Open Space issue 106 - May 2024

Open Space NATURE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

IN THIS ISSUE

OPEN SPACE MAGAZINE :

QUEEN ELIZABETH II NATIONAL TRUST is a statutory organisation independent from government and managed by a Board of Directors. We are a registered charitable entity under the Charities Act 2005. Registration number CC28488.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Alan Livingston, Karen Schumacher, Philip Hulme, Richard McDowell, Donna Field, Graham Mourie

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Dan Coup T 04 472 6626 E dcoup@qeii.org.nz

VICE REGAL PATRON Her Excellency, The Right Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro, GNZM, QSO, Governor-General of New Zealand

OPEN SPACE™ is published by the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust, PO Box 3341, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.

Level 4, 138 The Terrace, Wellington ISSN 1179-3880 (Print) ISSN 1179-3899 (Online) T 04 472 6626 E info@qeii.org.nz

Design Pogo Design www.pogodesign.co.nz

Editor Laura Dalby E editor@qeii.org.nz W www.qeiinationaltrust.org.nz

COVER IMAGE: Moth Nivetica nervosa. Photo credit: Carey Knox

Word from the chair

It is my pleasure to introduce this issue of Open Space, once again showcasing the great conservation work being done around the country and the passion and dedication of our QEII covenantors.

It’s great to see all the pest control being done in covenants in the face of increasing challenges controlling pests. There’s a lot of enhancement activity happening within covenants, which is heartening to see when we consider the economic challenges facing so many of us. At an organisational level, QEII has been feeling the effects of inflation for some time. Costs for fencing, surveying and establishing new covenants have risen, and as the portfolio of covenants we are responsible for grows, so too does the resource required to maintain our relationships with a growing number of landowners and managers.

At QEII we’ve been doing everything we can to increase both the funding we get through central government (which has not increased since 2015) and from additional fundraising efforts through our Partners in Protection programme (you can read more about this on page 29).

We have been fortunate to have reserves to draw on thanks to past donations and investments, however these will soon reach a level where it is not responsible to keep drawing from them. The board and I are acutely aware that QEII may need to be flexible in what we can deliver, if more funding is not forthcoming.

Our absolute priority is and always will be, ensuring existing covenants are protected and cared for in perpetuity – that will not change. However, QEII may have to scale back the number of new covenants we can take on each year, to ensure we can continue to support our existing portfolio.

We are heartened by the number of landowners wanting to do their bit for biodiversity and our ambition is to be able to support everyone who approaches us wanting to make a difference by protecting their land in partnership with QEII.

We’re working constructively with the Government to find a solution and are hopeful

that the good work we do in partnership with covenantors will be reflected with an increase to funding in the near future. Until then, we’ll keep doing what we’re doing to support new and existing covenantors and working with councils and communities for the benefit of biodiversity and cultural heritage in Aotearoa New Zealand.

It is our pleasure to produce this Open Space magazine, as it provides an opportunity for us to highlight and recognise the great work that our people – covenantors, regional representatives, supporters – are doing.

In this issue, we recognise covenantors that are truly ‘salt-of-the-earth’ good folk doing outstanding work in their covenants (see page 10 and page 27) as well as remembering the contribution of the likes of Geoff Walls (page 32) who sadly passed away in January this year.

QEII covenants are all about protecting land in perpetuity, and it will be the next generations that will be part of continuing that stewardship and protection. It is wonderful to hear about schools, our tamariki, connecting with QEII covenants and the natural world (page 18 and page 22).

Our cover page features one of the exquisite native moths that are part of some important ecosystems under QEII protection (read more about these special moths on page 12).

I am impressed every day by the wins for biodiversity, both big and small, thanks to our whānau of QEII covenantors and supporters. There is a huge opportunity for more to be achieved on private land and QEII will continue to champion our relationship-based model for conservation, which we know is not only effective and efficient, but pretty special too.

Until next time,

Alan Livingston Chair

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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH NATURE FOR COVENANTORS NEAR ECOSANCTUARIES

“ We’ve seen robins in our property, which is really exciting. It’s fantastic to have such a large area of protected native bush with all its wildlife nearby.”

Photo credit: Malcolm Rutherford

Farmer Bill Garland has had some unusual wildlife experiences, such as finding a kākāpō wandering around his property and once being attacked by a falcon.

The covenantor and former QEII director’s 430-hectare sheep and beef farm, Rahiri, lies next to New Zealand’s largest fenced ecosanctuary, Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari in Waikato. He shares 8 km of the 47-km boundary fence with the sanctuary and around 30 hectares of his QEII covenanted land lies within the sanctuary.

The keen conservationist was one of the original trustees of the sanctuary. Long before the fence went up, Bill had QEII covenants on his property and was doing restoration and predator control. His parents established one of the earliest QEII covenants in the 1980s on one of their bush-covered gullies.

“We’ve done possum control here for many years, even before Maungatautari was fenced. We’ve got so many fragments of bush and they are part of the character of the farm,” Bill says.

Nevertheless, the establishment and success of the sanctuary has enriched the experience of Bill and his family on their farm.

“I’ve slept in the bush a couple of times and listened to the dawn chorus. It’s almost deafening, which you never would have heard before. There are tīeke/saddlebacks outside the fence, toutouwai/North Island robins, miromiro/tomtits, as well as all the korimako/bellbirds, tūī and kererū. We’ve seen an increase in kārearea/ falcons and we’ve got pekapeka/bats pretty much over the whole farm.”

Danielle Cameron and her family own a 20-hectare lifestyle block near the Orokonui Ecosanctuary, north of Dunedin. About half is covenanted, including most of the bush-clad area around a stream, and two neighbours have also covenanted their land around the stream.

The numbers of tūī, kererū, korimako, ruru/moreporks and kākā have leapt since the establishment of the sanctuary.

“There are pīwakawaka/fantails everywhere, which is lovely,” Danielle says. She adds the ethos of the sanctuary fits well with their own organic and regenerative farming practices.

Leonie Rousselot and her partner Hank Rebmann also own a 20-hectare property near Orokonui and have noticed a big increase in native birdlife on their property since the sanctuary fence was completed and predators eradicated in 2007.

“We’ve seen robins in our property, which is really exciting. It’s fantastic to have such a large area of protected native bush with all its wildlife nearby.”

Leonie is less thrilled with the habits of the kākā that have spread from the sanctuary. The birds have stripped the bark from macrocarpa trees they have been growing for timber and gouged holes in apples from their trees. However, she remains enthusiastic about the impact of the sanctuary.

Both properties are part of the halo project surrounding Orokonui, which was set up to help protect the native species spilling out of the sanctuary into neighbouring areas. Traps have been installed on their land and Danielle and Leonie are grateful for the work of the volunteers who maintain them.

Predator proof fencing at Maungatautari/ Bill Garland’s covenant.

Photo credit: Zipporah Ploeg

Don Scarlet, co-chair at Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust (MEIT), the operators of Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, says the role of landowners and QEII covenantors is crucial for the success of ecosanctuaries and the halo projects that surround them.

He says Bill Garland’s covenant, located within the sanctuary boundary, gave MEIT the confidence to build the fence in the knowledge the land was permanently protected. Other private land within the fence has also been covenanted.

Covenants in the halo zone outside the fence help anchor conservation efforts in those areas, he adds. These include the B2B (Bush to Burbs) project to create safe wildlife corridors from Maungatautari northwards towards Cambridge and the eco-corridor between Maungatautari and Pirongia Forest Park to the west.

“People see those covenants there and neighbours start thinking they should take part too. Even if they don’t covenant land themselves, they want

“ I’ve slept in the bush a couple of times and listened to the dawn chorus. It’s almost deafening, which you never would have heard before.”

to do some work to help with the community vision,” Don says.

Bill Garland says there are benefits for covenantors in being part of a broader project or group. The most difficult issue for farmers is not so much the initial capital cost in fencing but ongoing monitoring and maintenance.

