Kia ora koutou katoa
Greetings everyone
2024 has been a busy and active year and we would like to share the
various developments and progress within the Ecosanctuary with all of
our subscribers, supporters, donors and sponsors! Your continued
support is the cornerstone of the progress and development of the 5
year old established Ecosanctuary. Thank You All!

The “War on Wallabies”
The BIGGEST achievement in the past 12 months has been the
successful eradication of the remaining Bennett Wallaby from within
the Ecosanctuary! There are now NO Wallabies left inside! When the
Predator fence (enclosing the 95Ha sanctuary) was completed in June
2021, an unknown number of wallabies remained, hidden away in the
Bush. We now put that number at approx. 7-800. Wallabies are
extremely proficient at breeding and despite attempts to cull them
through staked bait (Ferotox) and night shoots by keen hunters with
night vision capability, they proved to be elusive and their numbers
kept steadily increasing. Their veracious and continuous browsing on
all vegetation growth (including all native plants), was very evident with
visible well worn trails marking their nightly traverse through the bush
and their browsing preventing any natural regeneration of native
understorey. Observations from Mountain bikers told us the numbers
were suddenly exploding.
A much more efficient and effective extermination plan was needed
and with assistance and funding provided by Environment Canterbury,
the Trust consulted specialist Contractors and was able to launch a
“war on wallabies”! In May 2023 the Ecosanctuary was closed to the
Public for a number of weeks, during which time a drop of pre-feed,
followed by baited pellets was distributed throughout the Ecosanctuary
by chartered helicopter - aerial application. This was followed up by a
period of intense monitoring by the Contractors, including flying
thermal imaging drones, positioning trail cameras, physically walking
and inspecting tracks and watching for signs of live wallaby movement
over the next few months. By December 2023 it was evident that the
war on wallabies had been won and in just a few short months, the
amount of regenerative growth of understorey in the Bush was
stunning with young native plants appearing AND, amazingly new plant
life was appearing within gorse cover. Pittosporums under the gorse
the telling indicator we had wone the battle and the war. A testimony to
Hugh Wilson’s advocacy that “by removing grazing and browsing
animals from areas of native bush, regeneration of native plants and
trees will naturally occur with the gorse cover acting as a nitrogen fixer
and protector in the early stages of regeneration. Once the regenerated
native bush has grown through the gorse to a sufficient height to block
light from the gorse...it will struggle to survive.
Hugh Wilson demonstrated this successfully at now famous Hinewai
Reserve on Banks Peninsula.
Within the Point Bush Ecosanctuary, what was once Totara Forest,
there is any amount of dormant Totara, Matai and other endemic native
tree seed species on the ground...ready and waiting to burst forth and
we are now seeing it happening!
This was a costly exercise of some $50K and made possible by specific
funding allocated to the Trust by Environment Canterbury and for
which we are very appreciative of their contribution to our successful
eradication of wallaby from the Ecosanctuary.
(Wallabies are a national PEST in Aotearoa New Zealand not only
damaging to the native bush environment but to grassed farmlands)
To find out more Visit the Ministry for Primary Industries Biosecurity
NZ website: mpi.govt.nz/wallabies.

So with the wallabies gone...it was on with the 2024 planned native tree
PLANTINGS:
In 2022 we planted 25,000 natives on the hill top of the Ecosanctuary
but held back from planting in 2023 because of the wallabies. After the
bait drop, we resumed planting this winter (2024) and have just
completed putting in a further 10,000 natives, with planting focus on
the grassy hill slope (just inside the Ecosanctuary above the start of the
Big Easy Track) and planting out the recently logged three hectare (ex
Eucalyptus firewood block) on the lower northern section of the
Ecosanctuary. Funding for plants and planting costs has been covered
through a successful application made to MPI One Billion Tree Fund by
the Trust in 2020. Local contractor, Matt Wolf (Waimate Landscaping)
was engaged to prep sites and plant out and along with Gary Dennison,
has spent many hours in the past two months getting 10,000 plantings
in the ground. See photos on the Ecosanctuary website.
www.pointbush.co.nz. Several sessions were organised with
Volunteers assisting to place plant protectors, but with no wallabies,
there is no longer a browsing threat, protectors are not so essential.

Upgrade of 4wd vehicle access track
In May 2024 the Trust engaged local earthworks contractor James Davis
to undertake logging of the 3 Ha Eucalyptus block (in preparation for
native tree planting), plus scooping out to enlarge the lower pond as a
firefighting resource.
The “Back Track” as it’s called required extensive re-grading work to
grade the deeply rutted surface track and inset drainage coils to
counter the excessive water run off. This was an essential upgrade to
provide an all weather track for vehicle access and for an emergency
vehicle route.

