Serving Community and Conservation

Martinborough Lions recently constructed another 70 penguin nesting boxes for the Aorangi Restoration Trust.
The Restoration Trust has a range of projects aiming to “reverse the degradation of local indigenous species through the eradication of introduced pests and predators” from Aorangi Forest Park and surrounding farmlands.   Eventually it is hoped to “reintroduce locally extinct species such as kiwi, whio, weka and other forest birds”.  Much of the previous work of the Trust has involved trapping predators along the Cape Palliser coastline allowing penguin to return.  The nesting boxes will encourage this return.

South Wairarapa Tramping Club

Recently Kay Bowie, Juliet Cooke, Ruth & Peter Graham, Barry Kempton, Mary & Bruce Lambert, Dave Lawrence, Helen Morison, Rosie & Ian Montgomerie, Stan Smith and leader Derek Wilson met in Martinborough on a drizzly morning and drove to Dry River Road.

A slow climb on a farm track took them to a point overlooking the Ruakokoputuna Valley, stopping on the way for a cuppa. The weather slowly improved, revealing the windmills, Lake Wairarapa and north to Martinborough and beyond—a great view, with the bonus of no wind.
 
The trampers followed along the tops to a point above the Lime Works where they stopped for lunch amongst scattered bush. After lunch they went through the lime works and onto the property of Dennis Handyside & Andee de Latour, and were grateful to be invited into their interesting home. It was a short walk back to the cars.
 Coming trips:
 1 June: Blue Range Hut   Stan Smith, 379 7592
8 June: Powell Hut    Bruce & Mary Lambert, 379 6106
15 June: Track work   John Rhodes, 304 9095
22 June: to be arranged   Vicki Brooks, 379 8576
29 June: Pukerua Bay to Paremata Ed & Juliet Cooke, 304 9497
Anyone is welcome. Please telephone the leader by Thursday evening before the trip. General enquiries: Jenny Duggan 379 7644 or Ed Cooke 304 9497

SUMMER SCARE TACTICS

Several local gardeners resorted to an ancient custom over this year’s summer. Spotted round town – a couple of colourful scarecrows and a very realistic ‘genuine (scare)crow’ disguised as a magpie.

Scarecrows have been used as a hopeful solution to the bird [and sometimes wolf] problem for over 3000 years, with the first in recorded history seen in the wheat fields of Egypt. These were net-covered wooden frames with a double function – they were designed to catch quail which were then taken home for dinner. The Greeks went upmarket with carved wooden Priapus look-alikes in their vineyards. Maybe an idea for Martinborough? … Continue Reading

Sun Fish

Rural Mail Contractor Gordon Wyeth inspects a sunfish washed ashore at Wangaimoana.

The ocean sunfish is the heaviest known bony fish in the world. Adult fish in the tropics have been known to weight up to 1,000 kg. They can be found in tropical and temperate waters around the globe. While it has fish head with a tail its main body is flattened laterally. Sunfish can be as tall as they are long when their dorsal and ventral fins are extended.

Sunfish live on a diet that consists mainly of jellyfish, but because this diet is nutritionally poor, they consume large amounts in order to develop and maintain their great bulk. Females of the species can produce more eggs than any other known vertebrate.

Adult sunfish are vulnerable to sea lions, orcas and sharks who will consume them. Among humans, sunfish are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, including Japan, the Korean peninsula and Taiwan.