring them back to the mainland for all New Zealanders to enjoy.”
Don Merton was involved in the 1970s with survey work in the Kaimai Mamaku forests. He says we were then in real danger of losing all the area’s native forests to plantations. Now he is heartened by the great work being done locally by community groups and individuals to save the forest from the newer threats of introduced pests.
Forest & Bird Central North Island Field Officer Alan Fleming says the 37,000 hectares of the Kaimai Mamaku forest is the largest continuous tract of forest in the upper North island.
The forest once rang with the sound of birdsong, but now that chorus is much reduced. Past mining and logging and now introduced pests, such as rats, possums, goats and deer, have damaged the density and diversity of the forest. Species such as tomtits, fantails, tui and kokako are either greatly diminished or have disappeared altogether from many areas.
Once the protective cloak of forest is damaged, the impact of wind and rain leaves soil vulnerable to erosion and flooding, and reduces its value as the water catchment for nearby towns and farms.
Alan Fleming says Forest & Bird’s campaign aims to restore the forest health through work such as pest control, tree planting, translocation and monitoring of native species – and he hopes more of the local community will become involved in bringing their forest back to health.
Guest speakers at the launch include:
Patron Don Merton
Alan Saunders, Landcare Research
Alan is a world leader on threatened species protection and has a long association with the Kaimai Mamaku forest.
Barry Wards, Forest & Bird national president
Barry will talk about the vital work that Forest & Bird is doing to restore health to our forests.
Activities and events will be announced at the launch, including workshops, public seminars, restoration projects and a schedule of forest walks and camps in the Kaimai Mamaku forest.
People can learn about restoration work in the Kaimai Mamaku forest and how they can get involved. Results from a recent bird count taken over the entire Kaimai Mamaku Forest will also be announced.
For more information about the campaign go to www.kaimaimamaku.org.nz
Contact: Alan Fleming, Forest & Bird Central North Island Field Officer, 07 575 8478