The protection work he has done on his farm has always aimed for commercial as well as conservation benefits. Fencing, for example, can be done in a way to make mustering more efficient.

“I also think there’s a huge opportunity in New Zealand agriculture to sell the conservation story because a lot of farmers are doing it and a lot of farmers have increased the

biodiversity on their properties and that’s got to be a selling point.”

He says he has treasured the experience of protecting his bush and living next to the sanctuary. Visits by experts and student groups to his property have enriched his own knowledge of nature and his land.

“It’s like living next to a university and being able to pop in and out of lectures all the time,” he says.

He must be one of the few farmers to have had an escaped kākāpō wandering his property and even being gashed on the top of his head by an angry falcon wasn’t entirely negative.

“I didn’t mind really. It hurt but it was pretty cool to have a falcon chase you away from its nesting site.”

RIGHT

Predator proof fence protecting Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari and Bill Garland’s covenant. Photo credit: Zipporah Ploeg

“ People see those covenants there and neighbours start thinking they should take part too. Even if they don’t covenant land themselves, they want to do some work to help with the community vision.”

LEFT

Bamboo orchids (Earina mucronata) in Bill Garland’s covenant.

Photo credit: Zipporah Ploeg

Students help out at Tom Lynch’s covenant, Whakatāne.

THE STEPHENSON FUND IN ACTION

In 2017, QEII established The Stephenson Fund, an annual contestable fund named in honour of Gordon and Celia Stephenson, key founders of QEII National Trust. The purpose of The Stephenson Fund is to support stewardship of QEII covenants and enhance our partnership with covenantors.

Every year, The Stephenson Fund supports an array of projects that protect, restore and manage a covenant’s open space values. The projects supported with funding might involve planting, weed control, pest control, track or access maintenance.

Continuing a legacy

When Tom Lynch bought a QEII-protected block of land in Whakatāne in 2022, it was with a vision to contribute to a regenerative future.

“Our little block is a special little place, tucked in a wildlife corridor, bound by the headwaters of the Waikamihi river,” says Tom. The birdlife in the covenant is outstanding, with long-tailed cuckoo, whiteheads, tomtits, robins, a pair of falcons, kōkako, bellbird, tūī, grey warbler and more as frequent visitors.

Tom comes from a background of education at both Zealandia and Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari. Now running an ecotourism business, Tom sees the covenant block as a “little sanctuary” with its own link back to educating people about conservation.

“Because of my education background, we’ve been working with students from US colleges,” says Tom. “We’ve had 60 students working on this project, building bridges, doing weed control, planting trees – the kids were getting stuck in.” Receiving a grant from The Stephenson Fund has helped cover the cost of materials, so Tom and the students can get on with the job.

One aspect of the project was to create better access for the Manawahe Eco Trust, a local group undertaking comprehensive possum, rat and stoat control in the wider Manawahe ecological corridor. Thanks to the three bridges built by the students, the pest control volunteers no longer have to climb over slippery logs to reach the traps.

Photo credit: Tom Lynch

Students building a bridge. Photo credit: Tom Lynch

Unfortunately, deer browsing has been a significant issue for this area. Part of the project has involved restoring an existing deer trap so that it is once more ready for action. “There was an old deer trap from the 80s when we bought it and the grant helped us get building materials to fix that,” says Tom. Now that the trap is sealed with new mesh, held down with new strainers and had new gates installed, the team is hoping to catch a few deer this winter.

Another job on the list was to remove the blackberry and other weeds from the block, replanting with close densities of native plants to mitigate the reestablishment of weeds. After removing the blackberry, the students put 720 plants in the ground.

The Stephenson Fund has helped this project along. “We’re only a small business, and the work that we’ve done is only possible with the community and their support,” says Tom. “Funding and donations have supported us doing what we’re doing. Every dollar helps.”

Tom also has a connection to The Stephenson Fund on a personal level. “I met Gordon Stephenson through my connection to Zealandia and Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari,” says Tom. “This opportunity to create a little sanctuary here felt like a connection to this legacy.”

Holding fast against the deer invasion

Upper Hutt covenantors Ian Flux and Merryl Park have been on a pest control mission in their covenant, targeting pests big and small to protect nearly 100 hectares of native bush. The most recent stage of their project has involved building a deer and pig trap with the help of funding through The Stephenson Fund.

“Since around 2019, we’ve had increasing numbers of red deer moving into our block,” says Ian. “We’ve always had some feral pigs, but suddenly the red deer were coming in and destroying a whole lot of the bush, stripping miro trees and destroying the shrub layer.”

“Traps have been used for capturing deer for many years, especially in the 80s and 90s. We’d seen a few used in Fiordland and decided that could be a good idea, so we applied to The Stephenson Fund,” says Ian.

The Stephenson Fund covered the cost of the materials and running the vehicle, and Ian and Merryl contributed their time.

The couple chose a spot for the trap along an old deer track on a ridge that runs through the covenant. Ian and Merryl then built a 20 x 10-m pen of deer-mesh, with the base reinforced with chain-link mesh to prevent damage by pigs, and deer-gates at each end. A trip wire strung across the middle of the pen triggers the simultaneous release of both gates as large animals pass through the pen.

So far, Ian and Merryl have spotted some deer sign near the trap and have strategically placed a salt lick to tempt another deer visit. “We’re looking forward to getting this trap into use,” says Ian. “Hopefully we’ll be able to make a dent in the population.”

By controlling the deer roaming through their covenant, Ian and Merryl hope to protect the canopy trees that have been ringbarked, such as the miro (Pectinopitys ferruginea) and mataī (Prumnopitys taxifolia). It could also give other species in the covenant a chance to bounce back, like kanono (Coprosma grandifolia), karamū (Coprosma lucida) and porokaiwhiri (Hedycarya arborea), which are favoured by both deer and native fruit-eating birds.

The deer and pig trap is just one stage in a larger pest control effort in Ian and Merryl’s covenant. They have also put in a new network of traps to catch stoats as the first part of the project. “The traps were immediately successful. On our first round, we got three stoats, a weasel and several rats,” says Ian.

Find out more about The Stephenson Fund

The next funding round for The Stephenson Fund will open in June/July 2024.

Stamping in the posts for the deer/pig trap. Fixing the chainlink mesh. Gates fitted to the trap.

Unfortunately, the close proximity of neighbours in some parts of the property and the nature of the terrain took hunting off the table as an option for controlling the deer population on the property. But Ian and Merryl decided to take a different approach, choosing to build a deer and feral pig trap instead.

If you have a covenant project in mind and want to know more about applying to The Stephenson Fund, contact your regional representative or visit our website for more information: qeii.org.nz/managing-yourcovenant/the-stephenson-fund/

FROM TOP:

Newly fledged korimako/ bellbird in Ian Flux and Merryl Park’s covenant, Upper Hutt.

Photo credit: Ian Flux

WHEN WE LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON

Our thanks to the collaboration and words of Carey Knox, Shaun Murphy and Simon Litchwark.

Mysterious, elusive, and often only coming out at night, moths might not be the first thing you think of as a resident of a QEII covenant. Birds and plants often get much of the limelight. There are thought to be over 2,000 species of moths in Aotearoa New Zealand with some rare ones now known to be living on QEII-protected land.

Lawyer Pug (Elvia glaucata).

Photo credit: Carey Knox

After some dinner and a coffee refill, lepidopterists (people who study moths and butterflies) Carey Knox and Shaun Murphy enter the bush about an hour before dark to set up their moth lights. They have already been busy during the day, chatting to landowners and looking for day-flying moths and butterflies, but after night falls, their work really gets going.

Carey and Shaun set up special LepiLED and UV lights on white sheets in multiple locations around forest edges and clearings. They will often try to “think like a moth” and focus on areas with host plants that might be important to moths or their larva (caterpillars) as a food source, such as tree daisies (Olearia species), Muehlenbeckia, and Ongaonga (Urtica ferox). Soon, moths of various species fly lightly in and land on the sheets.

