Blog Archives

LANDCARE OKAREKA REPORT - JUNE 2016

24/6/2016

Landcare Okareka volunteers have been busy tidying up various places around Lake Okareka over the past few months. We have tidied up the plantings at the toilets at Boyes beach, Steep Street reserve, and Acacia Road. The Lake Okareka Walkway got a really good tidy up, with some family groups helping out - thank you to everyone who came to help. We had our first planting working bee at the Lake Okareka Hall washed out but it was planted and mulched over Queen's Birthday weekend.

Landcare Okareka volunteers have some other plantings to help with this year, such as around the Tarawera Road transfer and recycling station. This working bee is planned for the morning of Saturday 27th August 2016. It will be a joint working bee with volunteers from Lake Tarawera, Lake Okareka and Rotorua Forest & Bird. Everyone who would like to help will be most welcome, as there are around 1600 plants to be put in.

There is some more planting to be done at the entrance to the DOC camp and also down near the end of Acacia Road. The main focus for Landcare Okareka is planting this year which will be along the new walking track from Boyes beach to the DOC camp, once the track in that area is completed.

Another project that Landcare Okareka organises each year is the local Garden Bird Survey. Please look for the article and survey form in this Newsletter. If you are keen to help with any Landcare Okareka working bees, 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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LAKE OKAREKA WALKING TRACK REPORT - JUNE 2016

24/6/2016

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Since the previous report in March 2016, work has continued on Stage 1 of the Lake Okareka Walking Track from Boyes beach to the Department of Conservation camp and day amenity area. As reported previously, Owen Builders have been undertaking the construction under contract to Lake Okareka Community Assn of the timber boardwalks. Many people have been going to have a look at the new track taking shape and have commented on the excellent work carried out by John Owen and his team. We would also like to thank Tony and Heather Horton for allowing John to store materials for the track boardwalks at their property. This has certainly allowed John to undertake the work very efficiently. Owen Builders have not yet completed their work. The track is still under construction—and will be even when Owen Builders have finished the boardwalks —and people should take care when using the track.

The professional construction of the boardwalks has been made possible by several grants received by Lake Okareka Community Assn. The funders were The Sovereign Trust Ltd, The Four Winds Foundation Ltd, Southern Trust, and Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust. We thank all of these funding bodies for their generous support of this project.

There has also been a major contribution to this work from the volunteer efforts taking care of the Dept of Conservation camp at Millar Road, Lake Okareka. Thank you to those volunteers.

There is still a lot more volunteer work to happen on the track, with a lot more timber edging to be done and around 250T of gravel to be carried in. We would like to thank Dennis Falconer for the use of his barge to carry some of the edging timber to where it was needed along the track. Verda International Ltd have been very supportive towards the project with excellent deals on timber requirements for track edging, pegs, nails, etc.

There will be on going volunteer working bees over the coming months to complete the work on the track. If you are interested to help please contact Sandra or Mike Goodwin 362 8865 or email sgoodwin@actrix.co.nz to be added to the volunteer email list.

As I said earlier, the track can be walked, but care needs to be taken when doing so. Work is still happening in places—take care if people are at work and obey any signage that is in place. A large section of the track still does not have gravel on it and the Rotomahana mud layer can be quite slippery when it is wet.

Sandra Goodwin

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FEEDING THE BIRDS

24/6/2016

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Many residents at Lake Okareka are noticing the increased numbers of birds that are living here. That is happening as a result of all of the pest control work that is being undertaken in the area. The volunteers from Rotorua branch of Forest and Bird with the animal pest control in the Tikitapu Scenic Reserve are doing a great job of enhancing the environment in the reserve, with many more mistletoe plants growing. This work has also resulted in increasing numbers of birds.

