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Kia ora! Welcome to our Hepetema/September issue, brought to you by hayfever.
Not really, just ‘pollen’ your leg.
This month, we’re looking after our harbour, celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, championing a special environmental group and inviting your feedback on our draft Strategic Climate Action Plan.
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Be on the lookout: destructive marine pest found at Port Chalmers
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Mediterranean fanworm
PHOTO: CHRIS WOODS, NIWA
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Boat owners and water users across Otago’s coastline are being asked to keep an eye out for any sign of Mediterranean fanworm (Sabella spallanzanii) on vessels’ hulls and moorings.
This exotic marine pest poses serious threats to the marine environment. Evidence of Mediterranean fanworm presence was found and removed at Port Chalmers by NIWA divers last month while undertaking a routine marine pest survey.
If you think you’ve seen Mediterranean fanworm, please contact Otago Regional Council as soon as you can, on 0800 474 082 or biosecurity@orc.govt.nz. This species is legally declared an unwanted organism, which means it is illegal to move the pest around or remove it without a permit.
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PHOTO: NORTHLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL
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Lakeside Road Enhancement Group and Te Kākano volunteers planting session, Wānaka lakefront
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The Lakeside Road Enhancement Group envisions a pristine lakefront environment free from invasive species, characterised by a balanced coexistence of native and exotic plants, and a high level of native biodiversity.
The group aims to provide excellent public access and amenities, ensure clean water flows into Lake Wānaka, and foster a united local community actively engaged in environmental enhancement and protection.
Since 2022, they have successfully cleared and replanted 550 trees in collaboration with Te Kākano and the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC). They have also installed a 650 m trapline (13 traps) with Wānaka Backyard Trapping, which has been checked over 250 times by volunteers from the Lakeside Road Group, so far catching four hedgehogs, six possums, 12 rats and four mice.
With ongoing support from WAI Wānaka, the group has developed a phased project plan. Recent clearing of invasive species by QLDC has opened up further space for collaboration with council and Te Kākano to replant with native species in the future, aligning with the group’s long-term vision for the area. A working bee, in collaboration with QLDC, ORC, Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust and the Upper Clutha Wilding Tree Group, will be held in early October.
To learn more about the Lakeside Road Enhancement Group or the Urban Catchments Project, visit WAI Wānaka’s website.
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Why are rooks a pest?
Rooks (Corvus frugilegus) were introduced into New Zealand between 1862 and 1873 to control insect pests, but like many other introduced species, their populations flourished and spread in some areas.
Rooks in large numbers will eat fields of recently sown crops. They also pick at stands of walnut trees.
Large parliaments (the name for a flock of rooks) of these birds could inflict significant damage to Otago’s grain and new grass crops.
In recent years, ORC and Environment Southland have been working together to eradicate these pests with community help, which has pushed rook numbers down to very low numbers from hundreds of breeding pairs in the 1980s and 1990s.
The goal is to reduce the number of rooks in Otago to zero by 2029 to prevent negative effects on economic wellbeing and the environment.
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What do they look like?
Rooks are part of the crow family and are large birds with glossy, purplish-black feathers. There are no native crows in New Zealand, so if you see something that looks like a crow, it might be a rook.
Rooks have a powerful beak with white-ish patches of skin around the base. They are social birds, and you can hear them coming by the distinctive sound of their ‘kaah’. They ‘caw’ to keep in contact with each other.
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How you can help
If you see rooks in Otago, please contact ORC by calling 0800 474 082 or by emailing biosecurity@orc.govt.nz
For further information on rooks, visit our Pest Hub.
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Millers Flat School’s mighty mahi
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Unveiling the new school mural. Murals are important to Enviroschools because they tell the story of the school and what's important to them, connecting them with the whenua and community through creative expression.
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Millers Flat School held its holistic reflection at Green-Gold recently, a chance to pause and consider how far they have come on their Enviroschools journey.
Holistic Reflection is a process that all Enviroschools undertake to help deepen practice and maintain internal momentum. Leisa de Klerk, our fabulous Enviroschools Regional Coordinator Lead, joined Lucy Francke, the Central Otago Facilitator, for the collaborative community event and decision-making process that showcased how the school has embedded and integrated a courageous and visionary sustainability journey.
The school has worked hard over the past three years to achieve Green-Gold this year, having only achieved their silver in 2021, so their celebrations are well deserved.
They will be continuing their journey with Enviroschools, creating a community space that focuses on the future of their wider community. Congratulations to Millers Flat School!
Want to get in touch? Contact Leisa.deKlerk@orc.govt.nz
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Lucy Francke, the Central Otago Enviroschools Facilitator, (left) and Hilary Spedding, Millers Flat School Principal.
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Millers Flat School pupils and staff
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P/Ng is for … Peripatus/Ngaokoeoke (velvet worm)
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Peripatus/Ngaokeoke
PHOTO: EMILY ROBERTS
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The invertebrate you’d want to be if you had to be an invertebrate (change my mind), these ancient and alien-like creatures are enthralling. Some of the envious skills of the velvet worm include:
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Capturing prey by shooting them with a jet of sticky fluid
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Saliva that dissolves prey into a nutritious ‘soup’
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Females can give birth months or even years after mating
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Roams at night
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Sometimes has mismatched pairs of legs and doesn’t even care
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Usually solitary, sometimes thousands will gather together on the same rotting log for a velvet rave.
