Timeline of a native restoration project in Dovedale
Peter Clausen and Sue Rewcastle shared the journey of their restoration project with MCC Chair and Dovedale resident Debbie Win. MCC wishes to acknowledge the effort and commitment towards what has been accomplished, and the contribution these sorts of projects make to the overall health of the Dove sub-catchment and wider Motueka catchment.
Restoration timeline:
2005
Registered existing native bush with QEII – 2.8 hectares
2018
Pine block adjoining QEII logged and site cleared in preparation for native planting.
Winter – planting started 1,500 mostly root trainers planted first year. Species as per adjoining QEII block. Species included: – pitto, various coprosma, kanuka, manuka, pdeudopanax, griselinia, kaihikata, rimu, cabbage tree, beech, miro, totara, marble leaf, flax and grasses.
2022 – 2023
Second water way fenced and 1400 natives planted.
2024
QEII register Restoration Agreement on replanted pine block adjoining existing QEII Covenant area being 1.3 hectares. This a greement will become a full covenant over the next 10 years once the block is established and the plants are reproducing from seed.
2018 – 2024
Approximately 5,500 natives planted in total. As the earlier plantings became established infilling with beech, hard, silver and black, miro, totora, matai, rimu and kaihikata. The beech and totara that was planted in the earlier years did surprisingly well with very little cover.
We haven’t used tree protectors due to the possible risk of pollution into the waterways and the added cost. We have had a very good success rate without them but it does require more releasing. When spray releasing around seedlings we use a large sheet of core flute against the plant and then just move around the plant.
Ongoing:
Pest Weed and Animal Control
Weeds and grass have been controlled with herbicide spray and hand releasing around plants. This is an extremely important step and if overlooked the plants will be smothered. The planting of the tree is around 10% of the work required to get it above the grass and weeds. After the logging the area was infested with mostly broom. As the years go by the broom is under control and now the grass is the biggest threat to new plantings. Once the trees come together and the light is blocked out it will begin to look after itself. We marked each plant with a bamboo steak so as to find it to release around at least 3 or 4 times a year. We gave each plant a fertiliser tab in the hole when planting. We were surprised how well the plantings did in the clay!
Rabbits and hares will nip off the steam of young plants. Sometimes these will recover. We shoot what we can. When we planted we originally put sheep dags around the soft plants which did seem to deter them.
Rats: we have installed bait boxes, spring rat traps, Good Nature self-setting gas traps and NZ Autotrap resetting Doc 200. We have been getting over 100 rats per year.
Possums: A count of 34 possums over the last 2 years through use of Tim’s traps and NZ auto traps.
If you’re interested in more information, advice or looking at the block contact Peter Clausen or Sue Rewcastle on 021 543366