The moths are carefully captured, photographed, and then released. Carey and Shaun document and identify the moths, keeping a record of all the species they encounter.

“On a good night, we might record 70-120 Lepidoptera species by the time we finally hit the hay – often around 2.00am,” says Carey.

In 2021, QEII National Trust received Jobs for Nature funding through DOC to enhance stewardship of rare and threatened flora and fauna species in the Eastern South Island. As part of this important work, some surveys for moths and butterflies have been undertaken in selected QEII covenants.

This is where Carey and Shaun come in. Together, they have completed a total of 16 nights of Lepidoptera surveys across eight QEII covenants this summer. “There are far too many highlights to mention them all,” says Carey, “but some include new populations of exquisite Olearia owlet (Meterana exquisita), the Nationally Endangered Stathmopoda albimaculata, several rare loopers from the genus Asaphodes, and both species from the rare genus Theoxena

“More than 90 per cent of the country’s Lepidoptera are endemic, and thus found nowhere else in the world. This is the highest proportion of endemic butterflies and moths in any country in the world, making Aotearoa a unique and special place to study Lepidoptera.

“The ecological relationships between moths and their host plants (where they lay their eggs and the caterpillars feed) can be fascinating and often the moths and their hosts have evolved in tandem over millions of years.

“Species also vary enormously in their selectivity of host plants, often termed as either monophagous or polyphagous. The larvae of polyphagous moths will feed on a wide range of native and exotic plants. In contrast, monophagous species are solely reliant on one host plant for survival. For instance, the moth Nola parvitis only feeds on the shrub Helichrysum lanceolatum.”

Shaun Murphy, now a QEII covenantor himself, had an early interest in moths as a child. “I remember pestering my father to take me out at night to see if we could catch some,” says Shaun.

At the time, collecting moths involved the practice of ‘pinning’. “I just couldn’t bring myself to kill such beautiful animals and put a pin through their head.”

In 2007, Shaun and his wife purchased a 20-hectare property on the Otago Peninsula with the intention of rewilding it. The property already had a 3-hectare QEII covenant on it, and they soon added another 7 hectares to the protected land.

One unusually warm evening in 2017, Shaun fell asleep with the lights on and several windows and doors open. “When I woke up at 3.00am I was astounded to find the house full of moths. Beautiful, colourful, intricately patterned moths… I couldn’t believe how I had been living there for 10 years and was unaware of the extraordinary moth diversity present.”

Inspired, Shaun bought a macro lens for his camera, found some cheap UV lights on Trade Me and scavenged some white bed sheets –“I was a moth-er!” With the help of experts on iNaturalist, Shaun began to learn how to identify the moths he was finding in his own backyard.

“Since then, I have posted just over 3,000 Lepidoptera observations from our property and have had almost 300 species confirmed to research grade,” says Shaun.

Shaun says he’s learnt a lot about the place of moths in the wider ecosystem as important pollinators and the necessity of protecting them. “I have come to see moths as the glue that holds ecosystems together,” he says.

Like many members of the unique ecosystems protected by QEII covenants, some moths may be vulnerable to pest threats – and some pests may not be what you’d expect.

Mirza Downs in Marlborough is home to a very rare and threatened species of moth – the Kiwaia ‘Cloudy Bay’ moth, which is flightless and hops along the ground. While it hasn’t been confirmed yet, it is likely that invasive paper wasps encroaching on their territory are threatening their population at Mirza.

“We don’t know for sure if the paper wasps are eating the caterpillars,” says Simon Litchwark, a researcher studying the relationship between these moths and paper wasp control, “but this moth is threatened enough for us to be worried.”

Simon has been involved in undertaking paper wasp control in 100-m buffer zones around three areas of important threatened moth habitat, in total covering roughly 10 hectares of land. The team have carefully and systematically combed through the area to spray paper wasp nests and kill foraging foundresses (queens).

Further moth surveys and time will help build a picture of whether the paper wasp control is affecting the Kiwaia. “It’s worth remembering that the whole ecological community will benefit from the wasp control,” says Simon. “The moths are part of a wider community and ecosystem, and the whole community and ecosystem need protecting.”

ABOVE RIGHT

Notoreas perornata

‘Cape Campbell’ on its host plant Pimelea prostrata

Photo credit: Simon Litchwark

LEFT FROM TOP

UV and LepiLED lights used for Lepidoptera surveys – shown before and after dark. In this example, sheets are placed on the side of a truck in a tussock grassland covenant, Mackenzie Country.

Photo credit: Carey Knox.

ABOVE

Moth survey lights set up waiting for dark to arrive 1500 m above sea level on a QEII covenant.

Photo credit: Shaun Murphy

ABOVE

A selection of special native Lepidoptera, in all their wonderful colours and patterns. Photo credit: Carey Knox

Meet the moths

Streblus owlet (Meterana octans)

In February 2022, Shaun found a beautiful new moth at his house - the very rare Meterana octans or Streblus owlet. Widespread in NZ but very seldom seen, this moth came with a puzzle. The host plant for its larva is tūrepo/smallleaved milk tree (Streblus heterophyllus) but there were no tūrepo on Shaun’s property. After further research, Shaun discovered that another QEII covenant, about 2 km away, had a small grove of tūrepo. With the help of the owner, he set up an overnight moth trap at this covenant and was delighted to capture another Streblus owlet. The plan now is to plant tūrepo on Shaun’s property in the hope of attracting more individuals of this rare and beautiful moth.

Exquisite Olearia owlet (Meterana exquisita)

The gorgeous Meterana exquisita or exquisite Olearia owlet is endemic (found only in New Zealand) and is classified as At Risk - Relict, meaning that populations of this moth species have disappeared from sites where they were found in the past. This moth only feeds on a small range of small-leaved divaricating Olearia shrubs (or tree daisies), including O. bullata, O. odorata, and O. hectorii. Today, populations appear to be concentrated in the lower halves of both the North and South Islands.

Kiwaia ‘Cloudy Bay’ moth

Also known as the ‘Cloudy Bay twirler moth’ or ‘the mat daisy jumper’, this flightless moth was previously thought to have become extinct before it was rediscovered in Marlborough in 2021. It lives on Raoulia mat daisies and hops or jumps to get around.

A moth by another name

Shaun regularly records a species of Meterana or ‘owlet’ moth at his QEII covenant on the Otago Peninsula that is currently ‘undescribed’, which means it is recognised by NZ lepidopterists as a unique species but is yet to be scientifically described and allocated a scientific name. In the past, it has been confused with its look-alike cousin, Meterana octans, a different moth entirely. Whilst awaiting formal description, this moth is informally referred to as Meterana “Urticae”, reflecting the fact that the only known host plant for its larvae is thought to be endemic nettle species, particularly ongaonga (Urtica ferox).

iNaturalist

Spotted a cool moth? iNaturalist is a wonderful way to connect with the natural world and learn more about it, all by taking photos and uploading them. The beauty of it is anyone can use it – kids, adults, scientists and backyard bug enthusiasts. You can record plants, insects, birds – any flora or fauna you want to identify and know more about.

Find out more about using iNaturalist here: www.inaturalist.nz

Exquisite Olearia owlet (Meterana exquisita).

Photo credit: Carey Knox

Streblus owlet (Meterana octans). Photo credit: Shaun Murphy

Meterana “Urticae”. Photo credit: Shaun Murphy

Kiwaia ‘Cloudy Bay’. Photo credit: Robert Hoare

Glyphipterix barbata. Photo credit: Carey Knox

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF A MOTH?

A creature of the night? Fluttering wings around lightbulbs?

Just as we have birds that don’t fly, lizards that don’t lay eggs and frogs that don’t live in the water, New Zealand is also home to amazing moths (pepe) with extraordinary features.

We have pepe that are beautiful, strange, tiny and enormous…pepe that fly on brightly patterned wings, and some that don’t fly at all!

