Back in the 1960s, when G Frank Moore gifted his home and the bush surrounding it to the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, he could not have hoped for its future to be in better hands. Today Bushy Park Forest Reserve’s 98-hectares includes a very successful kiwi crèche, and a predator-free patch for New Zealand’s native birds.
The “bush” is a lowland remnant of rata-podocarp taka-puketea rainforest near Kai Iwi on the Wanganui to New Plymouth highway. Northern rata is found throughout the forest, including one listed notable tree, "Ratanui", the largest known rata tree in New Zealand. Its girth is more than 11.5 metres and it is estimated to be between 800 and 1000 years old. Although severely damaged by possums in the past, Ratanui and its fellow rata have survived thanks to substantial possum control work in recent years.
Today a Trust administers the park and homestead – an historically registered Edwardian mansion which is now used as a licensed restaurant and accommodation. The Trust’s main aim is to restore the forest and reintroduce rare bird species, such as the saddleback, brown kiwi and kokako. Originally the plan was to eliminate animal pests such as rats, possums, stoats, hedgehogs and magpies, and create a cordon to keep them out. But as re-invasion of animal pests was inevitable, the plan shifted to building a secure predator-proof fence within the park to create Bushy Park as a safe haven for threatened species and a kiwi crèche for young birds from Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi’s Operation Nest Egg. The fence was completed in 2005.
Over the summer of 2004/2005, a 4.8-kilometre Xcluder Pest Proof fence was built around Bushy Park. Funded by more than 400 individuals, corporates, companies and various agencies, the fence was officially “closed” by Governor General, Dave Silvia Cartwright. Two aerial drops of Pestoff rodent bait in August and September 2005 allowed the park to declare itself officially predator free. And so began a concerted introduction of rare and endangered New Zealand wildlife.
One of the first was Poutahi, the first kiwi chick from the Waimarino Forest, between Raetihi and Pipirike. The young female’s arrival in September 2005 marked the opening of Bushy Park’s kiwi crèche. Because the crèche had not yet been declared predator-free, Poutahi was kept in an aviary and fattened up by a diet of ox-heart, fruit, vegetables, cat biscuits and porridge, before returning home a few months later to a warm iwi welcome.
Now that crèche is officially pest-free, all kiwi chicks are now free-range, and the aviaries are used for other species as they come into the park.
From here, the aim is to gather eggs and chicks from Waimarino Forest, tend them until they reach the magic one-kilogram weight and are better able to defend themselves against stoats, then return them to the Karioi Rahui. Karioi Rahui is an iwi-supported ecological restoration project also close to Ohakune, which contains a remnant population of kiwi. Bushy Park Trust chairman, Allan Anderson, says, “We hope to use the Bushy Park kiwi crèche to work co-operatively with existing kiwi projects and help them build up secure kiwi populations. The chicks we raise are released back into whichever area they were sourced from.”
Size of area under protection
Bushy Park covers 98-hectares.
Biggest challenge
After several years, in 2005 the Bushy Park Trust decided to stop its work with kiwi in the Waitotara Valley, because adult birds kept producing infertile eggs. The Trust had hoped to supply Operation Nest Egg juveniles to boost the national park’s kiwi population.
“It seems we were just too late in getting to this population and we had to make the hard decision to remove their transmitters,” Allan says. “Instead we will concentrate our project on Waimarino adults and their nests for Operation Nest Egg work. Our main emphasis is to operate Bushy Park as a major crèche for any Operation Nest Egg participant,” Allan says.
Biggest successes
Getting the predator-proof fence in place and the kiwi crèche up and humming have been the stand-out successes, says Allan.
“Because we have managed to create a large pest-free area, in a beautiful lowland rainforest, we have been able to reintroduce North Island robin (toutouwai) and 40 saddlebacks (tieke), as well as the juvenile kiwi.
“The importance of Bushy Park is that it will not have a resident population of adult kiwi. It’s primary role will be as a crèche, with chicks coming in, growing to one-kilogram weight in a safe environment, and going back to replenish wild populations, where hopefully predator control will help them survive and breed.”
More recently, the Trust has set its sights on getting local schools involved in the project. Schools are being given the chance to name and meet Operation Nest Egg chicks, and receive regular updates on the young birds’ progress. “This has proven to be a really effective way to get kids involved and, most importantly, educated on why we need to carry out Operation Nest Egg,” he says.
Funding
The Bushy Park Trust has benefited from a wide range of funding from a wide range of supporters, including Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust.
Allan says the list of funders is too long to include. “Suffice to say the support has demonstrated universal confidence in Bushy Park’s role as a vital component in the long term recovery and survival of our national icon.”
The one most important thing
Bushy Park has pioneered the concept of taking a block of unprotected forest and turning it into a model of “mainland island” where New Zealand’s rarest native birds can live and breed safely.
For any group wishing to follow this path, the Trust offers the following recommendations:
- Establish a track record of reliable management. Funding providers need to be confident that you have the ability, skills, energy and commitment to carry out the job. This may take a number of years.
- Be very clear about what you intend to do.
- Your objective must have very clear benefits to conservation and species recovery. It is no good merely wanting a “nice piece of bush with some birds in it”. There is only so much money and it has to be used in a way that very clearly makes a difference.
- Make sure you generate widespread community support.
Who to contact
If you would like to volunteer to help the Bushy Park Trust, make a donation, or just want some more information, contact Trust chairman, Allan Anderson:
Email: al.rose@xtra.co.nz
Phone: 06 342 1722
Fax: 06 349 0879
Postal Address: 1008 Brunswick Road, RD1, Wanganui
Website: www.bushypark-homestead.co.nz