Upgrade to the creek crossing Sexton Road end

For those that walk the track you will have noticed that quite a bit of work has been going on upgrading the track and board walk at the creek crossing up the Sexton Road end. This section is where two creeks meet and gets a hammering from flooding. We are confident the new construction will with stand anything mother nature throws at it.  

Impressive pest control

No. 1 bait station and trap

Not one bait was required to be added to any of the 12 bait stations and there was no activity in the two traps during the latest check. This is the first time since records started in November 2011 to have no activity.

This is very promising for the coming breeding season.

Number 1 bait station in the gully behind 62 and 66 St James Drive is still the station that gets the most activity. We have a trap here also and frequently catch a rat. Rats have scented rat runs. This station must be located right on one. 

Bat Utube

You must see this Utube clip recorded in Auckland of our native bat. We have these bats in the southern part of Hamilton. There is considerable work being done to encourage their population to increase.

 Bat Utube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5WTVNMZrvE

Kahikatea planting

In line with our planting plan to develop a predominately Kahikatea wetland forest in the gully floor with Astelia grandis dominating the understory we planted 45 kahikatea in the wet pond area at the back of Sexton Road. This brings the total kahikatea planted to over 150. This does not sound that many but when you take into account that they are canopy trees planted 5 metres apart and that the wet gully floor is only part of the total area of the reserve then it is significant. 

Sexton Rd entrance

Work has been going on to tidy up the entrance to the gully from the Sexton Road end. This work is ongoing. The sign from down the south end has been upgraded by Sign craftmen – 843-7406 if you need a sign made – and will be erected shortly. 

Rangiora, Brachyglottis repanda

As part of our targeted planting policy to reintroduce plants that would have originally been in Hamilton gullies we have grown a good quantity of Rangiora, Brachyglottis repanda from seed collected from Te Pahu and Maungatautari . While the Rangiora are relatively common in bush areas they are quite hard to grow from seed.  We have planted a good number in our gully and we have been giving them to people that are planting other parts of the gully to spread the future seed source of this plant species in town.

Keikei,Freycinetia banksii

We have been fortunate enough to acquire four seedlings of Keikei, Freycinetia banksii from Wayne Bennett. These are a really interesting sort of climbing cabbage tree for want of a better description. They are hard to get and it is hard to obtain seed. The rats love the fruit. They have been planted were the track goes down the slope to the gully floor Sexton Rd end. They like it moist but not boggy.