Some moths fly only in the darkness of night and others are ‘day flying’ moths. Our moths have developed a very special role, pollinating our native and endemic plants. Many of our plants are believed to have evolved special features to attract them. A large number of our native plants have very small, white flowers - just the right size and colour to appeal to moths. These flowers usually release their enticing scent as darkness falls. If you take a torch out into the night you may be treated to a moonlit garden all a-flutter with the moths who enjoy our lovely, starry little flowers. Look out for their ‘eye shine’, often an orange-red glow, glistening like tiny jewels.

Because of the special way our wildlife evolved, there are very unique connections between our moths and other species that call this land ‘home’. There are also special connections between tangata whenua (people of the land) and pepe.

Check out the te ara and mothnet websites to read about the pūriri moth and hīhue shown on this page, along with other moth mythology:

Our thanks to Sky Smale for content and illustrations

• mothnet.org

• teara.govt.nz/en/te-aitanga-pepeke-the-insect-world/

tops of their heads.

If the antennae have little nobbles at the tips, you are looking at a butterfly.

If they don’t, it’s a moth!

Hīhue/kūmara moth (Agrius convolvuli)

Pūriri moth/ pepe tuna (Aenetus virescens)

Our pepe have special links to our native plants, lichen and fungi. Sometimes these links are shown in their names. Whether they are in te reo Māori, English or Latin (the world-wide language for naming life forms in science), names can tell us some of the ‘story’ of that living being.

“My little green larvae leave white and brown marks on the tī kōuka/cabbage tree leaves which they feed on. With my stripy brown texture, I am especially well camouflaged to hide amongst the leaves of this tree.”

“You have probably seen the lacy holes made by my caterpillars in kawakawa leaves. By day I hide amongst flaky brown fronds of tree ferns or leaf litter, but after dark, I am busy pollinating night-flowering plants.”

“My caterpillars feed on the leaves of whauwhaupaku (five-finger trees) and lichen. They are camouflaged to look just like twigs, or bird poo! My patterns are perfect for hiding on the lichen where I lay my eggs.”

“My chocolate-coloured caterpillars can be found feeding on fallen leaves in our native forests. I am the colour of golden leaf litter, and you might see me in the ngahere at night.”

Can you use the names (or perhaps the appearance) of these pepe to link them with their caterpillars’ food sources?

Use a pencil to draw a line between them...

Nocturnal moths need ata marama, moonlight. You can learn how to help create moth-friendly spaces at home by following the link below, or checking out Dark Sky NZ on Facebook.

…Let our moths moonbathe…

DarkSky International

https://darksky org/what-we-do/advancing- responsible-outdoor-lighting/home/

Moths live in all sorts of environments, leaving clues of their presence for those who look closely.

Perhaps you can spot some ‘Pepe Presents’ (moth signs) in your ngahere, school, or backyard? Tick them off if you find any!

Poka/Holes

Many pukupuku (caterpillars) nibble holes in their favourite leaves.

Nawe/Scars

Some pukupuku of moths leave bold white or brown scars where they have nibbled away at the plant’s leaves.

Tūngoungou/Chrysalis

You might find a shiny brown case in the earth of your garden or local ngahere. This could be the chrysalis of a moth; inside an incredible change is taking place!

Hāwato/Vegetable caterpillar

Whilst nibbling on leaf litter some pukupuku might accidentally eat the spores of a strange fungus, which then lives and grows inside the pukupuku. When the pukupuku forms its chrysalis underground, the fungus starts to use its body as food. Eventually it turns the pukupuku into a crispy, dry case (hāwato) and then sends up a stem to release its spores above ground and restart the cycle. Hāwato have been eaten by people in the past. Apparently, they taste nutty…

Hiraka/Silk

If you notice leaves that have been ‘stitched’ together with silk to make a little ‘tent’ or roll, there may be a pukupuku hiding away.

Pupuhi/Lump

Some moths lay their eggs inside the stems of plants. The stems swell to form a lump, or gall, and once the eggs have hatched into caterpillars, they feed on the plant matter inside the pupuhi.

Hamuti/Droppings? Or…pepe?

Pukupuku are an important food source to many of our birds, and they have developed all sorts of clever ways to hide. The caterpillar of the lichen moth looks just like a little twig at one stage of its growth, and at another stage it looks like bird poo! It will even curl up on a leaf, to mimic a bird dropping.

Raukatauri/Cocoon

These little white silk ‘packages’ may be found in soil, sand or leaf litter. They are just like tūngoungou (chrysalises); a safe place in which caterpillars can change into moths.

Hamuti/Droppings

Pukupuku eat a lot of greens, and so they do a lot of poo! Insect poo is known as ‘frass’ and it can be found underneath feeding caterpillars. It is often dark green, and forms tiny clumps.

Pū a raukatauri/Bag moth

If it looks like a little bundle of sticks has come to life in front of your eyes, you may be looking at a bag moth. Inside the ‘bag’ is either a caterpillar or a female moth. The female of this species spends her entire life in her little sack! You can sometimes see the shiny little heads and feet of the caterpillars sticking out as they search for yummy leaves to eat.

According to mātauranga Māori, Raukatauri - goddess of music - lives inside these flute/ pūtorino-shaped cases. Kōkako love to eat them, and are thus gifted with her beautiful music. Did you like this section? Let us know by emailing editor@qeii.org.nz

Colour in a moth!

You can find a colouring-in page in the Open Space envelope. To enter our colouring-in competition, you can send a photo of your coloured-in page to editor@qeii.org nz. Entries close 21 July 2024.

Ichneutica marmorata. Photo credit: Carey Knox

THE SCHOOL IN SHERWOOD FOREST

Jesse and Nat from QEII visit Sherwood Forest in Southland. They didn’t find Robin Hood, but they did find a bunch of school kids amongst the trees….

When we arrive at Sherwood Forest on a clear November day, the kids from Hedgehope School are already deep in the bush. Sue, the principal of the school, greets us at the gate. Today, the students at the small Southland school are checking traps for any pests they might have caught.

Most Fridays, the school kids make the trip over to Sherwood Forest, a very special piece of bush on Grant and Irene Given’s land. Sherwood Forest is protected by a QEII covenant.

As Jesse and I continue down the path through the forest, we hear excited voices ahead. Soon one of the school kids comes running up to us holding a Tiptop bread bag. “We caught a rat! Do you want to see?”

Jesse takes the rat out of the bag and the students gather around Jesse as she shows them how to tell whether the rat is male or female. “This rat is a female,” Jesse told the kids.

“Because you caught this rat, it means fewer baby rats and fewer bird eggs becoming rat-dinner.”

The kids have even more questions for Jesse. “What plant is this?” asks one student. “What about this one?” says another.

Jesse knows a lot about plants and carefully answers every question. We come across a very special plant with tiny leaves the size of peas. Jesse tells the group that this plant is called Olearia hectorii or Hector’s tree daisy and that there are not many of them left.

“There is a very special moth, which is called the exquisite Olearia owlet. Olearia plants are important to this beautiful little moth,” says Jesse.

Grant, who owns Sherwood Forest, tags along with the school group. He enjoys sharing this forest with the kids of Hedgehope School and has carefully cleared an overgrown track so that the kids can put out even more traps.

After their morning out in the forest, learning about the bush, the kids climb back into the van to go back to school. It’s been a fun time out for everyone, and Hedgehope School will be back next Friday to see what’s happening in the forest.

Grant and Irene Given on sharing their covenant with the local school

We have been lucky enough to have local students from Hedgehope School come into Sherwood Forest where they have been learning about New Zealand flora and fauna. This has been made possible with the help and enthusiasm of Jesse, the QEll regional representative.

It has been a pleasure for us to provide the children with the opportunity to explore nature through hands-on projects carried out within the bush. Some examples include pest control through the setting and checking of trap stations, and the school hopes to establish a nursery of native plants. Students have also been able to engage with experts within different fields such as moths, bugs and bats which has provided additional learning opportunities.

