Eltham Lake in Focus
LAKE Rotokare will be the focus for World Wetlands Day in Taranaki this year.
The Taranaki Regional Council and Fish and Game Taranaki are inviting the public to join a field trip at the lake on Sunday, beginning at 10 am.
Other groups including the Rotokare Trust, Taranaki Tree Trust and the Ornithological Society will be represented and the public can learn why wetlands are so important in maintaining a healthy environment. People are invited to join a 1-2 hour walk around the lake and stay for a picnic if they wish.
Lake Rotokare, east of Eltham, is one of the few large wetlands in Taranaki that remain in their original natural state.
Wetlands are unique and valuable ecosystems, providing rich habitats for a diversity of plants and animals. However, for many years the value of wetlands was largely ignored and a large proportion of Taranaki’s natural wetlands were drained or filled for agricultural development.
Today the Taranaki Regional Council is working with landowners and other organisations to ensure the preservation, protection and enhancement of the region’s remaining wetlands.
Taranaki Regional Council Land Services Manager Don Shearman says that many farmers are now recognising the importance of protecting wetland areas on their farms.
“In the past wetlands were regarded as wasteland. Today, however, the use, development and protection of wetlands is covered by the council’s Regional Fresh Water Plan.
“The council promotes the protection of all wetlands in Taranaki and along with other organisations encourages the creation of new wetland areas. Council staff are available to provide general advice and information to landowners on protecting and enhancing wetlands.
“Seventy-six wetlands in Taranaki are identified as regionally significant, and over half of these are now legally protected by a covenant, Council Memorandum of Understanding or are in public conservation estate,” Mr Shearman says.
Lake Rotokare covers almost 18 hectares and is set in 212 hectares of native bush. The variety of habitats — lake, wetlands, swamp forest and bush — support a rich biodiversity. Native fish include Banded Kokopu and Eels while Bellbird, Tui and Kereru are seen in the forest. Nocturnal Morepork and Kiwi are also present, and the lake margins support a variety of waterfowl including the fairly uncommon Fernbird and Spotless Crake.
People are encouraged to make the most of this opportunity to visit the lake and benefit from the experience of the many organisations that will be represented. The public can also learn about the vision that the Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust has to erect a predator proof fence and establish the area as an ecological island for the protection and preservation of the diversity of flora and fauna.
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FISH and Game New Zealand is actively involved in the conservation, creation and enhancement of wetlands because they provide important habitat and hunting areas for species, such as Mallard and Grey Duck, Paradise Shelduck, Shoveler Duck, Pukeko and Canada Geese that are managed as game birds.
This work also has many positive benefits for fully protected species and other wildlife that inhabit wetlands and for more than 130 years, Fish and Game NZ has undertaken wetland conservation work with money generated from the sale of game bird hunting licences.
Since the early 1990′s, $2 from every hunting licence sold has also gone to the NZ Game Bird Habitat Trust, which offers grants to wetland conservation projects throughout New Zealand. Applications for Trust funding are assessed at in June each year and anyone in Taranaki interested in applying should contact Fish and Game NZ on 06 757 9676.
In recent years, says Taranaki fish and game officer Allen Stancliff, the trust has approved funding for several Taranaki projects, including $7800 for the construction of two dams to enhance wetland habitat on Mark and Leigh Caskey’s Toko farm property and $2500 for digger time to rehabilitate a wetland on the Ardern’s Kiri Road property.
“In 2004, the Trust also approved $30,000 in funding for Graham Berry’s Mangaone wetland enhancement project near Raetihi, so putting in an application can be well worth the effort.
“With just 1.5% of its original wetland areas remaining and only 0.2% of these located outside Egmont National Park, Taranaki has already lost a greater proportion of its wetlands than most areas of New Zealand,” Allen adds.
“The remnants that remain are therefore critically important to the conservation of our unique wetland flora and fauna. Protection of even small areas is well worthwhile, as they serve as important links in the chain of wetland habitats now widely scattered across the farmed landscape.
“As these areas continue to be lost to agricultural production and urban development, those species that depend on them for their survival will also eventually disappear entirely from areas where there is insufficient habitat remaining. Already, so much has been lost and we as a community can ill-afford to lose any more.”
Organisations such as the QEII Trust, Taranaki Tree Trust, Taranaki Regional Council, DOC and Fish and Game NZ can provide or recommend sources of funding and advice for wetland protection, he says.
“The fencing and planting of wetland margins is a good way to enhance their natural values, provide significant benefits to water quality and ensure that Taranaki’s wetland heritage remains for future generations.”
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