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Bus safety campaign encourages respect
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Otago Regional Council has launched a bus safety campaign aimed at encouraging respect and kindness among bus users.
Posters are up in buses and around Dunedin and Queenstown reminding bus users that “It’s cool to be kind”. The campaign asks people to respect everyone at the bus stop and on the bus, and to respect bus drivers.
The campaign encourages bus users to report any problems they observe or experience on buses or at stops. They can contact the Police by calling 105 (non-emergency) or 111 (emergency), or for non-urgent concerns, call ORC on 0800 672 8736 (Dunedin), 0800 672 8778 (Queenstown) or email transport@orc.govt.nz
ORC continues to work closely with Police and the community on a range of initiatives to improve bus safety.
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On a mission to a low emissions future
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In 2021, the Otago Climate Change Risk Assessment summarised the physical climatic changes we can expect at various levels of temperature rise, showing how different areas of Otago will experience vastly different changes.
We want to create a resilient Otago, a place that can withstand these changes. We’re on a mission for a low-emissions future, with thriving communities and able ecosystems — and we want YOUR voice in shaping it.
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Climate change risks in Otago
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Is climate change something you’re passionate about? How do greenhouse gas emissions and climate shifts affect your choices — whether it’s travel, shopping, or where you want to live?
Check out our Draft Strategic Climate Action Plan and tell us what you think.
Your feedback will help create a solid action plan that supports Otago’s environment, economy, and culture for years to come as the climate changes.
Survey closes 6 October.
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Rising sea levels, coastal erosion and increased flooding are some of the things we can expect as temperatures rise.
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Yay! We had more than 550 responses to our air quality survey. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts.
Responses are being collated into a report which will inform a fresh approach to air quality management, including a new Air Strategy and Otago Air Regional Plan.
If you would like to keep in touch with the Air Quality Management Review process, email the team at policy@orc.govt.nz
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Protecting Otago’s vulnerable hill country
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The top of Law Road near Scroggs Hill, an example of hill country where erosion can occur
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The Hill Country Erosion Programme helps landowners manage and protect erosion-prone hill country land with practical tools like planting guides and best-practice advice.
A partnership between MPI/Te Uru Rākau-NZ Forest Service, ORC and landowners, the three-year project fits alongside other work we’re carrying out across Otago, particularly catchment programmes, the draft Strategic Climate Action Plan and our Nature-based Solutions study.
What we’re doing right now:
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We’re collating and analysing existing data and mapping to determine where our focus should be.
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We have developed a strategic plan to guide our actions through the three years of project funding (up until June 2027). Mana whenua advice will continue to inform our planning for how and where we work on this project.
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Tools are being developed to assist landowners in making land use decisions, including a planting guide for erosion control
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Site visits are underway to assess current landowner-led erosion control strategies and concerns
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Pilot project sites will be identified to trial and showcase erosion control tools and techniques.
Getting involved:
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We are wanting to learn from, and support landowners who are managing their land in ways that are effectively addressing and controlling hill country erosion.
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There will be a small pool of funding to support landowner initiatives that will help mitigate erosion. This will be contestable funding to support work such as stock exclusion fencing and planting.
If you are interested in being part of our pilot project sites or learning more about contestable funding, please get in touch by emailing Alison.Turner@orc.govt.nz
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We have a remarkable diversity of native reptile species in Aotearoa New Zealand, including one species of tuatara, 126 species of lizards, five marine turtle species, and four sea snake and sea krait species — and more species are still being discovered!
Reptile Awareness Day is an international event designed to celebrate the diversity of reptiles and raise awareness to preserve their natural habitats and promote their conservation.
Working together with our friends at Tūhura Otago Museum and reptile biologists at the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Southern Lakes Sanctuary, Orokonui Ecosanctuary – Te Korowai o Mihiwaka, and Southern Scales, ORC is planning a day to celebrate Aotearoa’s reptiles with a special focus to learn about those species found in the Otago Region. These include seven lizards found nowhere else in the world!
Come along to Tūhura Otago Museum on Saturday, 19 October, from 10am and learn more about Otago’s reptiles through expert talks, stalls promoting backyard lizard conservation, a spot-the-lizard hunt and face painting.
We hope this day will have an activity for people of all ages who are interested in reptiles and the natural world.
Find out more about Reptile Awareness Day activities.
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Orange-spotted gecko
PHOTO: CAREY KNOX
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Planting day at Thomsons Creek
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Join the Thomsons Project team for a fun day of planting and conservation, and help make a real difference to the Thomsons wetland.
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Find out about upcoming community events and Council meetings here.
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Feel free to forward this email to anyone who might like to read it. If you have any story ideas or want to know anything specific about anything in this issue, let us know by emailing onstream@orc.govt.nz
If you have been forwarded this email, you can sign up here.
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