We look forward to their continual presence and hope students can continue to develop their understanding of New Zealand flora and fauna.

ABOVE

Grant Given standing inside his favourite tree, a towering mataī with a hole through the middle

A peek behind the scenes at a moth survey

Addison Given, granddaughter of landowners Grant and Irene, got to stay up late with QEII rep Jesse Bythell and Carey Knox to see a moth survey in action at Sherwood Forest.

“It was fun exploring outside in the pitch black,” says Addison. “I thought it was pretty cool how a sheet was used with a light behind it, to attract the moths so we could see different species. We saw lots of different sized moths. We took lots of photos on the camera and zoomed in on them to look at them closer.”

ABOVE

Addison, Irene and Carey looking at a moth in the early evening.

Photo credit: Jesse Bythell LEFT

A zigzag fern looper (Ischalis fortinata) moth photographed by Addison Given at Sherwood Forest

“

I went back to the house, sopping wet and muddy, carrying all sorts of bugs, plants and things and asking mum what they were. It shaped my love of nature.”

PEOPLE, PLANTS AND PLACE ADD UP TO DREAM JOB FOR QEII REP

Taupō and Central Waikato rep Zipporah Ploeg loves native plants and the diverse landscapes of her QEII patch but “at the end of the day, it’s all about people connnecting with the land.”

QEII regional representative Zipporah Ploeg with her dog, looking at plants at the water’s edge

“It’s always interesting to hear why people decide to covenant and to hear stories about their families’ relationships with the land and why, for example, their great-grandad decided to leave the area of bush,” she says.

Zipporah joined QEII in 2023 and her role brought her back to the North Island, not too far from the Raetihi farm where she grew up playing in the bush.

“The farm that I grew up on had a river that ran through the bottom of the property and big old rimu trees. I spent most of my childhood sneaking off down there.

“I went back to the house, sopping wet and muddy, carrying all sorts of bugs, plants and things and asking mum what they were. It shaped my love of nature.”

Before joining QEII, Zipporah – or Zip as she is known to many – worked for Environment Canterbury for over five years, working with farmers on biodiversity issues. She

also frequently worked closely with North Canterbury QEII rep Miles Giller, a keen botanist who encouraged her interest in plant life.

Zipporah and her husband had the goal of returning home to the North Island and she had always wanted to work for QEII. “The opportunity came sooner than I expected but when I saw the job come up, I knew I had to go for it.”

One aspect of the job that appeals to her is the permanent protection of covenants and the ongoing relationships formed between QEII and landowners. “The ecosystems have been around for a very long time and to ensure their future we need to think in similar timeframes.”

One farmer who understood the value of relationships was QEII’s key founder, the late Gordon Stephenson. Zipporah is proud the Stephenson covenant – number one on QEII’s books – is in her region and that she is able to visit it as part of her monitoring rounds.

LEFT:

“ The ecosystems have been around for a very long time and to ensure their future we need to think in similar timeframes.”

ABOVE:

Outside of work, Zip enjoys getting out on tramps and enjoying good food in the wilderness.

“The covenant file that came with that has got so much QEII history in it – about why they wanted to set up this protection mechanism and how special the Stephensons thought their beautiful old forest was,” she says.

Zipporah loves the diverse ecosystems found in her extensive region – from the alpine and geothermal zone south of Taupō to kahikatea stands on the Hauraki Plains in the north. In the west there are the dramatic coastal and limestone landscapes around Ōtorohanga, and in the east the lush forest of the Kaimai Range.

The covenants in and around Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain are also special and rich in birdlife and plants. Zipporah is excited about participating with covenantors in the Taiea Te Taiao eco-corridor project connecting Maungatautari and Pirongia.

There are about 230 covenants in her region and a number of new covenants going through

the process towards registration. She aims to have finished visiting all her covenants by next summer and is looking forward to making some more exciting discoveries. On a recent visit to a covenant near Ōtorohanga, she climbed down a very steep gully never visited by the covenant owner to find it full of rare king ferns.

Zipporah, her husband and their Kelpie dog live in a farm cottage near Cambridge. They live close to Sanatorium Hill where they regularly walk. From the top of the hill, they can see some of the major landmarks in Zipporah’s patch – the Kaimai Ranges, Pirongia and Maungatautari.

Outside of work the bush still has a firm hold on Zipporah and tramping is one of her passions. Another is food and she doesn’t see being in the middle of the bush as an excuse for not eating well. “Sometimes I make pizza on trips, taking in flour and yeast to make the dough while we’re in there. We have a lot of fun seeing how gourmet we can make the menu.”

“ I can have confidence that it’ll be there in the next 100 years, so that my grandchildren and their children will be able to enjoy it too.”

QEII GOOD FOLKS

Recognising some of our dedicated QEII covenantors who care deeply about their land and are passionate about making sure their covenants thrive, in their lifetimes and beyond.

50 years of removing pests

Bay of Plenty covenantors Denis and Betty Skilton have been doing pest control in their forest remnant since they bought their block of land 50 years ago.

When they purchased the property, it was clear that the patch of bush needed serious resuscitation after being used as a winter run-off for cattle in the past. “There was no vegetation below the level a cow’s tongue could reach,” says Denis. “We were finding rats around the house and there was an obvious source that needed dealing with.”

Denis’ hard work trapping over the years has paid off and the numbers speak for themselves. Denis has kept a detailed record of their trap-based kills over the past 24 years, documenting over 600 pests killed in traps, with many others also removed via his bait station network. As anyone controlling pests will know, those killed by poison are not easily included in pest kills records.

Regeneration over time and Denis’ long-term dedication meant that the area could be protected by a QEII covenant in 1997. The birdlife has bounced back and the bush is now quite dense – a strong indication that his pest control has had a positive effect.

“Denis’ long-term dedication to his covenant is evidenced by his incredible pest kill count and record keeping,” says QEII regional rep Paul Kayes. “His efforts have resulted in a healthy forest and a wide variety of bird species.”

Denis has enjoyed seeing the area evolving and thriving, and the QEII covenant means a lot to him. “This change is a source of joy to me,” says Denis. “Having this patch of bush protected by a covenant confirms that all the work I’ve been doing isn’t wasted, no one’s going to come along and destroy it in the future. I can have confidence that it’ll be there in the next 100 years, so that my grandchildren and their children will be able to enjoy it too.”

Denis Skilton with a kauri planted in 1980.

Photo credit: Denis Skilton

“Farming, good conservation, and water and soil quality –it’s all connected”

Combining conservation, farming sustainably and aiming to have the gentlest impact on the land is a passion for Vanessa and Mat Vujcich. Their 97-hectare beef farm borders Te Papakura o Taranaki National Park, with nine streams flowing off Taranaki Maunga across their land.

The Vujcich’s have done a lot of work protecting these waterways, fencing off smaller tributaries, planting wetlands and creating four QEII covenants, with New Plymouth District Council providing support for fencing.

Vanessa and Mat have paid close attention to any impacts their farming has on water quality through water testing, including the use of eDNA technology via Wilderlab. The eDNA tests find traces of genetic material that is left behind as living things pass through water and can be used as a tool for assessing ecosystem health, finding threatened species and as a biosecurity surveillance tool.

“We wanted to check how farming operations affect water quality,” says Vanessa. “We’re lucky to be on the border of the national park as it provides a pristine water source straight from the maunga. We can check the water quality as it comes into the farm and compare it to the water that exits the farm.”

Pest control has also been very important, with Mat putting a comprehensive pest control network in place with support from QEII and Taranaki Regional Council. “There’s been a good initial knockdown of pests, but maintenance of the pest control is now the main thing,” Mat says.

“Bush remnants on the farm are a seed source that enable native regeneration, but we also supplement this with planting and put around 3,000 native plants in the ground each year,” says Vanessa.

Vanessa and Mat have a good relationship with local Inglewood High School. The students have helped with testing water quality and planting, and even got to operate a drone.

