THE STORY OF ABEL TASMAN CONSERVATION

THE STORY OF ABEL TASMAN CONSERVATION Words: Brendan Alborn.

Much of the forest you will find in the Abel Tasman National Park is regenerating native bush that has reestablished itself since land was cleared in the mid 1800s to create pastures for farming. European settlers to the area began purchasing land from 1854 but found the burning of the native bush quickly depleted the land of much of its fertility and the predominantly granite soils proved to be less than ideal for farming.

Some hardy souls stuck to their farming endeavours on the previously abundant native birdlife. The populations until as late as 1949 but the attempts at forestry, of many native bird species which were previously abunquarrying of Separation Granite and even attempts at dant in the area were either wiped out or moved to more establishing orchards were abandoned well before that. remote areas.

As a result of this early industry, land had been cleared, grass seed sown and the habitat for native critters, particularly birdlife was diminished considerably. The introduction of pests such as mice, rats and stoats also took a huge toll While pockets of virgin native bush remain scattered throughout the Abel Tasman, the Park’s original flora and fauna began to regenerate in earnest after it became a national park in 1946. But it wasn’t until as recently as 20

years ago that efforts to proactively restore the ecology of the Abel Tasman National Park were formalised and then kicked into hyperdrive. Since that time however, a number of groups of dedicated, mostly volunteers have created a restoration story for the ages.

The Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust, Project Janszoon and the New Zealand Department of Conservation have combined to implement massive, complex and multi-year projects designed to restore the ecology of the Abel Tasman to its original pre-human-inhabited glory. These projects have included the eradication of exotic trees including wilding pines and conifers, replanting of native trees, intensive trapping of introduced predators to our native birds and the reintroduction of several species of native birds that were once abundant in the area. Other individuals and more recently established groups, too numerous to chronicle here, have also made contributions to both the restoration and kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of the area.

For those of us who have been lucky enough to spend time in the Abel Tasman over many years, the progress made towards re-establishing the native bush and birdlife has been nothing short of miraculous, and more than a little heartwarming. Although the journey has only really begun and there is still a long way to go, there is no doubt that the native bush and birdlife is in better shape now than it has been since humans started knocking the place about.

ABEL TASMAN BIRDSONG TRUST

Formed in 2007, the Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust (ATBT) is a community-based charity in partnership with the Department of Conservation and the commercial operators. All of the commercial operators in the Abel Tasman National Park pay a voluntary levy to the Birdsong Trust for every customer that uses their services, in addition to their compulsory DOC concession fees. The Birdsong Trust has used these funds along with grants and other donations to implement a variety of projects that have greatly enhanced the ecology of the Abel Tasman over the last +14 years.

The Trust’s vision is to restore birdsong to the national park. Their main focus is on predator trapping in the southern section of the Park, and the eradication of wilding pines throughout the Park. As well as planting threatened tree species that have been decimated by introduced pests such as possums, ATBT volunteers also manage rodent trap networks. The ATBT have operated intense trapping in the Pitt Head area over several years to create a pest-free mainland ecological island. A comparison of the birdsong at Anchorage with other bays further north clearly indicates this is working.

Alistair Sheat is a volunteer and a Trustee of the ATBT. Alistair let me tag along on a trip into the Abel Tasman while he checked traps and showed me some of the recent tree planting the Trust has carried out. As Alistair adjusted the mechanisms of a double set box trap he talked to me about the diverse group of enthusiastic volunteers that undertake the extensive predator control along the coast, plant and maintain native trees, and manage the population restoration of some of New Zealand’s precious native species. From families to retirees there is a huge assortment of people who do volunteer work for the ATBT.

The ATBT currently maintains 865 traps year-round, which have resulted in a grand total of 308 mustelids and 6,050 rats being trapped since October 2010. The Trust is also involved in several restoration projects in the Abel Tasman National Park, the most significant being the eleminating of wilding pines throughout the Park. Almost a million dollars in grant money has been used to remove wilding pines and control a large suite of weed species in the Abel Tasman. The project started in 2011 and the dead standing trees on the skyline and in bush catchments show the success of this highly visible work. Two species of native birds have also been reintroduced into the park, the South Island Robin/Toutouwai and the Saddleback/Tieke.

On our way out of the Park, Alistair told me that the main goal of the Birdsong Trust is to improve the experience of the Abel Tasman for visitors and residents. Having planted 800 trees so far - and at this current rate this will increase to 2,000 in the next few years, and having successfully trapped hundreds of pests, the Abel Tasman is looking and sounding better than ever. Jade Alborn.

The Abel Tasman coastline features an amazing array of tidal inlets that are perfect for exploration by kayak. Many of these inlets are completely empty of water during low tides so can only be paddled during higher tides. The Torrent Bay and Awaroa Estuaries are among the largest in the Abel Tasman, but many of the other beaches have tidal estuaries. A couple of places you shouldn’t miss are Sandfly Bay from where you can paddle up Falls River to the swing bridge and Bark Bay where you’ll find the native bush fringes the entire estuary.