Award Nominee

The Governors Bay Landcare Group has undertaken a significant Weed Control Project on private land in the Upper Zephyr Valley in Governors Bay. The area is located near a number of scenic reserves, and provides corridors of native bush from the foreshore to protected areas high such as Sugar Loaf Reserve and Ohinetahi Bush. The land covered by the project comprises two properties. One is owned by Simon Gurnesy and Sara Crane, and the other by Steven and Eleanor Wooff. The total area covered by the project is 24.60 ha. QE II covenants with the landowners of the two properties were initiated in 2003. Two other adjacent properties also have QE II covenants over their bush, but here the target weeds are minimal and easily managed.

Old Man s Beard is the main target weed. It is common in Governors Bay and it is a huge threat to the nearby areas of bush. By undertaking this project the bush will be able to regenerate and it will stop the spread of the seed of this weed to neighbouring properties. There is also some hawthorn, cotoneaster and banana passionfruit targeted for control. We work closely with other groups in the area to achieve similar objectives. The Park Ranger of the Sugar Loaf Reserve and members of the Summit Road Society have been involved in our project. The Governors Bay Landcare Group is linked to the new Banks Peninsula Biodiversity group as well the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust. Members of the Restoration Group of the BPCT have helped with volunteer labour on our project.

The weed control is just over half completed. The first stages of the control work is being done by Habitat Restoration Service a professional business dedicated to the task of weed control in native bush areas. The contractor guarantees his work and has also provided training of volunteers as part of his contract with us. The work of the paid contractor will be followed up over a number of years by the landowners and volunteers until the weeds are no longer a problem. The area being worked on is steep and access is quite difficult.

The method of weed control that suits these conditions and which we use, is to cut each vine at ground level and apply herbicide to each cut. It is a slow, thorough method. In these conditions it also really helps to have equipment that is easy to carry and use. The equipment we bought with a WWF grant was purposely selected. It includes secateurs loppers, and saws as well as specially made belts with loops for carrying the tools and herbicide bottles. We use herbicide mixed according to a recipe provided by our contractor. This includes dye and gel for identification and ease of use. The method of control used for trees such as hawthorn is to drill the trunks and inject herbicide.

We have raised a significant amount of money to pay Habitat Restoration Services. We have received grants from QE 11 Trust ($2,000), Transpower Landcare Trust ($4,000) and the Biodiversity Condition Fund ($15,000). We have also received a grant from the WWF, Habitat Protection Fund, of $1795 for sets of tools and herbicide for our volunteer workdays. We had hoped that the total of these funds would have enabled us to complete the project, but as work went on the contractor found the infestation of Old Man s Beard more dense than at first estimated and we now seeking grants of a further $12,000 to complete the project.

The size of the project is at times overwhelming, but as we proceed the contractor reports back to us with some morsels of good news. There is good regeneration of the species found in the area and in the last report he encouraged us with good news of the discovery of a black orchid, Gastrodia sesamoides, which is rare in the Banks Ecological Region.

The Governors Bay Landcare Group is an informal community group that was formed in 2003 to provide support for the restoration and enhancement of the bush protected by the QEII covenants. The group has a membership of 75 people and is organised by a Core Group of eight people. Communication with the group is carried out via email and we have a website as our organisational base and for the distribution of information to members: http://www.onlinegroups.co.nz/biodiversity/groups/titoki

We are committed to the protection and enhancement of the natural environment in and around the Governors Bay area and we are active in promoting biodiversity information in the community. Meetings on various topics, such as Birds of the Port Hills, Lizards of Banks Peninsula, and Conservation of Insects have been held. In addition, the Weed Control and Animal Pest Control workshops we have organised have been welcomed by residents.

The group has been working to build up a volunteer weed control team. Several weed workdays have been organised to assist the Weed Control Project. It is challenging, however, to encourage people to give up weekend days to cut and paste Old Man s Beard vines on steep and difficult terrain!

Old Man s Beard knows no boundaries and because we want to protect the work we have done in Zephyr Valley we are active in encouraging others to control infestations on their land, including public land administered by the Banks Peninsula District Council (now Christchurch City Council). With the support of the Governors Bay Community Association, we have successfully negotiated a plan with Environment Canterbury under the terms of the Regional Pest Management Strategy to clear the Old Man s Beard from the Foreshore area of Governors Bay. A considerable budget has been allocated for the Foreshore Project and work is expected to start soon. The BPDC will also be contributing financially to the project. Training of volunteers will be included and community back-up of maintenance and planting will ensure restoration of the area.

The Foreshore Project is tremendously important as it gives a strong signal of support and example to the community for weed control, as well as providing a means of eliminating a huge seed source that would otherwise compromise the high value environmental areas of indigenous bush adjacent to the Governors Bay on both Reserve land and private land.