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November 2016
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Workday reminder, November 19 2016
Travis Monthly Workday, Saturday November 19 2016, 9 am – noon.
Meet at the education center (the old farm house) behind the Beach Rd car park at 9 am.
Bring your own gumboots but don’t worry if you don’t have any we can loan you some.
All gear provided.
There will be “morning tea” afterwards for those that want to stay for a chat.
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Snippets from the AGM
Ranger Report
Travis Wetland Trust AGM John Skilton and Kenny Rose
Kia ora kotou
Many thanks to the Travis Wetland Trust for another productive year from Kenny and myself. Thank you all for your volunteering your time at workdays, meetings and during the week. The passion and commitment of the Trust and everyone involved with Travis is very inspiring we enjoy the conversations and sharing of ideas learning.
Many thanks to Craig Taylor and the IDEAS (IHC) Conservation Work Team and to the Wai-Ora Trust conservation work teams for maintaining our amenity and planted areas. I would also like to thank Steve and Robin at Trees For Canterbury for their continued support and annual donation of plants.
Community
- Students, teachers and parents of Burwood and Windsor schools now merged as Waitakiri School, have supported us for 23 years. This year 600 students planted out the Mairehau dune and Conservation Week we acknowledged their support with students planting 3 large matai trees at Clarevale Reserve representing the now merged schools.
- The 180 people that came to the September planting day weren’t put off by the muddy ground. About 2000 plants were planted. This was probably the largest numbers we have had and it was great to see such a culturally diverse attendance.
Biodiversity
- One highlight this year has been the first record of the Australasian Bittern breeding at Travis when juveniles were found on properties of park neighbours.
- Thank you Eleanor, Denise and Al for your dedication and enthusiasm in looking after the Manuka area despite the invading pukeko!
Restoration planting
- The planted area at the Totara/matai forest now totals 5.2ha of the planned 6ha. Between 2006 and 2016, 40,904 plants have been planted.
- The dry 2016 winter has made for high survivorship and growth of the September 2015 plants.
Invasive weeds
Control continues for female grey willow trees, yellow-flag iris and blackberry. This year also attempting to control grey willow on surrounding CCC land e.g. Ascot Golf Course.
Pest Fish
The 2015/16 summer was the fourth season that NO RUDD were caught, because of this only one control fish in February 2017 is planned for this summer.
Pest animal control
- A Good Nature A12 self-setting trap caught 13 possums in a month at Horseshoe Lake.
- Predator control at Travis continues for mustelids, rats and possums. The Good nature traps at Travis have not had the same catch as at Horseshoe Lake.
Chair Persons Report
Sean Ward
Another year gone by – seemingly in a bit of a blur. a lot has been going on again at Travis
- a number of successful workdays and public plantings seeing the totara matai forest area and the mairehau dunes getting filled up with plantings.
- the issue of the use or fate of the red zone still hangs in the background, including the eco-sanctuary proposal. Regenerate Christchurch now charged with planning for the red zone explicitly so things may finally start to advance.
- the trust is in conjunction with the ranger team (John and Kenny) embarking on a re-visioning of sorts for the ten year plan now that several areas are nearing completion/fruition. this will direct activity over the next ten years once settled.
- health and safety act changes and responsibilities have been to the fore (as for many organisations and employers) and several board members have undergone training. The trust has also purchased some items and introduced processes to make our workdays and public events more manageable and safer.
- a bundle of bouquets need to go out also to the following people – Dave Evans and Denise Ford as treasurer and secretary they do a large amount of work to keep the trust running smoothly, generally unrecognised!; Grahame Bell for all his work on the website, and his photographic record; the Manuka Group for their ongoing protection and enhancement work on rare plants in the wetland and their improvements on the western side; the IHC worksites crew and Craig for all their hard work around the wetland.
- a huge thanks again to the Rangers (John and Kenny) as always we all enjoy and benefit from your hard work, and the excellent relationships you maintain with both the trust and the public coming through the wetland.
Treasurer’s report precis
Dave Evans
Income and expenditure for the last financial year were almost exactly balanced with a surplus of $29.
Of the $3863 received more than one half ($2100) were donations and subs were $553, a bit down on the previous year.
The only other big item of income was $800 of interest on a term deposit.
The major item of expenditure was $2417 on plants, nearly all from Trees for Canterbury.
Travis Trust Committee 2016 – 17
Colin Meurk (President)
Sean Ward (Chair Person)
Denise Ford (Secretary)
Dave Evans (Treasurer)
John Skilton (CCC Ranger)
Grahame Bell, Eleanor Bissell, Sue Britain, Charlie Catt, Joe Greenaway, Deidre Johns, Phil Teague