As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Monday 24 November 2014

Protecting A Slice Of Paradise

Monday, 24 November 2014, 10:25 am
Press Release: Manawahe Eco Trust


24 Nov 2014 08:00 am | Sheldon Nesdale

Standing beneath towering rimu, rata and tawa trees in the Manawahe Ecological Corridor can make you feel like you’re in the middle of a fairytale scene.

The Manawahe Ecological Corrider in the Eastern Bay of Plenty

Nikau ferns and mossy glades surround you, while the extraordinary sounds of kokako, tui, bellbirds, grey warblers and cuckoos ring out from the sky above.

This regional ecological treasure spans 800ha between Lake Rotoma and Matata in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. It is home to some of New Zealand’s rarest birds and threatened species, and is the only forested corridor that exists between Rotorua’s lakes and the sea.

Looking after the land

One of the guardians of this beautiful bush is the Manawahe Eco Trust (MET) – a group of 40-odd volunteers and 100+ members who work to protect the environment, educate local children and other groups, and encourage recreational use of this area.

MET chairperson Fran van Alphen says the group formed seven years ago to represent the community’s interest in the corridor, and to help improve biodiversity within the native forest.

“The corridor has a lot of unique biodiversity attributes beyond just the kokako [which the area is famous for]. There are amazing, beautiful pockets of bush up to 200ha each and our vision is to one day see those pockets linked up.”

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