This volunteer project is supported by those Lake Okareka residents who have played their part by purchasing rat bait stations and then keeping these topped up with rat bait during the year—see separate article in Newsletter about rat bait. There is also the work that Landcare Okareka volunteers, assisted by other Lake Okareka residents, who have been doing checking on the traps in boxes and targeting mainly rats and mustelids in the riparian areas around the lake.

Many people are also helping by feeding the birds, especially over winter. If you would like to help feed the birds and get pleasure from having birds such as bellbirds, tuis and wax eyes come to your garden, there are several things that you can do. You can make up feeders for sugar water – these can be small dishes or troughs, hung in trees or placed along a deck railing. Or feeders can be made up from a length of larger diameter PVC pipe with holes drilled into it along the length, and end caps to seal the tube. These feeding tubes can be attached using clips to a piece of timber which can then be secured to a deck railing. The recipe
for sugar water is around 1/2 cup of sugar per litre of water. Dissolve the sugar first in warm water and then top up with cold water.

You can also make feeding tables for dishes of seeds and nuts; fruits such as ripe apples, oranges or bananas can be fed; dripping can be hung in the red plastic string bags (that garlic comes in) and put up in trees - wax eyes really like this. There are commercially available bird seed feeders— they can benefit from having a larger dish, such as a plastic plant pot tray attached to the bottom, to give a larger area for birds to feed.

Whereever you place sugar water, a feeding table, a bird seed feeder or bags of dripping just check that cats cannot get at the birds while they are feeding. Moreporks (owls) on the other hand are another story.... Having fresh water available for the birds, especially for bathing in—like a bird bath—is also a well appreciated item for many birds

There are many useful places on the internet to look for more information about feeding birds e.g. forest and bird.org. Use a search engine to find some really useful information about feeding birds.

Remember you are just supplementing the birds’ normal feed supplies, to help them over the winter. Enjoy watching the birds come to your garden—and please take part in Landcare Okareka’s garden bird survey.

Sandra Goodwin—June 2016

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GARDEN BIRD SURVEY - CAN YOU HELP US PLEASE?

24/6/2016

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Silvereye (waxeye) Sexes similar, small, green with white ring around eye.

Thank you to everyone who helped with Garden Bird surveys last year. This year we would like even more locals to take part. Landcare Okareka, as part of carrying out work on measuring the biodiversity of the Lake Okareka area, as part of the Biodiversity Management Agreement that we have with Bay of Plenty Regional Council, would like to undertake a Garden Bird Survey again this year.

It will operate along similar lines to the nationally run Garden Bird Survey which is carried out each year by Landcare Research. You are welcome to also pass the information that you collect locally on to the national survey as well. http://gardenbirdsurvey.landcareresearch.co.nz.

The national survey is held from Saturday 25th June to Sunday 3rd July 2016, so we will carry out a local garden bird survey in this same time period.

Taking part is easy; spend just 1 hour (yes, just 1 hour!) sometime within the time period 25th June to 3rd July 2016, looking for birds in your garden. For each species you detect, record the largest number that you see (or hear) at the same time. Please count, not just tick the species you observe. You will find the Garden Bird Survey form as a loose page with the Newsletter, to fill in and return.

If you need help with bird identification the on line Garden Bird Survey web site will help.

Please fill in the survey form that is with this copy of the “Lake Okareka Newsletter” and either drop it back or post it to 2 Pryce Road, Lake Okareka, RD5, Rotorua 3076 before the end of July 2016.

We look forward to receiving your replies. We will print the results of the local Garden Bird Survey in a later edition of the Lake Okareka Newsletter.

Landcare Okareka Steering Committee

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RAT BAIT AND BAIT STATIONS - WINTER 2016

23/6/2016

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Thank you to everyone who has been rat baiting over the last few months. Thank you also to those property owners who have recently become involved with the Lake Okareka rat baiting programme. Some of you took note of last Newsletter's advice about changing bait that wasn't being eaten - mouldy bait! Now is a chance to get rid of rats that could still be around that could breed again when the weather warms up. 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.

