Waewaetorea Island planting
Planting on part of Waewaetorea in the eastern Bay of Islands has been a joint DOC, Forest & Bird, and community project since about 2004.
Like Urupukapuka Island nearby, the island has a long history of burning and grazing and as a result the original vegetation is no longer present.
View of the Waewaetorea Island
planting site
It had been purchased by an American millionaire in 1967, was purchased by the Crown in 1980 and managed by Lands and Survey until passed to the Department of Conservation in 1987. It was farmed until DOC removed all stock in the early 1990s.
Since then, kikuyu has in parts taken over, making natural regeneration impossible. It has however, reduced extensive sheet and gully erosion reported in 1984 because of repeated burning and overstocking.
Planting days
Shadehouse volunteer Rod Brown
checks the seedlings
DOC in conjunction with Guardians of the Bay of Islands organises occasional planting days on Waewaetorea Island. Planting days are generally advertised, and you would need to register.
If you would like to know more, you can contact Rod Brown (DOC Shadehouse Volunteer),
phone +64 9 407 4294, fax +64 9 407 4297,
email summerhouse@xtra.co.nz