Kapiti Mana

Branch Newsletter April 2008

New Award to KCC’s Donna Sherlock

Donna Sherlock, Wellington Kiwi Conservation Club (KCC) Co-ordinator,
has been presented with the Kiri Kiwi Award by F&B National President
Peter Maddison in recognition of her outstanding work with the Wellington
and Kapiti Mana KCCs.
The new award was initiated to mark the 20th anniversary of KCC. The
name of the award comes from a KCC Magazine character.
“Wellington KCC was in the dol-
drums when Donna took over. She was
full of enthusiasm and new ideas and
soon Wellington KCC was looking up,”
said Ann Graeme, KCC National Co-
ordinator.
  Donna contacted the Kapiti Mana
Branch of F&B and offered to share her
programme with Kapiti Mana KCC if
we could find some assistants.
A circular letter, followed by tele- Goldfinches were among the top
phone calls, to all Kapiti Mana KCC 10 most commonly spotted birds in
parents discovered several very willing UK gardens this (northern) winter,
and hard-working volunteers. an annual RSPB survey showed.
Donna united the co-ordinators and Milder winters meant that food was
both clubs now share trips and activities not as scarce and the birds did not
around Wellington and the Kapiti coast. have to forage in gardens.
 The “super-club” is so popular that However, the overall number of
trip numbers have to be limited. birds counted in the survey had
(See KCC programme on page 3) dropped by 20% since 2004. – BBC
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 STRONG FINANCIAL End of an era
RESULTS
This will be our last season running
Brief Unaudited Accounts our own Branch Nursery in Waikanae.
to 29/02/08: For the past seven years a team of
Nursery Income 15,211 Branch volunteers have spent hours of
Calendar Sales Income 2,555 their time watering, potting up and
Other Income 4,274 lugging trays of trees around for plant-
Total Income $22,040 ing in our various restoration schemes
Expenses 6,288 and for sale at our Branch shop days.
Conservation Donations 9,470 In 2001 David Lackey most gener-
15,758 ously offered the Branch the free use
of his private nursery site in Waikanae.
We gratefully took up his offer and,
Net Income $6,282
since then, we have grown up to ten
Bank Accounts thousand plants annually.
& Deposits 34,738 Seedlings were sourced from
Other Current Assets 3,077 Branch Committee member Graham
Equipment 2,559 Petterson’s own native tree nursery,
Accumulated Funds $40,374 potted up and tended by Branch mem-
bers and later on-sold at below retail
While we are strong in financial prices to GWRC and KCDC for their
resources we are unfortunately re-vegetation projects.
weak in human resources. Most of the planting and subsequent
Please give some thought to your tending in these projects has been also
involvement in Branch activities, done by Branch volunteers.
to maximise the contribution that Our nursery has been the Branch’s
we are able to make to local con- major source of income, enabling us to
servation with the funds that we make generous grants   in   support of
have at our disposal. – Maurice other environmental projects through-
Andrews, Branch Treasurer out the region.
Mr Lackey now has other plans for
Mana Island update the area so this is the nursery’s final
Twenty more nationally endangered year.
shore plover took up residence on The Committee wishes to record
Mana Island in March in DoC's bid to their very sincere thanks to all those
establish a breeding population on the who have supported or assisted with
island.– Stacy Moore this project. – John McLachlan
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 Her own serious heart problems she
Judy Petterson left to Providence.
When I came to Wellington in 1949 I We discussed theology and geology
joined the Botanical Society. over hospital lunches, Judy’s cannon
At the Botany Division, DSIR, then balls versus my marbles, while Gra-
in Wellington, Dr H H Allan was work- ham watched, amused and bemused.
ing on the flora of New Zealand. Goodbye old friend, formidable in
Young Judy Hay was one of his as- conviction, enthusiasm and unfailing
sistants – a friendly, goodnatured wee friendship. – Sheila Natusch
soul.
Transferred seabirds
returning to Mana
Friends of Mana Island and DoC
staff are celebrating the return to Mana
Island of adult fairy prions that were
transferred to the island as chicks.
This Spring, Colin Miskelly, DoC
conservation analyst, found thirteen
adult prions. One pair laid an egg and
the chick later successfully fledged. –
Stacy Moore
Was it then that she developed her
passion for the genus Wahlenbergia? KCC Programme for 2008
With typical energy and zeal she deter- Cool Creepy Crawlies at Te Papa!
mined to run the whole genus to earth – See Te Papa's Insects - April 21
latterly, the earth of her own Waikanae Seed balls sprouting in Maara Roa!
garden. Gather seeds for the coming season at
In the 1970s I was invited to address Pauatahanui Reserve - April 22.
a botanical group at Waikanae. A couple Mana Island day trip
had already arranged to take me to 3x overbooked! More trips planned.
lunch at the Fisherman’s Table, but Judy Things that go flap at night - NZ bats
announced, “Graham’s got the car out- - Reikorangi College - May 10.
side,” and swept me off willy-nilly to Matiu/Somes Island overnight
their home – and the harebell garden! - May 24.
Later, when I was on the waiting list Glow worms at night - Botanical
for a tricky heart valve replacement, Gardens - June 20.
Judy did her best to talk me out of it, for Coastal Wellington digital photog-
fear of post-op. brain damage. raphy competition For children only.
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Let me out!

Bouquets for Anna

Anna Deverall took this delightful photo of a wrybill imprisoned in a
tube for weighing at the Miranda Shorebird Centre, Firth of Thames.
The Kapiti Mana Branch sponsored Anna, a former Kapiti Mana KCC
volunteer and now a student at Otago University, for a week-long intensive
course at Miranda in January.
Eila Lawton, a staff member at the
centre, wrote to say “how brilliant an Election Year
addition Anna was to the course this As this is election year, Forest &
year. Bird has put together a list of the 20
  “A smart lass, that one. I hope she will most important conservation ques-
go far. tions on which we would like our
 “Thanks to the Branch for sponsoring elected representatives to make a
her. I hope you may find another of commitment.
equal calibre another year.” You can read the questions in the
Don’t miss Anna’s Power Point May issue of Forest & Bird – and
presentation on Miranda at the we’ll report back on candidates’ re-
June 25 Branch meeting. sponses in the August issue. - eNews
Editor: David Gregorie, 04-904-2183 [email protected]