New track directional signage:
The walking and MTB biking tracks within the Ecosanctuary continue
to be popular, attracting many visitors to stop by and enjoy the variety
of recreational tracks leading to the White Horse Monument at
Centrewood Park.
There’s been an urgent need to install directional signage and this has
been no small task. With support and funding co-ordinated by local
groups Waimate Trackways, Whitehorse MTB Riders, Waimate2gether
and Waimate District Council (Recreational Track Grant), we are
nearing completion of a long and complex project to provide
Standardised Directional Signage with colour coded track maps for the
many tracks within the Ecosanctuary, including the White Horse
Walking track and Big Easy.

Pest trapping & protection of native birds
Although the wallabies are no more, there are still possums, rats, feral
cats and mustelids to deal with. There are a number of traps set out in
the Ecosanctuary - trap lines - all numbered with GPS positions and
checked weekly. This trapping detail is logged onto TrapNZ and can be
viewed online. When attending the annual SONZI (Sanctuaries of New
Zealand) Conferences the message is always...”it’s not what you are
catching BUT what you are not catching”! The cunning psyche of
weasels, ferrets, rats and possums...even mice is not to be under-rated.
Effective trapping is a constant mind game, the type of bait (visual or
odorous and even colour) plays a big part. Possums are attracted by
white and yellow colours! They also go for aniseed and mayonnaise!
Rats are so cautious and rarely get caught in a trap. They go for the
spiked bait in tunnel boxes as do mice.

Traps & bait
They all cost and we are delighted that The Trust has been able to
purchase additional traps this year through the generosity and support
from a number of Donors, including:
Waimate Federation of Women’s Institute donated $500 for traps
GiveALittle Donations - collected in 2024 - $595
GiveATrap donated a further 2 traps (an annual support)
Canterbury Aoraki Conservation Award donated $2,300
QEII donated $2,300
Other donations have been made by Donors in the Sponsors category
That acknowledges Donors with a fence post Name Plaque
(Photos of Name Plaques are on the Ecosanctuary website) along with
Details of Sponsors categories.

DONATIONS are always welcome and appreciated. They help cover the
trapping costs and enable the Trust to implement the various projects
(listed on the website).
Donation can be made through the website
www.pointbush.co.nz

CURRENT PEST COUNT: (tally below is since trapping commenced in
January 2021 - data is submitted to the National Trap App:

Possum 278
Rats 60
Weasels 45
Ferrets 1
Stoats 24
Feral cats 17
Hedgehogs 124
Rabbits 8
Mice - unknown as they take up bait in tunnel bait boxes

Trapping Volunteer, Danny has been a super star regular trapping
volunteer and supporter of the Ecosanctuary since 2019. We would
always welcome other volunteers interested to help with checking
traps.

PEST WEEDS: Apart from pest predators - there’s notifiable PEST
WEEDS to be dealt to including Banana Passion Fruit, Barbary etc.
Volunteers interested to assist are welcome to get in touch. We tend to
follow a cut and paste application when we find them.
To help support the Point Bush Ecosanctuary as a Volunteer for either
PESTS or PEST WEEDS or BIO DIVERSITY interest do contact us :
pointbushecosanctuary@gmail.com

NATIVE BIRDS
There is a very evident marked increase in the volume of birds and
birdsong this Spring time! With the reduction in predators, the bird life
is thriving and apart from regular bush birds such as korimako
(bellbird), tui, piwakawaka (fantails), riroriro (grey warbler), regular
sightings of titipounamu (Rifleman) are becoming common along with
karearea sightings.

INVERTEBRATES : LIZARDS & GECKOS
Bio-diversity plans were put on hold during the Covid period. We had
structured a Bio-diversity day and invited specialists and experts in
plants and invertebrates to spend a day in the Ecosanctuary identifying
plant, fauna and invertebrates. We plan to re-schedule.

Full protection in perpetuity
The other BIG achievement in the past few months has been a signed
agreement by the Trust with QEII, placing the Point Bush Ecosanctuary
in protective Covenant - in perpetuity! A Safe Haven for Forest and
Bird forever! The Trust has received grant funding of $2,300. Thank
You QEII.

Visitors - schools & groups:
We are always delighted to welcome visitors to the Ecosanctuary
and recently enjoyed a return visit by the Kiwi Conservation Club, the
Waimate Scouts and Centennial School who walked from their school
all the way to the top of Point Bush Road to the Ecosanctuary...and then
walked the loop track in the sanctuary. Lunch at the Visitor Centre
revived everyone, ready for the return walk back to school! Well done!
It was a big walk but undertaken with enthusiasm and energised by all
they saw.

There are a number of photos plus additional information on the
Website www.pointbush.co.nz
Including Point Bush Wine stocks - purchase of available wines with
proceeds going towards the Ecosanctuary (Age 18+ ) applies.

We can be contacted by email: pointbushecosanctuary@gmail.com

Nga Mihi

The Trustees
Point Bush Ecological Restoration Trust