It is evident that the couple have thought carefully about their farming operation’s relationship to the land. “If we protect the soil, land and water, we can see how farming and conservation can work together.”

ABOVE:

Spectacular view from Mat and Vanessa’s property in Taranaki.

Photo credit: Vanessa Vujcich

“ If we protect the soil, land and water, we can see how farming and conservation can work together.”

A LEGACY FOR THE PLANET

QEII is a charity that partially relies on donations to ensure our essential day-today activities can be managed with confidence. Philanthropists and covenantors John and Elisa Mendzela have supported QEII for years as donors and have recently let us know that they have included a humbling gift to QEII in their will. Our fundraising manager Bryna O’Brien asked John and Elisa about the reason they donate and their vision for conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

FROM TOP:

The covenant is representative of the better intact areas of Wellington’s coastal hills, and includes black beech, red beech and kohekohe.

John and Elisa sit on the blue bench that has featured on the envelope for Open Space magazine.

If you have a favourite picture from your covenant that could grace our recyclable envelope, please send it to editor@qeii.org.nz

Your vibrant blue bench, covered in kohekohe flowers, has been featured on the envelope for Open Space magazine. Can you tell us a bit about your property and your QEII covenant?

John: Our property is sufficiently steep that nobody’s done anything to it – as far as anyone can tell, it’s never been cleared – and therefore its ecological values remain intact. The house is on a small flat area at the front, so it’s almost two different worlds. When we were a little younger and fitter we actually went straight up to the top once or twice where the covenant meets the regional park.

Elisa: The most beautiful thing about the property is the kohekohe trees and there are so many. In the winter, they drop their lovely little flowers and that’s what coated the bench in the photos. The flowers actually come off the tree trunk, they don’t come off a branch. It’s unusual and we constantly have this carpet of little flowers, creamy white, small and beautiful.

Where did your interest in conservation and the environment come from?

John: We met at university in the 1970s in the brick, concrete and stone environment of England where there was very little casual nature – nature that wasn’t in a park. This was when the environmental movement really got started, when we saw that the human species was headed on an unsustainable course of action.

Elisa: I became the chairperson for a conservation group. I didn’t know a great deal of science, but I knew that we should be recycling, clearing rubbish from rivers, turning bomb sites into allotments; it was sometimes a primitive approach, but the intentions were good. The intensity of that interest has gone up and down over the years as we’ve done other things, but it’s always remained.

You are generous philanthropists to a range of causes. What does philanthropy mean to you?

John: You can’t take it with you! Most people pass it on to their families, but we deliberately haven’t had any children for environmental reasons. We’ve worked and saved and accumulated far more than the minimum we need. So then comes the problem of giving it away.

Conservation was the obvious first choice, and we also support other causes like women’s reproductive choices, particularly in developing countries, and arts organisations of various types.

When you’re giving somebody money, you want to know that they’re going to not only use it for the right cause, but they’re going to use it efficiently.

Why did you choose to leave a gift to QEII in your will?

Elisa: QEII fitted the bill very well for us. It’s an organisation that does an awful lot with very limited resources and the people on the ground are very talented, very able. The money gets through to the frontline. QEII is an organisation that is high on achievement and low on politics, and we think you get a better response when you encourage people to do voluntary conservation and to protect their beautiful environments for the nation.

The regional rep who helped us establish our covenant was Trevor Thompson and he has been instrumental because he’s such a can-do person with such amazing knowledge and ability. We have been very impressed with him and really that’s why we’re here. It’s people like him that will move conservation forward in New Zealand.

What do you hope for the future? What do you hope QEII will achieve with your gift?

John: It’s well established now that if you want to preserve environmental values, you have to get people committed. You can’t do it by the stroke of a pen. People are committed to things that they feel are theirs, even if they are going to pass it on to someone else – it’s theirs for a time, and they have a connection with it. Voluntary conservation on private properties works because people are emotionally connected to it.

Elisa: We hope that our funds help QEII go even further to find that reservoir of goodwill beyond political beliefs and get people working together effectively to care for the planet.

If you would like to talk about leaving a gift to QEII in your will, please contact Bryna on 027 295 5369 or bobrien@qeii.org.nz, or visit qeiinationaltrust.org.nz

ABOVE:

The covenant covers the steep terrain behind the Mendzela’s home in Wellington’s eastern suburbs.

THE FUNDING WE NEED

The government funds about 75 per cent of our work andas an independent charity - the rest we have to raise from other philanthropic sources.

Donations

General support for our core business is vital so that we can get on with covenanting. As much as fencing and surveying aren’t as engaging as planting trees, they are a crucial part of restoring the land and bolstering our resilience to climate change.

Sponsorship

Get your team involved with a charity they can feel proud of. Connect your orgnisation with our conservation projects or promote your rural business to our highly engaged covenantors. We can offer all the usual trappings of a strong corporate relationship, as well as the chance to know our salt-ofthe-earth crew - through sponsorship, you can meet your corporate responsibilities and improve morale.

Gifts in will

The assets we hold in our lifetime are usually larger than the cash we have to hand. If a donation is out of reach when you’re dealing with the day-to-day expenses of life, consider leaving a gift in your will instead. The average bequest is around $5,000 – it doesn’t have to be huge to make a big impact to our work.

Project support

We don’t just fence and run. By protecting land with a covenant, we are locking in people's intent and binding future generations to it. We have to be able to help people to manage that burden – and to thrive within the conditions of a covenant when natural disasters or other challenges arise.

We’d love for you to support our work. Find out how at qeii.org.nz/get-involved

QEII remembers Geoff Walls

Geoff Walls, who sadly passed away in January 2024, had a special and longstanding connection to QEII as a previous board member and passionate ecologist in Te Tau Ihu. QEII Marlborough and Nelson-Tasman regional representative Tom Stein and covenantors have offered some words in his memory.

Geoff Walls – Extraordinary Ecologist

I first heard of Geoff when, fresh off the boat from Auckland, I worked with the Department of Conservation (DOC) in the Marlborough Sounds in 1996. As someone unfamiliar with the unique ecosystems of the Sounds, I found the 600-page Scenic and Allied Reserves of the Marlborough Sounds invaluable. Compiled by Geoff and published in 1984, it contained a detailed description of all 102 scenic reserves in the Marlborough land district north of the Wairau River. I still have a copy on my shelf and refer to it from time to time.

In the introduction that Geoff wrote in the preface of this book is a passage that I believe sums up Geoff’s approach to ecological survey that made him so popular with both experts and landowners.

“All reserves were visited by the author, usually alone but often accompanied by other naturalists, rangers, and friends. Many reserves could be reached by road or farm track, and about half were visited by sea, in a variety of craft and weather conditions. Still others required approaches on foot, and Te Kakaho Island (in the Chetwode Islands) and the Brothers Islands were reached by helicopter. Accommodation took the form of tents, boats, farm cottages, local people’s homes, and guesthouses.

Each reserve was walked over and scrutinised from vantage points to gain as good a picture as possible of its vegetation, landforms, animals, problems, and processes of change. The approach was not strictly botanical, and nor was there focus on plant listing, although this was done as fully as time permitted. Rather, vegetation patterns and influences, distinctive plants, weeds, birds, mammals,

conspicuous invertebrates, reptiles, and archaeological signs were looked for. Information was recorded by note-book, camera, field map and plant checklist, and the occasional collected specimen.”

I was honoured to finally meet Geoff when I took up the role of QEII rep for Marlborough and Nelson-Tasman in 2008. Part of my role was involvement with the Marlborough District Council ‘significant natural areas’ (SNA) working group of which Geoff was, by then, the main ecologist undertaking the field work. In Marlborough, the voluntary SNA programme was a significant driver of an upsurge of QEII covenants and much of that would have been thanks to the friendly and approachable manner of Geoff and his colleague Philip Simpson when dealing with landowners.

