The West Coast is one of the few places left in New Zealand where the majority of the rainforest was not clear felled and converted to other exotic monoculture systems. Over 80% of our land area is still in our native ecosystem. We have become the “reservoir” for the nation.
I would like to be part of a community who would protect a small part of this DOC estate for the benefit of all the biodiversity, by building a predator proof fence around the base of Mt Turiwhate and removing all predators within, creating an island “sanctuary”.
The Turiwhate Ecological Island Sanctuary would protect 3800ha of the DOC estate, ranging in altitude from 100 metres to 1368 metres.
By typing in Google “Turiwhate Ecological Island Sanctuary” one can see the proposal on line. This mainland island would be protected by a pest proof fence approx 32km around the mountain. Once fenced the area within can be hunted and trapped to remove all predators. This has been shown to be the most effective way to provide a predator-free area. In time, an increase in the biodiversity will allow many different bird species to be released within the sanctuary.
Check out www.infonews.co.nz Conservation week is here again and it is time to get involved.
Paul