|
Many Aucklanders pass Mutukaroa Hamlins Hill each day as they drive along the southern motorway, yet they do not know that this is a public regional park they are free to visit. This 40 ha of green space and heritage sites is an island of restored bush and open space within a highly-modified part of urban Auckland. The park also has a very interesting and varied archeological history, starting with Maori occupancy and later early farming by Pakeha. It has magnificent views across all of Auckland, from the Manukau Heads in the west stretching across to the Hunuas in the east. Ten years ago Forest&Bird helped to start replanting this area with natives. The developing forest has sign-posted walking tracks through bush tall enough to provide an overhead canopy, with flowering puriri attracting tui and other wildlife and adding to their usual non-native diet in the city. To inform people about this park we are giving a free guided tour at 10.00 am Sat 9th Aug. Meet at the park entrance and carpark on Great South Rd near the corner of Sylvia Park Rd (by the Onehunga & Mt Wellington off-ramps).
A major project going on at Hobson Bay which the local branch is involved with as a member of the Residents Liaison Group is Watercare's disestablishment of the sewer pipeline which has crossed Hobson Bay for years. Watercare is replacing it with a giant undersea tunnel which is large enough to prevent nearly all sewage overflows in that area by acting as a storage facility during storms. The tunnelling is a major endeavour. Details about the innovative technology being used is available at www.watercare.co.nz Removal of the existing pipeline up top has been closely watched by the local birds, some of whom have even established nests on the pontoon roadway! The general election being this year, F&B has put together Envirovote, a selection of 20 questions for us to ask MP candidates leading up to Election Day. F&B makes these questions freely available to you and encourages you to ask them of political candidates you may be speaking to before the election. Our branch is organising four meetings in our Central Auckland area in the next month (likely venues are at Three Kings, Greenlane, Ponsonby and St Heliers - to be confirmed). Further details about confirmed venues and dates will be made available very soon.
People selling an item on Trade Me can now make donations to F&B's Kiwis for Kiwi campaign (www.kiwisforkiwi.org.nz) . Money is used for pest control in reserves and planting native species for kiwi's to be re-introduced into. Further details are also available on the main F&B website www.forestandbird.org.nz
Our public meetings will be bi-monthly rather than monthly. Unless anyone else wants to help with organising and running them - please contact Isabel on 528-3986. | 