I always felt a sense of relief when approached by a landowner to covenant some of their land if I heard that they had an SNA report already completed by Geoff, as it meant that a major part of my work had already been done. Geoff had a way of explaining to a landowner why their property was so special that could cut through the often-befuddling scientific jargon. A major feature of Geoff’s SNA reports were the numerous stunning photographs.

As a QEII rep, I was also lucky enough to have multiple visits with Geoff to the Walls family covenant on Rangitoto ki te Tonga/D’Urville Island. Their property was a good two hours’ travel over the island’s narrow and winding roads - and that was once you actually got on the island! So, a visit to their covenant was never taken lightly and usually involved a night in the little hut in the covenant. Geoff’s deep love for

the island was obvious with numerous stops enroute to check out mineral belt geology and its associated specialised vegetation, archaeological sites, fernbird habitat and splendid views.

Once we arrived at the covenant, Geoff would enthusiastically recount his latest bat and bird sightings, the pros and cons of the various traps he was using and the increased damage the rampant deer population was inflicting. Most of these discussions were held while negotiating the web of steep tracks (or sometimes steep coastal faces without tracks) that enabled Geoff to keep tabs on the numerous trap lines that he and other family members had installed. Then at the end of the day we would settle into the cosy hut for the night, after checking that there were no geckos in the fireplace.

The last time I met with Geoff was at the QEII field trip to the Peter family covenant at Cape Campbell in early 2023. As a result of his advancing Parkinson’s disease, he was finding getting around wasn’t easy but said that he was very keen to attend this event as it was the first property he surveyed as part of the Marlborough SNA programme and wanted to see how it had progressed.

Many of us at QEII have memories of Geoff as a gentle, wise, down-to-earth and practical guy who had a knack for explaining to landowners and less experienced QEII representatives the importance and significance of their magnificent pieces of protected private land. He will be missed.

Tom Stein

QEII Regional Representative –Marlborough and Nelson-Tasman

Photo credit: Tom Stein

We first met Geoff in 2001 when he and Philip Simpson stayed with us at Glen Orkney while doing SNA surveys for the Marlborough District Council.

His quiet and genuine enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, NZ native plants and biodiversity impressed and inspired us.

He has encouraged us, given advice, identified plants, and over a number of years generously donated weeping tree broom seedlings (Threatened – Nationally Endangered) for reintroduction into our QEII covenants. It was exciting to harvest seeds from some of these trees this year for the first time.

We feel fortunate to have spent time with Geoff and will miss him.

Simon and Lynda Harvey Covenantors in Marlborough

I had the pleasure of working with Geoff for 16 years between 20012017 when he, along with Philip Simpson, worked with the team at the Marlborough District Council, helping willing landowners to identify and in many cases, protect SNAs on their properties. Some also decided to covenant these areas through the QEII National Trust. Geoff’s botanical and ecological expertise, along with his gentle and genuine interest in people and their land and lives, went a long way towards breaking down barriers and creating long lasting relationships with landowners in Marlborough. Some memorable field trips with Geoff included one to Rangitoto ki te Tonga/ D’Urville Island, where we carried out ecological surveys of several interesting properties and stayed up at Geoff’s family’s land and QEII covenant at Port Hardy, travelling around on his four-wheeler and dodging the weather. Geoff loved the Marlborough Sounds and his knowledge of its natural history went deep and wide.

Nicky Eade

Former Land Resources ScientistMarlborough District Council

Geoff doing a survey on D’Urville Island, 2008. Photo credit: Nicky Eade

Geoff at his family’s covenant on Rangitoto ki te Tonga.

Photo credit: Tom Stein

We first met Geoff when he and Phillip Simpson knocked on our door to survey our properties for possible SNA sites.

“What a couple of interesting characters,” I thought. A cup of tea was made, and we instantly connected. Geoff became a go-to person for information on South Marlborough flora.

Over the years, Geoff continued to call in or phone us, but in the past 10 years he became our overnight visitor, on his trips north to Nelson or back home to Christchurch. We really looked

forward to his banter around the kitchen table about everything from endangered ecosystems, what was growing some 800 years ago in our part of the world and the increasing wilding pine problem.

Geoff helped me especially with my historical collection at our local museum, putting together a picture of the landscape before the arrival of people in NZ.

When Geoff’s health was becoming a worry, he used to say, “I need to unfold like a praying mantis in the mornings”.

I always made sure the heater was on and a hot cup of tea at the ready.

He sent me some wonderful photos of the Hall’s tōtara clinging onto our limestone rock faces at ‘Isolation’. They actually remind me of him with their determination and strength.

We miss his visits already but know that he has left such a legacy and can’t wait for his book launch.

Sally and Rob Peter Covenantors at Cape Campbell Farm and Isolation (Ure Valley) –South Marlborough

Tōtara clinging to limestone rock face at ‘Isolation’, South Marlborough.

Photo taken by Geoff Walls, provided by Sally Peter.

District Council Location

Covenant Name Area (ha) Main open space type

Queenstown-Lakes Matukituki Valley Glenfinnan Creek 12.01

Auckland Dairy Flat

Swanton Covenant 1.15

South Taranaki Makakaho Peat Wetland 0.94

New Plymouth Korito Korito Heights 2.92

New Plymouth Korito Korito Heights 1.28

Kāpiti Coast Waikanae Cross Bush 1.45

Stratford Whangamomona Mill Valley Bush 9.79

Hurunui Ōmihi

Turnbull Covenant 10.32

Whakatane Matahina Waonui Estate Covenant Area 289.18

Timaru Pleasant Point The Gould Covenant 8.31

Upper Hutt Moonshine Valley Moonshine Covenant 5.92

Upper Hutt Moonshine Valley, Upper Hutt Moon Ridge 11.53

Timaru Rangitata, Geraldine Ellery Covenant 0.55

Buller Westport Last Chance 1896 4.62

Buller Westport Hallagan 1893 9.16

Montane secondary shrubland/ treeland, bracken fernland on steep boulder fields and schist bluffs, and exotic pasture on an alluvial fan (for revegetation planting)

Lowland secondary forest

Lowland modified primary reedland and open water

Lowland modified primary forest

Lowland modified primary forest

Semicoastal modified primary forest and exotic grassland

Lowland modified primary forest and reedland, secondary fernland and stream

Lowland secondary forest, treeland and scrub

Lowland modified primary forest and modified secondary scrub

Lowland exotic grassland and secondary scrubland with Māori rock art

Lowland modified secondary forest and secondary sedgeland

Lowland modified primary and modified secondary forest

Lowland modified primary grassland

Lowland modified secondary forest and artificially created ponds

Lowland modified secondary forest and artificially created ponds

Waikato Onewhero Red Stag 38.84 Lowland secondary forest

Ruapehu Raurimu Waimarino Farms 3.79

Southland Te Anau

Lowland modified primary sedgeland, grassland, treeland and scrub

Claytons ExtensionCentre Hill 46.49 Modified primary shrubland, lichenfeild, mossfield and grassland

Tasman Owen River, Murchison Granity Rapid 20.97

Southland Te Anau

Louise Extension –Centre Hill 82.77

Lowland modified primary forest, secondary shrubland and rushland

Sub montane modified primary tussockland, peatfield, modified secondary grassland with wetland areas

Dunedin Brighton, Mosgiel 28.53 Semicoastal modified primary/old secondary podocarp-broadleaved forest and kānuka forest, with scrub patches

Southland Te Anau

Southland Te Anau

Brice Wetland Extension 6.78

Three Kings Covenant - Centre Hill 9.46

Submontane wetland and tussockland

Submontane secondary rockland and modified secondary shrubland

District Council Location Covenant Name Area (ha) Main open space type

Southland Te Anau Louise Wetland Extension – Haycocks 9.00

Auckland Dairy Flat / Albany Heights Ngahere Nyoni 1.62

Southland Centre Hill Centre Hill Wetland 45.86

Southland Te Anau One Tree Wetland Extension 2 10.17

Clutha Manuka Creek Ski Jump Covenant 18.95

Dunedin Clarks Junction Nichol Family 11.62

New Plymouth Lepperton Bush View 1.99

New Plymouth Okato Danny’s Pond 1.02

New Plymouth Okato Bruce’s Bush 1.80

Queenstown-Lakes Glenorchy Camhannan 74.38

Sub montane modified primary tussockland, modified secondary grassland

Lowland secondary forest

Submontane modified primary sedgeland, tussockland, and peatland; and secondary grassland