Landcare Okareka is supplied Ditrac rat bait under a Biodiversity Management Plan with Bay of Plenty Regional Council. The rat bait is available to individual property owners, with their own bait stations, to help support enhancing the biodiversity at Lake Okareka. If you are interested to take part, 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 bait away to be stored. The bait 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 (at no charge) 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 or Mike Vincent 362 8376, 11 Branch Road. Please phone first to arrange a suitable time to collect bait or a bait station.

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DABCHICKS AND FORESHORE TRAPS

23/6/2016

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We have not been idle over the last few months and have continued our trapping and also conducted a count of the Dabchicks on Okareka and Tikitapu for DOC. So we have two bits of good news to share.

Firstly the Okareka’s Dabchick numbers are holding up. We completed our fourth autumn count in early April and got an average of 63 birds over three early morning counts. This is consistent with the last two years. The Tikitapu counts produced an average of 11 birds.

Year Average number of birds
2013 44
2014 67
2015 66
2016 63

When we did the autumn count in 2013 we had not started the trapping and I think it is safe to say that the numbers show that the trapping makes a difference. This year’s count at Okareka was done by Rod Stace, Jenny Grace, Katie Hodgson, Liz Harding, Steve and Liz Webb, Helen Van Hoof, Dave Scott and Mike Vincent. A special thanks goes to Dave and Grant Phibbs who provided the boats with which we would not have been able to complete the count. Tikitapu was covered by Mike Goodwin and Brian Law.

It will be interesting to see if the numbers of Dabchicks increases, declines or stays the same. My theory is that we have reached capacity for breeding Dabchicks at Okareka for the following reasons:

Dabchicks do not like neighbours;
Competition for nest sites. Coots will steal nest sites;
Limited breeding habitat, and
Disturbance

Hopefully I will be proved wrong and our population will increase. Our other piece of good news is that we have killed our 600th rat which is supplemented by 110 hedgehogs and 27 mustelids (stoats and ferrets). If you have any questions, suggestions or wish to help please contact Mike Vincent on 0274 781 899.

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LAKE OKAREKA WATER QUALITY UPDATE

22/6/2016

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Lake Ōkāreka is one of 12 Rotorua Te Arawa lakes that are protected and restored for the enjoyment and use of present and future generations under the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme (RTALP). The RTALP is a partnership between Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Te Arawa Lakes Trust and Rotorua Lakes Council with funding from Ministry for the Environment.

This update is to let you know what is being done and what can be done to enhance the water quality for Lake Ōkāreka.

What is being done?
A report was done back in 2012 to find out the nutrient reductions needed to reach and sustain the desired water quality level for Lake Ōkāreka. Professor David Hamilton from the University of Waikato is doing more work to establish nutrient inputs to the lake. The results of that work will give us an idea of what more we might need to do, and will be presented to the community. (Watch this space for times and dates).

What can be done?
Land use change
For the next three years, Regional Council has budgeted over $600,000 per year to work with landowners to reduce nutrients and improve water quality for Lake Ōkāreka. If you own a large property in the catchment and would like to make land use or land management change that has the potential for reducing nutrient input to the lake phone us on 0800 884 880.

This coming year the Regional Council is also looking at commencing a project to audit Rule 11 benchmarks for properties that have them in the catchment. Establishing current nutrient loss on these properties will also help establish further land use change requirements.

Gorse
Last year a fly over of the Lake Ōkāreka catchment was done to capture the amount of gorse on the land. Subsidies are available from 1st July to assist landowners with conversion. Over the next year we will use the aerial photography to approach landowners to see if they are interested. If you have gorse on your property that you want help to control or return to trees phone us on 0800 884 880.

Keep up to date “Like” the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme page on Facebook or email info@rotorualakes.co.nz to sign up to the RTALP e-news.

Helen Creagh
Rotorua Catchments Manager
Bay of Plenty Regional Council

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