Slippery slope of Porter Heights skifield
Forest & Bird is concerned that a land grab plan by the Canterbury Porter Heights skifield owner could turn pristine alpine conservation land into another skifield.
Skifield owner Blackfish has asked the Department of Conservation (DOC) for freehold ownership of almost 200 hectares at nearby Crystal Basin. In return, the mostly Australian-owned company will give back to DOC 370 hectares of land it’s not using in the Upper Porter Valley. Blackfish doesn’t own this land – it leases it from DOC.
Crystal Basin is too precious to give away for a ski development, and it’s hard to see how trading leased land for freehold land could ever rate as fair. Forest & Bird has written to DOC asking for the public to have a say in the proposal. More
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Ruapehu lodge rises from the ashes
Last week, we flung open the doors to the newly rebuilt Ruapehu lodge. The lodge, which burned down in 2008, has been reborn as an eco-friendly 32-bed lodge. The airy, spacious alpine lodge now has sweeping views of the mountain and a variety of rooms that range from 4 to 14-bed bunk-rooms.
>> Photo slideshow
>> Book a bunk
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Spotlight on conservation
People of all shades of green are invited to attend our North and South Island gatherings to brainstorm ideas, set out our conservation priorities and thrash out campaign ideas. Our newly re-built Ruapehu lodge will play host to the North Island gathering on November 12-14, and earlier in the year we’ll host our South Island meeting at Pudding Hill, near Methven, on October 29-31. As well as setting out our conservation priorities and an action plan, we’ll do alpine activities and excursions to areas of interest. Please bring your creative juices!
- South Island Meeting, October 29-31, Book here
- North Island Meeting, November 12-14, Book here
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Waitakere kokako get boost from Tiritiri Matangi
Our endangered kokako is returning to the Waitakere Ranges in full-force after a 60-year absence. A small advance party of six birds was transferred at the start of this year to our 1750-hectare reserve, followed by a top-up of two more birds in May. All the birds are settling in well, with the latest couple quickly forming an amorous union. It is expected that another 20 birds will join this group in September/October from Mapara, in the Central North Island.
Blog: Winged westies
Photo: kokako, Simon Fordham
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Mokihinui: Not for Sale
Forest & Bird is working hard to stop the West Coast’s wild Mokihinui River being dammed. In a split decision in April, Meridian Energy got the go-ahead to put an 85-metre dam on the river, drowning 14 kilometres of river and 330 hectares of rimu and rata forests.
We need your help to:
• Present a robust and well-planned appeal in the Environment Court
• Support the Department of Conservation in opposing Meridian’s plans to swap private land for the public land where it would like to build the dam
• Gain better protection for the Mokihinui and its vast catchment
If you’re interested in supporting us in our battle, or you would like to help out in someway, then please join our activist list.
Blog: Mokihinui: Not for Sale
Photo: Top of the South Field Officer Debs Martin and Executive member Craig Potton admire the Mokihinui river
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Road map for our waterways
Forest & Bird has played a big part in a team approach to changing our waterways from one rather large waste–disposal unit. A water care group of 57 organisations, including iwi, industries, farmers, community and environmental groups is now close to drawing up a road-map to improve lowland water quality. This collaborative approach has the backing of the environment and agriculture ministers. In September, the Land and Water forum will release its report and put it up for public consultation.
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Heartland heroes
Artists have joined us in our protest against the green stain that is spreading across the Mackenzie Basin in an exhibition that opened last weekend.
Painter Grahame Sydney, sculptor Sam Mahon, and video artist & painter Jane Zusters are some of the artists that have channelled their artistic talents to political ends to help save this russet tussock-land from being overtaken by a mono-culture of grass.
Ultimately, Forest & Bird would like to see part of this basin turned into a drylands conservation park that protects its unique tussocklands, herbfields and rare & threatened species.
Exhibition: Artists as Activists, New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington, Saturday 21st August – 12th September.
For more information on our Mackenzie campaign, see here
Photo: A bust of Environment Minister Nick Smith by artist Sam Mahon that has been crafted out of cow dung.
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Battle of the birds
Our much anticipated Bird of the Year poll is warming up as campaign managers prepare their most colourful slogans and wittiest blogs to get people to vote for their favourite tweeter.
Filmmaker Taika Waititi, painter Grahame Sydney, and musician Don McGlashan are just some of the celebrities who will be going head-to-head in our annual battle of the birds. As well as inviting celebrities to vie for their favourite bird, we’ll be getting kids on board to champion their most beloved bird.
So if you know of a school, or classroom that would like to back one of our underbirds, please get in touch! M.herrick@forestandbird.org.nz
Voting for New Zealand’s favourite bird will open on the 13th of September during Conservation Week.
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