Submontane modified secondary shrubland, tussockland and exotic grassland

Lowland modified secondary treeland and shrubland

Inter-montane modified secondary shrubland, tussockland with exotic grassland

Lowland modified primary forest

Lowland secondary (swamp) forest and artificially created reedland and open water

Lowland modified primary and secondary (swamp) forest

Lowland modified primary forest and gravelfield, revegetated treeland, artificially created water and exotic treeland and grassland

New Plymouth Everett Park, Inglewood Gillett Family Bush 2.62

Central Otago Queensberry Viriditas 4.42

Tasman Upper Moutere Higgenz Bush 4.78

Tasman Kotinga Tugela Covenant 27.53

Southland Longridge North Glengordon Tōtara Bush 3.71

New Plymouth Lepperton Big Pukatea Bush 5.04

Southland Longridge North Glengordon Tōtara Bush 4.88

Ruapehu Manunui Poole Family Grove 1.73

Ruapehu Manunui Poole Family Grove 3.57

Whangārei Brynderwyn Waihoihoi 159.37

Lowland modified primary forest and modified secondary shrubland and sedgeland

Inter-montane secondary shrubland, modified secondary herbfield and shrubland

Lowland secondary forest, revegetated shrubland, artificially created sedgeland and exotic pasture (restoration area)

Lowland modified primary and secondary forest, and secondary pakihi wetland

Submontane secondary forest and modified secondary treeland

Lowland modified primary forest and modified secondary reedland

Submontane modified primary and secondary forest

Lowland secondary forest

Lowland secondary forest

Lowland modified primary and modified secondary forest

District Council Location

Covenant Name Area (ha) Main open space type

Tararua Norsewood Noakwood Bush 7.12

Tararua Norsewood Noakwood Gorge 4.95

Tasman Ngatimoti Selwood 0.75

Tasman Ngatimoti Whakamaurutanga Waiwhero 6.08

Tasman Tapawera Matariki Bush 10.76

Tasman Clifton 4.97

Lowland modified primary treeland and modified secondary shrubland and forest

Lowland modified secondary forest

Lowland modified primary and secondary forest

Lowland primary, secondary and modified secondary forest

Lowland modified primary and secondary forest

Lowland secondary kānuka forest

Westland Awatuna Kahikatea Kottage 0.26 Coastal secondary forest

Waimate Waimate Point Bush EcoSanctuary 76.82

Waimate Waimate The Herbert Covenant 2.48

Waimate Wiamate The Herbert Covenant 1.33

Southland Te Anau Kakapo Road Restoration Agreement 2.31

Tasman Dovedale Clausen / Rewcastle Restoration Block 1.12

Lowland modified primary and secondary podocarp/broadleaf (tōtaramataī-broadleaf) forest, exotic scrub (gorse), Douglas-fir plantation (with tracks for recreation)

Lowland modified secondary shrubland and exotic scrub (gorse)

Lowland exotic shrubland/ scrub (gorse)

Submontane revegetated shrubland, secondary shrubland, secondary exotic grassland and open water wetlands *Restoration Agreement

Lowland revegetated shrubland *Restoration Agreement*

Kaipara Oneriri Pukeatua Trust Bush 2.29 semicoastal secondary forest

Hurunui Domett Punawai Covenant 9.67

Southland Waikawa Thomas Family Covenant - Ploughs and Scrubby Hill Blocks 22.89

Tasman Clifton Rocklands Homestead Bush 0.54

Whanganui Kaiwhaiki Ngamu Kura Tahi 0.29

Manawatū Pohangina The Gordon and Anne Pilone Charitable Trust 0.79

Whanganui Kaiwhaiki Ngamu Kura Tahi 0.57

Kāpiti Coast Waikanae Ratanui 0.87

South Taranaki Ōhāngai Raurimu 32.61

South Taranaki Ōhāngai Raurimu 2 66.97

Lowland modified primary shrubland, forest, modified secondary shrubland, forest, tussockland and grassland with rocky outcrops

Lowland secondary and modified primary forest

Coastal modified primary and secondary forest and karst limestone outcrop

Lowland revegetated forest

Artificially created wetland and lowland modified secondary riparian sedgeland

Lowland revegetated forest

Lowland modified primary tawatitoki forest

Lowland modified primary forest

Lowland modified primary forest

Regional Representatives

Mieke Kapa FAR NORTH 027 494 0733 mkapa@qeii.org.nz

Trina Upperton KAIPARA 021 0822 9802 tupperton@qeii.org.nz

Nan Pullman WHANGĀREI 09 434 3457 npullman@qeii.org.nz

Chris Floyd NORTH AUCKLAND 021 066 2165 cfloyd@qeii.org.nz

Jessica Reaburn NORTH-WEST & EAST AUCKLAND 021 026 23436 jreaburn@qeii.org.nz

Paul Goldsmith SOUTH & WEST AUCKLAND 021 622 368 pgoldsmith@qeii.org.nz

Robbie Bennett WAIKATO 021 1742 761 rbennett@qeii.org.nz

Jason Roxburgh HAURAKI-COROMANDEL 07 868 2401 jroxburgh@qeii.org.nz

Zipporah Ploeg TAUPŌ & CENTRAL WAIKATO 020 4095 2800 zploeg@qeii.org.nz

Melissa Sinton WAITOMO, NORTH TARANAKI & RUAPEHU 027 867 6407 msinton@qeii.org.nz

Paul Kayes WESTERN BAY OF PLENTY 027 457 2395 pkayes@qeii.org.nz

Hōri Barsdell EASTERN BAY OF PLENTY 027 634 8958 hbarsdell@qeii.org.nz

Carol Burgess NEW PLYMOUTH 021 932 555 cburgess@qeii.org.nz

Jake Goonan SOUTH TARANAKI 022 327 0445 jgoonan@qeii.org.nz

Malcolm Rutherford GISBORNE 022 310 6818 mrutherford@qeii.org.nz

Troy Duncan HAWKE’S BAY 021 629 426 tduncan@qeii.org.nz

Lou Hagger TARARUA 022 477 3833 lhagger@qeii.org.nz

Laurie Whitehead MANAWATŪ-WHANGANUI 021 022 59259 lwhitehead@qeii.org.nz

Trevor Thompson WAIRARAPA 027 333 3243 tthompson@qeii.org.nz

Rob Cross WELLINGON – KĀPITI 0210 238 5619 rcross@qeii.org.nz

Tom Stein NELSON – TASMAN & MARLBOROUGH 0274 453 890 tstein@qeii.org.nz

Clare Moore NELSON – TASMAN & MARLBOROUGH 021 656 035 cmoore@qeii.org.nz

Martin Abel WEST COAST 03 753 3012 mabel@qeii.org.nz

Miles Giller NORTH CANTERBURY 027 408 0619 mgiller@qeii.org.nz

Alice Shanks CENTRAL CANTERBURY 03 337 1256 ashanks@qeii.org.nz

Rob Smith SOUTH CANTERBURY 03 689 7735 rsmith@qeii.org.nz

Cathy Rufaut COASTAL OTAGO - NORTH 021 100 8347 crufaut@qeii.org.nz

Morgan Trotter COASTAL OTAGO - SOUTH 027 222 3067 mtrotter@qeii.org.nz

Rob Wardle CENTRAL OTAGO 0204 012 6483 rwardle@qeii.org.nz

Mark Sutton WAIAU CATCHMENT 021 540 814 msutton@qeii.org.nz

Jesse Bythell SOUTHLAND 0204 003 2109 jbythell@qeii.org.nz