New Zealand is a truly beautiful place but it doesn't take much to forget that sometimes.
On a recent trip down to the deep south (Bluff) to see family, I caught up with Glen at Sinclair Wetlands just out of Dunedin. His company, Habitat Restoration runs the conservation project at the Wetlands and from the photos you can see they're doing a really good job!
Glen and I had a good yak while we trudged through a really good frost which created some very picturesque scenery. The wildlife always flock to areas where the habitat is being looked after and through the combination of predator control & restoration we were greeted by a few rare fern birds in bushes as well as plenty of other wetland birds such as the rare Australasian Bittern. While we didn't see Bittern, knowing they are in the area is always a treat as these birds have been on a serious decline.
Wetland areas make perfect habitat for predators, so the use of trapping is key to promote safe havens for our native birds.
Here's a particular cold looking trap - doesn't look like much fun to check that!
The story behind the Wetlands is a very interesting tale because it shows a lot of foresight for conservation in NZ that hopefully encourages other such acts. Donated by Horrie Sinclair to Ducks Unlimited NZ in the 80s, a QEii covenant was registered against the land in 1986. It is now owned by Ngāi Tahu and the conservation continues.
