“Once it’s thriving with birdlife it will very quickly become a must-do attraction and provide a reason to stay multiple days in Nelson.” D E R E K S H AW, B R O O K S A N C T UA RY T R U S T E E
IMAGES LEFT TO RIGHT: One of the sanctuary’s many vistas of pristine native bush; Native birds, reptiles and invertebrates are poised for major population gains following pest removal at the sanctuary
the tunnel a sign of their persistence. Ground baits and traps will then be set. Once DOC is confident that the site is clear, endangered bird species will be reintroduced. The sanctuary provides protection; the birds supply the bells and whistles. While monitoring proceeds, planning is already underway for the next stage of infrastructure, including a kaka breeding aviary to be built next year. A total of 14 kaka were introduced in Wellington’s Zealandia Sanctuary from 2002-2007. Since then more than 800 birds have been banded. Saddleback (tieke) are now breeding successfully– with the help of community trapping groups–outside Zealandia’s fence. Derek is excited about a similar success story for the Nelson area. “In October last year I walked through the Botanic Garden in Wellington and counted at least 12 kaka in a kowhai tree. I’ve never seen that in my time of tramping. To me, that was an amazing example of how the sanctuary and the ‘halo effect’ is working in a place like Wellington where a sanctuary is sited close to the city.”
What’s so special about The Brook area? The largest pest-proof fenced site in the South Island, the 700ha sanctuary includes pristine ‘old-growth’ forest and diverse flora and fauna that most other sanctuaries don’t have. Its central location in the country and temperate climate have also created an environmental overlap of plants that don’t coexist elsewhere. It is near the southern boundary for some North Island flora, such as tawa, and the northern boundary for some South Island flora. The Brook area contains one nationally threatened plant, the rare red mistletoe, and seven regionally uncommon plants. It also hosts an unusually large number of native fern species (more than 55) and is the only sanctuary with a substantial beech forest in it.
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The medium- to long-term vision for Nelson, locals know already. Visit the Brook Sanctuary in the years ahead and we will expect to see large numbers of native birds. At first we won’t recognise all the sounds, and frankly, most of us may not even recognise the birds. Saddlebacks hopping around on the ground; cheeky tomtits at eye height; a blur of bright green as yellowcrested parakeets (kakariki) swoop by. At dusk, seabirds may be found returning to their burrows before the dark shadows of bats replace them in the sky. On the night tours, you’ll see the rowi (kiwi) and tuatara playing hide-and-seek with creepy crawlies– tree weta will be tiptoeing away in the opposite direction. As well as the kaka breeding aviary, a tuatara enclosure and a breeding facility for vulnerable whio (blue duck) are on the cards. But the sanctuary’s grand plan goes beyond nature and beyond the fence. It includes on-site education for school groups and trainee rangers, as well as contributing to a hub near the boundary that could include a gondola, café and a wider range of accommodation options for visitors. Meanwhile, as the sanctuary birdlife increases in numbers, a natural halo effect will flow out in all directions. Just as they do in Wellington, Nelsonians will be able to admire kaka in their suburban backyards, and sit in the cathedral grounds at lunchtime and enjoy a melodious bird chorus. Nelson will be on the map–but aren’t we already? True, we are a popular destination for many New Zealanders but the golden goose–the international visitor–flies south for the summer. Most tour buses travel a circuit that bypasses us, and those that do come to Nelson see the city as a place to break their journey, not a destination. Overseas visitors stayed an average of two nights each from December 2016 to March 2017, according to Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment statistics–and that’s often the nights immediately before and after they explored Abel Tasman National Park. A hub of activities up The Brook won’t just create a reason to spend extra time and money; it might also be an appealing option for those who weren’t planning to come our way in the first place. Research indicates that sanctuary visitor numbers could eventually exceed 30,000 a year. Derek Shaw agrees: “Once it’s thriving with birdlife it will very quickly become a must-do attraction and provide a reason