Time to plant trees

The field team have completed their planning for the up and coming planting season. First the days and areas are decided and then we decide which plants we want to put in each of the areas aligned to the relevant reserve planting plans. This year we are planting in our “totara dunes” at Tavora, North Otago, creating new breeding habitat for yeps at Okia on the Otago Peninsula and creating wind break and shelter at our newest reserve at Long Point, South Otago.

Every year we plant our revegetation favourites like broadleaf, Coprosma propinqua and Pittosporums and enhance existing bush or more sheltered sites with species like wineberry and narrow leaved mahoe. As these plants get establish we start to add some of the interest trees that would be found in the area but in lesser numbers, for example kahikatea, or Olearia fragrantissima, the fragrant flowering tree daisy.

We also grow plants that are suitable for attracting lizards. These species include Coprosma tayloriae and totara. These species are planted into our habitats as part of our restoration work but also grown for others, individuals and groups wanted expressly to bring lizards back into their areas.

Plants from our Nursery also go to projects for birds, bees or simply to beautify public spaces. Some requests can be very specific for example we have been asked for plants that don’t drop leaves or flowers! This may sounds odd but for the albatross at Taiaroa Head, plants that have insect pollinating flowers could attract flies that could lead to an increase in fly strike in the young chicks.

It can be quite challenging to find the perfect plant for each situation but native plants are so diverse we generally come up with a solution. We really enjoy the challenges of different projects; it gives us an excuse to learn about other restoration projects going on in the Otago area.

If you watch the attached slide show you will be able to see some of the species we grow. They are expertly held by our fantastic volunteers who helped grow them.

If you know anyone who would be interested in plants feel free to contact us. And don’t forget to come along to our Community Planting days that are coming up.

Anita
Nursery Manager

Trust at Tomahawk Beach, Dunedin with Enviroschools

Entitled “One Beach – Ours to Explore and Care For”; David spoke to the students about living with penguins on southern beaches. Students had hands on experience of yellow-eyed penguin nest searching, learnt about penguin monitoring, moulting penguins and how to keep penguins safe from predators.

There was some great feedback from the students, and excellent questions, and luckily everyone’s fingers and toes were intact after the trap demonstration and trap petanque!

Thanks to Trust volunteers Caroline Forsyth, Linzi, and Michael Stevenson who ably helped out on the day with setting up all the equipment and leading the teams of nest searchers.

Community work days 2012

Sunday 27 May

Tavora Reserve, North Otago

Meet at carpark off Goodwood Road, 10am

Tuesday 5 June

Arbor Day – help us plant 1000x trees

Okia Reserve, Otago Peninsula

Meet at Dick Rd carpark,10am

Bring spades, warm clothes, food and drink.

For more information contact the YEPT office

Phone 03 4790011

email yeptrust@gmail.com

Santa Parade

The Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust made their inaugural appearance in Dunedin’s Santa Parade on Sunday 4 December 2011.  Over 25 volunteers, Trust staff and supporters donned penguin costumes, yellow beaks and masks in true penguin style and danced, skated, uni-cycled and drove mobile penguins along George Street.  Up to 40,000 spectators turned out on the day to experience the fun and Christmas atmosphere of this long standing community event. And, of course the big guy turned up too – in his traditional red and white. Thank you to everyone who supported the Trust’s parade – we plan on doing it again next year! Read the rest of this entry »

Great effort by Fonterra staff at Long Point

Fonterra staff, from the Edendale factory in Southland,  planted 300 shrubs at Long Point on Thursday 17 November.

Despite a promising start to the day, (in spite of an atrocious forecast), the planters and Trust staff were eventually  rained off around lunch time. Some true grit and resolve were on display as the final few plants went in, amid the downpour! Read the rest of this entry »

Opoho School visit to Okia

A hardy group of students from Opoho primary school joined Ranger Leith Thomson and Nursery staff Toby Bulow and Anita Pillai on Friday 19^th August at Okia to help plant pikao in the native dune systems that we have been developing. Despite the snow earlier in the week and the lingering southerly, around 11 pupils, parents and teacher Lucy Marr were still keen to come out and learn about native dune systems. They successfully planted 200 pikao plants in a very short time.

The group from the school, the Fantails Club, is dedicated to doing things to help the environment and is supported by the Enviro Schools programme. They have offered to assist us with growing pikao in their school shade house that we can use on our reserves. We will visit the school later this year to teach them how we propagate pikao and how to look after it. Read the rest of this entry »

Arbor Day planting 5th June

Arbor Day planting with Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust at Okia Reserve – Sunday 5 June 2011

Where: Okia Reserve – meet at the Dick Road carpark, Papanui Inlet, Otago Peninsula Click here for map
When: 5th June 10am
Bring: warm clothes, rain parka, work gloves, snacks, lunch & thermos/water.  Wear boots or sensible footwear.

The planting site on the dunes at the mid-beach  is about 20 minutes walk from Dick Road carpark. Some planting  spades are available, but bring your own if you have one.

Expected conclusion, around 3pm- All welcome.

Contact the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust  for more information on 479-0011 or email yeptrust@gmail.com

Highlanders help kick off planting season

Thanks to the Speight’s Brewery Environment Fund, the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust Nursery kicked off their planting season this year on International Day of Biological Diversity, Sunday 22 May, 2011 at Tavora Reserve, East Otago.

Over 20 Trust volunteers, staff and supporters pitched in alongside Highlander players Siale Piutau, Shaun Treeby and Highlander marketing manager Doug McSweeney to plant 1000 native trees, shrubs, flaxes and pikao. The aim of the day was to extend the current planting towards the southern beach to enhance the biodiversity where the rare yellow-eyed penguins breed. The restoration of these riparian strips provide ecological and environmental benefits for integrated land-use practices and is the way forward for conservation.

The planting took place as part of the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust programme of conservation activity using trees from its own nursery, which produces approximately 15,000 trees each year, the bulk of which will be planted in its own reserves this winter. Read the rest of this entry »

Planting for Penguins with Highlanders!

Thanks to Speight’s Environment Fund, the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust Nursery will kick off their planting season this year with $5k of trees and shrubs to be planted at Tavora Reserve, East Otago on Sunday 22 May at 10am.  Join in and help restore yellow-eyed penguin habitats with the Trust and volunteers on this International Day of Biological Diversity. And because conservation is important to Southern Men some of the Highlanders including Ben Smith will be there to help out.

• Place: Tavora Reserve, Bobby’s Head, Goodwood Road – take SH1 north to Goodwood, turning right at AA sign to reserve.
• Time: 9.15am, be at the old Wilson’s Distillery car park in Dunedin, or 10am at the reserve car park.
• Plan: plant trees and shrubs at the South Beach and optional loop track walk, leaving reserve by 3pm
• Take: spades, gardening gloves, warm clothing, lunch and drinks

NB: no toilet facilities

Plants were funded through a $5k grant from the Speight’s Brewery Environment Fund in 2010

2011 Planting Season

Preparations for the 2011 planting season are well underway at the YEPT plant Nursery. Our Nursery is so full it is bursting at the seams. It is time for all those plants to go.  Our coastal areas need them to provide shelter and food for penguin and other wildlife. Volunteers have been working hard sorting and weeding our plants so that they are in the very best condition before they leave. It’s a great feeling to be getting rid of the stock and planning the plants for the next year and here at the Nursery we need the space. Read the rest of this entry »