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Landcare Okareka - June 2015

23/6/2015

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Any of you recently walking along the Lake Okareka Walkway will have noticed that a number of flaxes have been removed in the flax grove area past the point. The flaxes have been an ongoing problem requiring regular trimming back from the track by Landcare Okareka volunteers - a job that no one enjoys, and it ends up with ugly looking flax plants. The flaxes are also a problem for the Castlecorp mower guys, with leaves getting tangled around the mower blades. The flaxes growing along the fence are a problem to the Playne family farm "Longfords" and the farm manager, as they short out the electric fence. These are large varieties of flaxes that were originally planted at public plantings, under supervision of the then Rotorua District Council Landscape Architect. They were planted too close to the track and the fenceline. This was before Landcare Okareka was established. So recently Landcare Okareka and a representative from RDC met and discussed the problem and decided to remove some of the flaxes that were very close to the track. Castlecorp came with a small digger to remove some of the flaxes. More will be removed in the summer in the new financial year. Landcare Okareka volunteers will replant the area adjacent to the fence with a mix of manuka and kanuka, as the flaxes are removed. This is at present "a work in progress".

Further out along the walkway LO Volunteers worked in March and moved part of the track, as it has scoured out over time. We also cemented in place one of the picnic tables that had been movable - it kept ending up being put in the lake and having to be shifted back to dry land.

We are now into winter planting time. We had a very wet planting day in May when some manuka and kanuka plants were put in where the track has been moved. A few brave and hearty souls went for a ride on Dennis Falconer's barge - thank you Dennis for the use of the barge! - And endured the wet weather to do this planting. Plants were also dropped in the area where the flax has been moved and later planted by LO volunteers.

Future winter time planting working bees will be in Taumaihi Reserve, at the end of Acacia Road; an area along the canal for Bay of Plenty Regional Council following the replacement of the Lake Okareka outlet pipeline; in the reserve at the start of the Lake Okareka walkway; opposite Benn Road in Tikitapu Scenic Reserve - this will be a joint Landcare Okareka, Rotorua Forest & Bird and Rotorua Botanical Society planting working bee; in the reserve area near the entrance to the DOC camp, Millar Road.

If you are keen to help, we would appreciate any time that you have to spare. Working Bees will continue to happen on the 4th Saturday of the month (unless otherwise notified). Watch out for the sign boards to go up – and please feel free to come and help. Sandra Goodwin, Secretary, Landcare Okareka, phone 362 8865 or email sgoodwin@actrix.co.nz

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Tims Possum Traps - June 2015

23/6/2015

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These Bay of Plenty Regional Council funded Timm's possum traps are available on loan to any Lake Okareka residents if you contact Sandra & Mike Goodwin 362 8865. The Lake Okareka community has 10 traps which were funded as “loan traps” by Bay of Plenty Regional Council. These traps have been borrowed at various times by members of the community. If you are having possum problems – maybe eating fruit or flowers or they are making a nuisance of themselves at night – and you would like to borrow a Timm's trap, give us a call.

If you are not familiar to the “Timm's trap”, we will provide you with some instructions about how to use the traps. We will also give you some advice about what seems to work best as “bait” - such as apple with cinnamon, or apple and peanut butter. If you can, keep a note of any possums caught and pass that on to us when you return the trap. We like to know for our records what is being caught around the place and we can also pass that on to the Regional Council.

For more information or to borrow a trap, please contact Mike and Sandra Goodwin, phone 362 8865 or email sgoodwin@actrix.co.nz.

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Rat Bait and Bait Stations - Winter 2015

23/6/2015

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Thank you to everyone who has been rat baiting over the last few months. There is still some rat bait available and it is a very good idea to keep the bait stations stocked up to help protect bird life in the area over the next couple of months.

Ditrac rat bait provided by Bay of Plenty Regional Council is, once again, available to individual property owners, to support enhancing the biodiversity at Lake Okareka. We are especially interested in getting even more lake-side properties involved with rat bait stations. We believe that the results Lake Tarawera are getting with the increase in numbers of dab chicks could be due in part to their successful rat bait programme. They have many lakeside properties there involved. If you are interested, but maybe feel that you do not come to your property often enough to keep the bait station full, please contact us. We may be able to work out a partnering system with someone who lives here permanently, and is prepared to keep your bait station filled. Ditrac is a poison, and care must be taken when using it.

How to Use Ditrac Bait:

It is recommended that bait be fed in a type of bait station, fitted with a locating rod that does not allow the rats to carry baits away to be stored. The baits have holes in them and they thread onto the rod. Rats and mice eat the bait in the bait station. The bait station protects the bait from the weather. It means also that bait cannot be eaten by non-target species such as birds, dogs, cats and children.

Bait stations are available by contacting Mike and Sandra Goodwin 362 8865 or email sgoodwin@actrix.co.nz. We have a new type of lockable bait station, like a small suitcase. They also have locating pins for the bait. Cost of these is $25. Please give us a call if you would like to purchase a bait station for your property.

Do you have a bait station already? That's great if you do. When you collect your bait you will need to confirm your name and address and the address of the bait station. We need to update our data base about bait stations and where they are located throughout Okareka – and many thanks to everyone who has done this so far.

How do I get bait now? Bait is available in labelled, zip lock bags, containing 12 rat baits. This is enough bait to fill one bait station 2 times during a month. Bait stations should usually not be filled more than twice during a month, otherwise you are wasting bait and feeding potentially dead rats and mice.

If you require the bait or a lockable bait station for $25, please contact Mike & Sandra Goodwin phone 362 8865, 2 Pryce Road or Rod Stace phone 362 8523, 30 Summit Road. Please phone first to arrange a suitable time to collect bait or a bait station.

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