At last, here's the Friends of Flora (FoF) newsletter for August 2006, sent to keep you in touch with our work of bringing the birdsong back to the Flora. The delay is due to our unprecedented decision to abandon the June monitoring, the first time we have had to 'bail out' in our five years. The coldest winter for 34 (depending on whose account you are listening to) years led to the Flora end of Kahurangi being largely inaccessible, and unsafe due to ice and snow even if access had been possible. In July we were back in action, although conditions then, and even now in August, are a bit marginal.

Making Plans for Mistletoes. Chairman Chris Potter writes of a new task for FoF:
'In a novel move FoF has included in its draft 5-year strategic plan an objective 'to formulate and implement recovery plans for other key ecosystem species', starting with the native mistletoes. This recognises the fact that the main threat to the mistletoe, possums, have been controlled in the Flora by DoC for a number of years (to protect Powelliphanta snails) and FoF are now carrying on this good work on some trap lines. As well as adding bright splashes of colour, the beech mistletoes also provide fruit and nectar - hard to come by in beech forest - and in turn depend on bellbirds and tui for pollination and seed dispersal. An ideal target for FoF attention! The three beech mistletoes - red, scarlet and yellow - used to flower profusely in the area and were even sold at the Nelson market in living memory. Now they are seldom spotted and FoF sees an opportunity for its members to assist with their restoration in our area, in line with the national Mistletoe Recovery Plan. Tasks will include identifying and protecting existing mistletoes, sourcing seed where possible and planting in appropriate sites. We will give you more details once the strategy has been fleshed out with DoC staff.'

Cherie's GAP Year Keen young FoF-er Cherie Fenemor writes about her upcoming adventure:
'Five years ago I remember my very first rat trapping experience, making the tunnels at school and my very first trip up Mt Arthur. From that day on I have been up almost every month checking the traps. In the time I have been involved we have done many great things…our tunnel making group has won numerous awards and I feel so privileged to have seen the release of the whio into the Flora Stream. Last week at school we finished up making the rat tunnels, it was a weird feeling since we have been making them for the last five years. But next year sees me on a whole new adventure. I have been accepted for a GAP year in England. I am heading to a place called Malham Tarn Field Centre. This is in the north of England in the Yorkshire Dales. To check out what the field centre looks like and what they do take a look at this website': http://www.field-studies-council.org/malhamtarn/index.aspx
Best of luck, Cherie and thanks for all your hard work over the years.

Return of Maryann. After dropping off the radar since May, young Maryann whio, transferred from the Pearse River in March, is back in the Flora Stream around Gridiron shelter, with her companion, Arlo. Arlo was seen making amorous advances, but Maryann won't be ready to breed until next year.

Andy's Book Review. FoF committee member Andy Woodall recently had a read of "Bush Boots and Bridle Tracks" by J. Neville Salisbury that may interest students of Tablelands history. The self-published book is available from TDC libraries: 'This is not an easy book to review. It seems at times to be a cut and paste job from previous books about, or which mention, the Salisburys such as "After Many Days" and "No Roll of Drums". I guess I was hoping for more of an account of exploratory trips up onto the Tablelands and into the upper reaches of the Aorere. For instance it isn't until reading the sale notice for Ernest's farm in the Aorere that you find he had a lease on the Gouland Downs. Instead it seems to be a roughly chronological account of the life of John Park Salisbury and his immediate descendants, from his early days in Australia, through his life in the Motueka Valley and in the Sounds, and about his preaching trips around the south island until his death in Cornwall on a trip back to England. There are some interesting little notes and tid bits of information. JPS must have been a tough and resourceful guy but after a trip through the Karamea Gorge he remarks that ' once in a life time is enough' .

Winter trap catch. The following trap catch figures are for pests entering our traps over both June and July.
Stoats; 8 (317 in total since Feb 2002)
Rats; 71 (total 947)
Mice; 10, (total 662)
Possums 6 (total 210 since June 2004)
with no addition to the tally for weasels, ferrets and cats.

The DoC catch for July - off H, D, E and upper I Line - was 6 stoats and 43 rats, bringing their total to 52 stoats and 137 rats this calendar year, and 185 stoats and 337 rats since Feb 2004.

Trapper Workshop A Trapper Workshop covering wasps, rodents and mustelids will be held at Emmaus Bush, Motueka Valley 2-4 pm Saturday 23 September. This field day has arisen out of an interest among Motueka Valley landowners to do pest control in the valley. It may be of interest to Friends of Flora people as well. For further information, contact Bruce Dwyer, Belvedere, 2035 Motueka Valley Highway (03) 526 8288.

Maybe, Minister We have invited our Conservation Minister, Chris Carter, to come and check out the work we have been doing with Friends of Flora over the past 5 years. He has replied saying he will keep it in mind, if time permits, for later in the year. If he is able to do so, this would be perfect timing to coincide with our 5-year celebrations.

More from FoF next month.

Ivan Rogers FoF Committee