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.

Badger experience helping penguins at Curio

Chris & Milton Smith of SCDECT at Curio Bay

Irish ecologist Dr Chris Smal probably never envisaged advising a New Zealand conservation project about the potential use of under passes or elevated road ways for yellow-eyed penguins, especially given that his experience to date has been with species such as badgers and deer in the northern hemisphere.

However because of  a chance  contact  made with the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust  through his son, Bastian, studying at the University of Otago, he generously took time out of his  New Zealand holiday to do exactly that.

Read the rest of this entry »

Energetic Youth Assist at Nursery

The recent visit of members of the Department of Conservation’s Youth Development Programme to the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust’s native plant nursery, was once again a fun day and a success.   The group was made up of nine young adults and two group leaders, who showed up, and were, as always, keen and interested to see how a plant nursery is run and to learn some plant propagation skills and put them straight into practice.  I really enjoy having the positive young energy at the nursery.  The good work ethic and good vibes of this energetic group, makes for a great day.  Between us we potted up over 900 pikau plants into root trainers, in just a morning! Read the rest of this entry »

Volunteer Wednesdays are BACK

February marked the beginning of Volunteer Wednesdays 2012 at the Yellow-eyed Penguin Plant Nursery.  Volunteer Wednesdays have been around since 2003 and every summer we give our volunteers a well earned break, meeting up again when the school term starts in the New Year.

The Nursery is the powerhouse of the YEPT operations. It is often the first point of contact with the Trust. All sorts of conservation activities are carried out there and the Wednesday Volunteers are prepared to give them a go. Read the rest of this entry »

A day with the penguins

The three-month old yellow-eyed penguin chicks have shed almost all their downy feathers and are getting ready to head to sea for the  first time where they will learn to fish for themselves. This is the time when various people at the different breeding locations give the chicks a final check over by weighing, measuring and marking them for future population studies. Read the rest of this entry »

Sea lion mum and pup on the move

Last week the Trust supported the Department of Conservation to move a sea lion pup and its mum from Dunedin’s Tomahawk Beach to a quieter location.  Read the rest of this entry »

Did you know?

New Zealand has three main species of penguins, the yellow-eyed, the little blue and the Fiordland crested. They all lay 2 eggs every year and the little blue is even able to lay 2 clutches of 2 eggs. The Fiordland crested hatches out two chicks but rarely do they both survive a strategy that is not entirely understood.

Yellow-eyed penguins all lay their eggs pretty much at the same time each year and as a consequence about 43 days later, on or around November 9^th their chicks will hatch. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

Richdale book launch