Bee Keeping with Marina

Many of you have expressed interest in the 3 day bee keeping course with

 experienced local organic bee keeper, Marina Strioukova

but were unable to get to the Mangonui course at short notice.

Further courses will be available, probably around the end of January or early February at venues to suit participants. To register your interest and ensure the course happens close to your place, call REAP on 09 4081380 and give your full name and contact details to reception. Or you can email Lorna at REAP on lornam@farnorthreap.org.nz  Again, with your full contact details.

To discuss course content and your requirements you can also contact Marina directly on 09 4085851 or strv@ihug.co.nz

From: Lyn Davison, Department of Conservation,

Sent: Thursday, 17 December 2009 3:20 p.m.

Subject: Matakohe/Limestone Island, Whangarei Harbour

Hi All

We have had a bit of a mishap on Matakohe/Limestone (Pete broke his wrist this morning and may need surgery) – new ranger is not due until February.

Is there anyone out there who is fit, willing and able to live on the island for the next 6 weeks? The Department of Conservation could look at shorter stints BUT this is a critical time for the island with HIGH fire risk and HIGH visitor numbers eg dogs, fire etc… we really need someone on the island.

Boat skills preferable.

Thanks,

Lyn Davison

Biodiversity Threats / Weeds, Kaiārahi Tango Taru

Department of Conservation, Whangarei Area Office PO Box 147, Whangarei.

Ph:   09 470 3304

DDI: 09 470 3377

Email: ldavison@doc.govt.nz

Please do not reply to this email via the Environment Centre. Contact Lyn directly on the email address above.

For more on the Matakohe Island go to:

http://www.limestoneisland.org.nz/

The Far North Environment Centre would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best over the festive season.

Our office in Kaitaia will be closed from Monday 21st December to Friday 15th January. Although the office will be closed, we will still be active during the holiday period. We will endeavour to keep you up to date with any activities over the summer period.

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the team at the Far North Environment Centre

The Experiencing Marine Reserves Programme in conjunction with the Department of Conservation is running free guided snorkelling tours in the Motukaroro Marine Reserve site in Whangarei Harbour this summer. Click on the pdf below for details.

EMR snorkel day flier 09-10 low res.pdf

Following on from the most enjoyable presentation on Kakapo that Detlef and Carol made at the Environment Centre last week, we are pleased to notify you of the following talks in Whangaroa and Russell. Both new and experienced 'birders' will find these talks very engaging and informative about the precious birds to be found around our shores and what we can do to help protect them. We hope to bring Detlef and Carol back to the Real Far North in the near future, perhaps to Ahipara, where the protection of Dotterels is highly relevent. In the meantime, if you can attend either of these venues you are bound to be delighted by the images and the korero.

Tuturiwhatu -New Zealand Dotterel - A Northland Treasure

ENDANGERED! STEP LIGHTLY ON THE BEACH

Detlef and Carol Davies will be giving 2 presentations about the New Zealand Dotterel followed by beach visits to see these lovely birds in their natural habitat.

Detlef is the Far North Regional Representative for the Ornithological Society of New Zealand.

These presentations are in collaboration with the Bay of Islands Department of Conservation.

We invite everyone who is interested to come along and join us.

Venue 1: Russell, Former DoC office on Saturday 12th December 2009

Venue 2: Whangaroa, Game Fishing Club on Sunday 13th December 2009

Time: Both at 10.30 a.m

Contact: Carol Davies 09 407 3874

email carolanndavies@yahoo.com

A reminder to all you good people that this Sunday we'll be back in the Tokerau dunes for an attack on the weeds. Bring a friend and halve the workload! And bring your togs - the water is bound to be enticing.

It's Time to Tackle the Weeds Again at Tokerau Beach!

Some of the Cape honeyflower is sprouting up again on the dunes of the Tokerau Beach Conservation Reserve. As it's getting hotter and drier at this time of year, now is a good time to slash it back and discourage the growth for the coming season.

On Sunday December 13 there will be a working bee for any willing Weedbusters who would like to lend a hand.

Meet at the DoC Reserve at the end of Simon Urlich Road at 9.30 am.

