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. 

Fungi in the gully

It is the time of year when a great selection of fungi shows itself. There were too many to put the photos here. We will see if we can get them onto a separate page at a later date when time permits. 

AGM

As a charitable trust we have to, by law, have a formal AGM each year. Our financial year finishes on the 30^th June so we usually like to get the AGM tidied up in July. It is open to the public.

Place: 7 Carisbrook Place, Rototuna, Hamilton

Time to arrive: 6.30pm

Date: 24^th July

Pizza and a hot drink will be available during a “chat time” prior to the meeting starting (approx 7pm).

Agenda:

Minutes of the last AGM

Matters arising

Secretary’s annual report

Treasurer’s annual report

Chairman’s annual report

Re confirmation of the trust deed

General business

Macro photographer loves our gully



Photo by Bryce McQuillan. An example of macro photogragph.



Bryce McQuillan is a Macro photographer and loves our gully because of the variety and size of invertebrates present. He said it is clearly evident that the rats and possums are under control. This makes it one of the best sites in Hamilton for maco photography. He usually goes down at night when all the night bugs are out although I did catch up with him in day light hour one Wednesday afternoon.

Bryce is doing the photography for a book about native spiders and said that a large number of those photos will be from Mangaiti Gully.

He has also expressed interest in taking small night tours through the gully and requested that we assist with a talk on the gully restoration project.

This is what restoration is all about were the native eco system is reasserting it’s self and a whole new biodiversity balance is occurring in the absence of rats and possums.

Mangaiti world famous in New Zealand!

We are not sure how we were selected – it may have been this web site - but Mangaiti is going to be in a book about large and small restoration projects throughout New Zealand. Ninety odd projects I believe. An edited version of an email we received is as follows:

Mangaiti Gully Restoration Trust is being included in a book Random House are publishing in September this year about New Zealand’s wildlife sanctuaries by authors Tony Lindsay and Dave Butler. Random House is New Zealand’s leading local book publisher, having won publisher of the year six years running, and this is one of their big projects for 2013. 

‘Paradise Saved’ is the working title for the book, an apt name for a book celebrating the ingenuity, teamwork and devotion of New Zealanders turning the tide of extinction. The book is a full colour, large format publication that will help with awareness of the Mangaiti Gully Restoration Group and the ongoing work of our volunteers. As well as featuring timely information about the project, they will also include our website and information about how new volunteers can get involved.

We have supplied photos on the subjects that they requested and they are very happy with the quality of those photos.

A display table at Waikato Show

This was not strictly a Mangaiti Gully table but a display to encourage people to control rats and possums in Hamilton gullies and was part of Tui 2000 and Waikato Environment centre hired space. The attendance  numbers were well up on last year. Fifteen thousand this year I believe – three thousand last year. There were lots of interest and lots of talk about restoring gullies.

Fund raising successes

Nine desks sold - great value for the purchasers

We have had the opportunity to raise funds from several sources over the last few months.  Statistics NZ donated 9 desks that were surplus to requirements after the census. These were sold off through our network raising $560, commission on selling bait stations at the Waikato show raised $45, a power point presentation to the Chartwell  Garden Club was rewarded with a generous and unexpected $50 thank you cheque and a working bee at a neighbouring gully property earned us $350.  This totals $1005. With money in the bank it just makes our working and planning projects in the gully just that much easier. The generosity of all those people and organizations is much appreciated.