Keen fit volunteers needed for projects in Puketi Forest

Puketi Weedbusters, the Department of Conservation (DOC), and the Puketi Forest Trust (PFT) are looking for volunteers to help with several upcoming and ongoing projects in Puketi Forest.

Volunteers are needed to help control weeds, possums, and stoats, listen for kiwi, and take part in regular planting days.

Weed control

Dan O'Halloran, DOC Biodiversity Threats Ranger, Bay of Islands, says, "You can help your local forest – Puketi – come back to life! The Puketi Weedbusters carry out weed control work around the Puketi Forest Headquarters and further afield. The group normally meets one morning a month but as there are a variety of weed control projects needing to be done, weeding projects and days can be tailored to suit the individual. Over the winter months, the Weedbusters focus more on replanting areas of the forest with natives. Planned planting days are: 4 June, 2 July, and 6 August."

Kiwi listening

"Puketi Forest volunteers also monitor kiwi numbers by listening out for them every year during the kiwi breeding season.

Northland brown kiwi

Listeners spend four nights over a three-week period at a designated site and record the time, direction the bird's heard calling from, its distance away from the listener and its sex. DOC and PFT run kiwi listening sites at a number of locations throughout the forest. New volunteers will be given training at easily accessible sites, and are generally paired with experienced listeners until fully confident and competent. The main kiwi listening period for 2013 runs from 27 May to 16 June with a backup period from 27 June to 16 July."

Dan says, "If you are living in other parts of the Bay and would like to help monitor kiwi numbers you can contact these groups:

• Russell and eastern Bay of Islands: Russell Landcare Trust, Heather Lindauer, Heatherbelle@xtra.co.nz
• Mahinepua/Radar Hill: Mahinepua-Radar Hill Landcare Trust, Mary Woodworth, lookoutworld@orcon.net.nz
• Kerikeri and environs: New Zealand Kiwi Foundation, Greg Blunden, nz.kiwi.foundation@gmail.com

Possum and stoat control

DOC also has a number of traplines in the Puketi/Omahuta Forest that volunteers could service, most are to help with possum control while some target stoats. The traplines are of varying length taking from approximately 1.5 to 5 hours to complete. Interested volunteers would be given full training and induction and be expected to check the lines on a monthly or bimonthly basis.

Contact

If you are interested in any of these projects or need more information, please contact Dan O'Halloran on +64 9 407 0311, or email dohalloran@doc.govt.nz

Dan O'Halloran 
Phone: +64 9 407 0311
Email dohalloran@doc.govt.nz