We will supply loppers, grubbers, secateurs and gloves, but if you have your own tools that you would rather use bring those along.

Weather permiting, we will work through to about 12.30, when lunch will be provided.

Bring:

• Hat
• Drink
• Sunblock
• Sturdy shoes/boots

All are welcome and many hands make light work so if you just want to come for half an  hour, that's fine!

For more information contact Soozee on 4081086.

And just a reminder of why we take care of our beaches and pick up the rubbish that collects there, whether we're working or playing at the beach.

The pictures, above and below, are of Albatross chick carcasses taken on Midway Atoll, a tiny island slap bang in the middle of the Pacific, about as far from large numbers of humans as it’s possible to get, without going to Antarctica. No plastic was moved or altered before taking these photographs. These birds are fed plastic by their parents, who bring it to them thinking that it’s food. The photographer, Chris Jordan, has many more photographs from the same location on his web site.

Check out http://www.midwayjourney.com/ for more on this fascinating journey of discovery in the Pacific.

New Zealand Dotterel - A Northland Treasure

New Zealand Dotterel

Detlef and Carol Davies will be giving a presentation about the New Zealand Dotterel followed by a beach visit to see these lovely birds in their natural habitat. Detlef is the Far North Regional Representative for the Ornithological Society of New Zealand. This presentation is in collaboration with the Bay of Islands Department of Conservation.

They invite everyone who is interested to come along and join in:

Venue: Whangaroa Game and Fishing Club, Whangaroa
Date: Sunday, December 13th 2009
Time: 10.30 a.m

Interested?

Contact: Cinzia Vestena on 09 407 0300 or click here to email
                  Carol Davies on 09 407 3874 or click here to email

Kaitaia Photographic Exhibition:

Eyes on Whangateau Harbour

Celebrating the natural values of Whangateau Harbour

Bank Street Art Gallery, Kaitaia

Exhibition Opening Event: Friday 4th December 5pm

Supported by the Far North Environment Centre

Exhibition runs:

4th to 18th December, 2009

The Far North is to be given a rare chance to see exquisite images of one of the Auckland region’s most bewitching and surprising harbours in December. The Whangateau HarbourCare Group is presenting a photographic exhibition of the harbour’s outstanding natural values above and below water. Local and internationally renowned photographers, Darryl Torckler, Roger Grace, Ian Macdonald, Iain Anderson and Karen Williamson are contributing to the exhibition to be held in the Bank Street Art Gallery in Kaitaia.

To celebrate the exhibition, the Far North Environment Centre is holding an opening event at Bank Street Art Gallery. At 5pm on Friday 4th December you are invited to peruse these amazing photos with a presentation by noted Marine Biologist Dr Roger Grace, along with complementary wine and nibbles.

The Whangateau Harbour, northeast of Warkworth, is recognized as the most unspoiled mainland estuary in the Auckland Region, with abundant shellfish and a wealth of healthy intertidal habitats and estuarine plants. Thanks partly to its small catchment area, and the fact that subdivisions to date have been on flat sandy areas rather than hill slopes with clay soils, impacts from silt and fertilizer runoff have been less than in other estuaries.

With the right weather conditions, the harbour’s water is a pure, clear snorkeller’s paradise. Water clarity is aided by the filtering action of millions of cockles and other filter-feeders. The Whangateau Harbour is similar to what other estuaries in the Auckland Region must have been like in pre-human times. The exhibition also gives a glimpse of what may be seen in some Northland estuaries when conditions are right for snorkelling and kayaking.

The Whangateau HarbourCare Group is committed to keeping the Whangateau Harbour in the best condition possible for the well-being of wildlife and marine life and for the enjoyment of present and future generations.

The exhibition will run from Friday 4th December to Friday 18th December. Unframed prints will be available on order at the exhibition.

Whangateau HarbourCare Group is grateful for the sponsorship and support of the Rodney District Council, Auckland Regional Council, Seaweek, WWF, Experiencing Marine Reserves and Department of Conservation.

Exhibition details:

Venue: Bank Street Art Gallery, Kaitaia.

Dates: December 4 to 18, 2009

Times: Open Tuesday to Friday 10am to 3pm, Saturday 10am to 1pm