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  • F&B Manawatu
  • Events
    • Events Archive
  • Newsletters & News
  • Trip Reports
  • Projects
  • KCC
    • KCC Trips
  • Contact

F&B MANAWATŪ MAY 2025 TRIP REPORT

2/6/2025

 
Before starting the exploration of the Lake and Bush, we were told about Māori history which gave us a greater appreciation for how Europeans have completely modified the previous wetland environment that had been both the home and larder of the local iwi.

F&B MANAWATŪ MAY 2025 TRIP TO:

Lake Papaitonga Scenic Reserve/F&B Horowhenua plant
nursery/Horowhenua college butterfly project.


Saturday 24 th May,2025

Dean Wilson from Muaūpoko Tribal Authority Inc. and Lindsay from F&B Horowhenua branch guided 17 of us around Lake Papaitonga Scenic Reserve, and we were very privileged to be guided by Dean.

Dean’s encyclopaedic knowledge of his own whakapapa and the history of the site, and the greater geographic area, was fascinating and added weight to the appreciation of the dense bush and the sparkling lake.

We were then guided by Dean and Lindsay to look at the F&B supported plantings at the west side of the lake and, after that, visited the F&B Plant Nursery where we stopped to have lunch.

In the afternoon we visited Prouse Bush in Levin (supported by F&B Horowhenua branch) and then Geoff Williamson and his daughter Saoirse guided us around the Horowhenua College Native Butterfly and Moth project and sanctuary.

Thank you to all of our wonderful hosts and a special thanks to the weather that put on the perfect blue dome autumn day.
--
Rosemary Cullen
F&B Manawatū Trip Coordinator

F&B MANAWATŪ APRIL 2025 TRIP REPORT

2/6/2025

 
In April F&B members from both Manawatū branch and Horowhenua branch experienced this rare coastal forest remnant.

Before starting the exploration of the bush, we were told about Māori history which gave us a greater appreciation for how Europeans have completely modified the previous wetland environment that had been both the home and larder of the local iwi.

F&B MANAWATŪ APRIL 2025 TRIP TO NGĀWAKAHIAMOE BUSH
Sunday 27
th April, 2025

On Sunday 27 April, Heather Heron-Speirs guided 30 interested participants around her family trust protected bush Ngawakahiamoe.

Ngāwakahiamoe Bush lies on sand dune and swamp land between Levin and Foxton. It is of rare size as a viable remnant of ‘critically threatened’ Kahikatea-Pukatealowland forest ecosystem (WF8). It is recognised as a ‘high priority site’ by Horizons Regional Council. Ngāwakahiamoe has many trees that are hundreds of years old, and is thought to have the best Pukatea stand In Horizons Regional Councilarea.

The dunes had some mature Matai, Rewarewa, Kanuka, and Rimu, but were extensively felled a century ago. The Trust is now restoring the Totara and other species, with plants grown mostly by Forest & Bird Horowhenua. Re-establishing bush on dunes is hard work.

Rosemary Cullen
F&B Manawatū Trip Coordinator

F&B MANAWATŪ TRIP NGA MANU NATURE RESERVE TO VIEW THE DACTYLANTHUS TAYLORII

2/6/2025

 

SATURDAY 22nd MARCH, 2025

On Saturday 22nd March, 12 F&B Manawatū members met at Nga Manu Reserve near Waikanae to be shown the elusive Dactalanthus plant in bloom.
Reece, the Ranger employed by Nga Manu, took us on an amusing and informative walk through the bush to look at this very rare plant, flinging himself on the ground like a kiwi version of David Attenborough to enthuse about the features of this tiny but amazing rare native.
All the plants have been bred at Nga Manu by Reece and he also hand pollinates them to keep the species going.
The trip was fascinating, even though the plants are very well camouflaged and easily overlooked.
Thank you again Reece and the Nga Manu team.

--
Rosemary Cullen
F&B Manawatū Trip Coordinator

GUIDED TRIP TO EXPLORE RANGIWAHIA SCENIC RESERVE REPORT

2/6/2025

 

SATURDAY 1ST MARCH, 2025

While being very thankful for the rain this week, it held off long enough for our F&B Manawatū trip to Rangiwahia reserve to be both dry underfoot and not too sunny.
15 of us (including our wonderful hosts Mary and Steve Bielski) set off into the steep and pristine bush.
We saw so many wonderful trees, huge forest giants rimu and miru, tiny forest orchids, rare finds and great looking fungi.
The birds were shy but we did hear pīwakawaka (fantail)and kererū in the trees, and saw and heard grey warblers. The ever present magpies kept us company throughout.
A small group of us took the shorter one hour track - still so full of massive trees with incredible presence -
We took a morning tea break in a wonderful forest clearing presided over by a monstrous rimu, and then had lunch at the carpark before heading over to the Kaikawaka reserve for a shorter, if steep, walk through a different mix of bush, full of Kahikatea, sphagnum moss and up the hill, a forest of tree fuschias. About two hundred metres from the other bush, nature is amazing.
Lucky us.
So much respect for Mary and Steve who maintain the tracks and trap the bush and are so enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Special thanks to Mary for the plant name labels scattered throughout the reserve which makes the trip so much more informative.
A truly great day enjoyed by everyone.
--
Rosemary Cullen
F&B Manawatū Trip Coordinator

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