Ecoquest New Zealand

Terrestrial and Freshwater Projects

Because of the nature of the conservation and resource management issues in New Zealand, several of the terrestrial projects have focused on the ecological restoration of habitats, impacts of introduced pests and predators, and monitoring of recovery of native flora and fauna following the removal of mammalian pests. We have also been able to offer a number of policy-based projects as well as environmental education and park interpretation projects. Since 1999, EcoQuest students have worked in the Hunua Ranges and, further away from home, at Warrenheip Reserve and Mt. Maungatautari.

Hunua Ranges, Waharau Park and Whakatiwai Stream

These areas are the immediate 'backyard' of EcoQuest. The very first group of EcoQuest students (1999) was involved in predator monitoring in the "kokako management area" in the Hunua Ranges. Intensive predator control is carried out in this area, for part of the year, in order to enhance breeding success of North Island kokako (Callaeas cinera). In 2004, we returned to this area, but with a different mission: the over-arching question was whether management that targets single species, in this instance kokako, has a discernable (positive) effect on the rest of the ecosystem. For our work in the Hunua Ranges, we work closely with both the Auckland Regional Council, the Department of Conservation, and Tane's Tree Trust.

Warrenheip Reserve

Warrenheip is the site of the original development, trials and success (!) of the Xcluder^TM Fence (www.xcluder.co.nz), which was developed to exclude mammalian pests from an area. The main focus of the terrestrial projects at Warrenheip has been to track changes within the reserve following successful eradication and continued exclusion of these pests from the reserve. Projects include studies of both flora and fauna. Students monitored and documented dispersal and habitat use of vulnerable and threatened endemic species introduced into Warrenheip: Mahoenui giant weta (Deinacrida mahoenui), pateke,or brown teal, (Anas aucklandia) and North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx australis mantelli). Several surveys of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates have been carried out as part of ongoing monitoring programmes at Warrenheip. Natural revegetation processes are followed closely, and growth rates of planted native trees are measured to assess their potential for commercial timber production. As new fence designs are being constructed, students have had the opportunity to work on methods for trials to assess effectiveness of the designs to keep out cats and possums.

Maungatautari

EcoQuest has been involved with the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust since 2002 (www.maungatrust.org). EcoQuest's involvement with this project provides students with an opportunity to be actively involved with, and contribute to an exciting, high profile restoration project.

The maunga (mountain) is a 5000 ha volcanic peak covered in indigenous bush and surrounded by farmland. The mountain has significant cultural and conservation values. The forested area of the mountain will be fenced off from mammalian predators, using the Xcluder^TM fence. This is the largest restoration project in New Zealand using pest-proof fencing. This project will require 50 km of fencing, with only two access points for the public. Two enclosed cells have been constructed already, one on the north side of the Mountain, and one on the south side, and predator eradication inside these cells took place in late 2004 and early 2005.

In 2002, several students worked on documenting views of local iwi on the proposed fence at Maungatautari. Baseline studies of both flora and fauna were carried out by EcoQuest students on Maungatautari and on nearby Pirongia (another forested volcanic cone) as a reference site. The aims of the project were to contribute to the knowledge of the state of the vegetation and invertebrate fauna prior to the construction of the fence and eradication of the pests. In 2004, we returned to Maungatautari. Students documented the ground dwelling and arboreal invertebrate fauna, edge effects on arboreal invertebrate fauna, and several projects focused on weta.