Project Island Song updates
December 2011
For the third summer in a row, boaties and campers visiting the Bay of Islands will receive free Project Island Song boatie bags.
These giveaway bags were really popular last year, providing information about Project Island Song and ways in which visitors can help keep these islands pest-free.
The bags contain up-to-date information about Project Island Song, a free rubbish bag and rubbish disposal information, floating key ring, tide timetables and, as long as supplies last, a free rat trap.
If you are interested in helping Project Island Song by handing out boatie bags, give Helen a call on +64 9 403 9006 or email hodealy@doc.govt.nz.
August 2011
Project Island Song produced the Bay of Islands island visit information pack that outlines how people can help keep the islands pest-free.
July 2011
The pest-free status of the islands of the eastern Bay of Islands/ Ipipiri) is being greatly enhanced by the combined work of landowners, community groups and agencies on the mainland.
Read more in the media release 'Island sanctuaries depend on mainland community pest control'
June 2011
Project Island Song celebrates its two-year milestone this month with pest-free islands at Ipipiri in the eastern Bay of Islands.
Read more in the media release Happy Birthday, Project Island Song - two years old
November 2010
Increasing numbers of community groups and landowners throughout the eastern Bay of Islands (Ipipiri) are rolling up their sleeves and getting involved in stoat and rat trapping programmes on the mainland facing the islands of the eastern Bay.
Read the media release Bay of Islands community declares war on pests
October 2010
Local and overseas fishers visiting the Bay of Islands are already helping Project Island Song by using a tailor-made Ministry of Fisheries fish measurement guideline sticker.
Fish measuring stickers are available free from all good Bay of Islands fishing and diveshops or DOC Bay of Islands and Hauraki Gulf.
Read the media release Fish measuring sticker helps Project Island Song
June 2010
Pupils from Opua, Springbank, Russell and Paihia worked alongside DOC in a science experiment with national implications.
The aim of the project was to help determine where the three male Norway rats caught on Urupukapuka Island over summer came from. Work includes DNA comparison of the rats caught with rats from Ipipiri before they were eradicated in winter 2009.
A rat DNA lesson was created which involved Year 7/8 pupils making tracking tunnels (to see what animals were around their school-grounds), identifying the tracks left behind, then setting rat traps where rat tracks had been seen.
The University of Auckland's Statistics Department is now DNA-analysing the rats caught.
Read the media release Bay of Islands students help with CSI-style rat tracking project
April 2010
Rare and endangered birds are already returning to the now pest-free islands of Ipipiri (Eastern Bay of Islands).
Banded rail and kukupa (NZ wood pigeon) have been seen on Motuarohia/Roberton Island. A flock of more than 20 NZ dotterel have also been sighted at Otehei Bay (Urupukapuka Island). Native plant life is starting to recover as well. Now that the rats are gone, the coprosma seeds are not being eaten and there are carpets of seedlings shooting up under the canopy.
While this is great news, we can't afford to be complacent, as three Norway rats were caught on Urupukapuka Island between December 2009 and April 2010.
With hundreds of campers and thousands of boaties enjoying the islands over summer, there is great potential to bring rats back. We knew the risk that rodents would turn up. What's great is that the community helped catch them.
Read the media release Pest-free islands in Eastern Bay of Islands already showing signs of recovery
November 2009
The operation undertaken in June 2009 to eradicate rodents from the islands of Ipipiri is starting to show some signs of success a few months afterward.
DOC Project Manager, Adrian Walker says, "It is likely rats and stoats have been eradicated from the islands and if mice were present there is a good chance they have been removed as well."
"We are now starting to see a carpet of Coprosma seedlings emerging previously mown off by the rats - this is an indication of the way the bush will spring back to life again. With this should come the insects which are the building blocks for supporting more wildlife on the islands."
"Kiwi probe holes and tracks can be seen in large numbers on Roberton and Moturua, and any kiwi chicks born this spring will now survive without stoats present. Ornithological Society of NZ members are monitoring dotterels that are nesting on Urupukapuka and Motuarohia and an increase fledged chick numbers is likely."
Read the media release Signs of new life at Ipipiri
Eco-centre opening
September 2009
DOC is very pleased with results from the June operation to remove pests from the eastern bay.
Around 100 people were taken to the island to celebrate the opening of an eco-centre made available to the project by the new lease-holders for the Zane Grey Resort, Explore NZ.
The picture shows Shirley Meloni (left) treasurer of Guardians of the Bay and Marara Hook, from Ngati Kuta at Te Rawhiti prepare to release the flax ribbon at the opening of the Project Island Centre at Zane Grey Resort, while Fleur Corbett, chair of the Guardians, thanked all those involved in the project to return birdlife to the eastern Bay of Islands.
Read the media release Project Island Song celebrates achievements and new eco-centre
A helicopter hovers while bait is being
loaded
July 2009
An operation to eradicate rats commenced in June 2009 with two applications of brodifacoum rodent bait aerially applied to all islands. A stoat trapping operation is currently underway to eradicate stoats from the islands by contractors from Te Rawhiti Enterprises Ltd.
Ongoing work includes
- Monitoring NZ dotterel
- Post-operation brodifacoum residue measurement
- Working with the community to implement the Island Biosecurity Plan
- Implementing a mainland pest control project at Rawhiti to reduce the risk of pests swimming out to and reinvading the islands
30 June 2009
The Department of Conservation has concluded the second of two aerial drops of rat poison in preparation for Project Island Song. The operation went according to plan. The first drop was held on June 2, and conditions were again excellent for the second drop. Read the media release 'Project Island Song aerial drops completed'.
3 June 2009
Eradicating rats from Ipipiri in the eastern Bay of Islands has begun with an aerial drop of brodifacoum poison. The drop took place yesterday and was the first step in Project Island Song.
The weather was just what we needed for a safe and efficient drop. About fifty staff and volunteers, four DOC boats and two Skyworks helicopters were involved in the drop to ensure coverage of the 90 islands and rock stacks in the bay. Read the media release 'Project Island Song rat eradication underway'.
6 May 2009
Department of Conservation (DOC) campgrounds on Urupukapuka and Moturua Islands in the Eastern Bay of Islands will be closed for at least two months from 4pm Sunday 24 May 2009.
The closure is in preparation for Project Island Song, a community-led initiative to restore native birds and plant life to Ipipiri, the islands of the eastern bay. Read the media release 'Bay of Islands campgrounds closed for forthcoming bait drop'.
April 2009
The eradication of rodents on the islands of the eastern Bay is scheduled for winter 2009. The actual dates are weather dependent and will occur some time in the period 1 June - 30 October 2009.
Preparatory work is well underway:
- Protecting island domestic water supplies
- Removing domestic stock to the mainland
- Planning measures to protect the public e.g. notification signage on the islands as well as mainland departure points
- Liaising with island land and leaseholders, tour operators and concessionaires
- Setting up monitoring operations for NZ dotterel
- Setting up processes for removing pateke/brown teal from the islands and placing them in temporary holding areas on the mainland
- Establishing various post-operation brodifacoum residue measurement procedures
- Working with the community to implement the Island Biosecurity Plan
- Implementing a mainland pest control project at Rawhiti to reduce the risk of pests swimming out to and reinvading the islands
A key aim of Project Island Song is to help people avoid bringing pests back to the islands.
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