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T

his August, Random House published a

significant book titled “Paradise Saved,”

authored by Dave Butler, Tony Lindsay and Janet

Hunt. This inspirational story pays homage to the

more than 100 wildlife sanctuaries established

throughout New Zealand, all playing a vital role

in preserving and restoring our diversity and

protecting and nurturing endangered species.

Several are fenced at vast expense; all utilise

predator control equipment and are ably

supported by willing volunteers

Here on the Coromandel there are many similar

groups and individuals, mostly unheralded,

mostly constantly scrambling for funding to

continue their important work.

One such group, typical of the dedication

required to achieve meaningful results, is the

Rings Beach Wetlands project, working under the

umbrella of the Coromandel Peninsula Coastal

Walkways Society. This was started in 2006 by

Bruce Smith of Kuaotunu, who had just retired

and was looking for a project to give something

back to the community.

Bruce discussed his vision with another local,

Ian MacDonald who was in a similar situation,

and with the permission of DOC (who hold

the 267Ha in the Conservation estate) they

proceeded to blaze a trail and start forming

RINGS BEACH

TRACK

WELCOMES

NATURE LOVERS

Photos and story by Ian Patrick

a 4.7km back country walking track, now a

comfortable 2 hour round trip.

With the help of other volunteers, notably Sarah

Cooper (a trustee of Kauri 2000), thousands of

hours went into completing the track.

There is a small stream discharging onto the

western end of Rings Beach, and the team

discovered the origin of this stream: a wetland

spanning 4.5Ha, which was home to 3 pairs of

the endangered fernbird.

SHIFT TO WILDLIFE PROTECTION

With the track nearing completion the focus

The endangered fernbird makes its home in the

wetlands in the middle of the sanctuary.

shifted to the birdlife and the regenerating bush.

At that stage, Kauri 2000 had already planted

several thousand trees on the hill, which had

been clear felled of ancient kauri, mined, then

farmed by the ‘matchbox method’ right up until

the 1950s.

Bruce and Ian identified an area within a 100

metre perimeter of the wetland, created a network

of three parallel tracks and placed traps for

possum, stoats, rats and mice. Supported with

funding predominately from Waikato Regional

Council, an annual program of tree planting kick-

started the regeneration of a diversity of native

species in the area adjacent to the wetland.

Participation by local schools in the planting,

and a keen network of volunteers to monitor the

traplines, has seen over 4000 trees planted since

2009 with 3000 predators eliminated.

Not only is the birdlife benefitting, but wetas,

lizards and invertebrates are recovering.

Several hundred wilding pines have been felled

with support from DOC, which encouraged

small native trees to spring up wherever they

gained sunlight. The birdlife is recovering and,

as new trees grow, more species will make this

their home again.

Sadly, in December 2012, Bruce Smith passed

away, however, the foundations of his vision

were solidly established; and Ian MacDonald,

assisted by Kuaotunu locals, has maintained and

extended the dream.

The walking track is accessible from Matarangi,

and both ends of Rings Beach (along Bluff Road).

It is a pleasant easy walk on the main track, and

a loop around the wetland on a trapping track

presents a further option to explore the area.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Ian

Patrick at

igdmp@xtra.co.nz or

07 866 0751.

42

COROMANDEL LIFE 2014-15 HOLIDAY

Above: Kauri

2000’s Sarah

Cooper works

with Ian

MacDonald to

clear some of

the 4.7km of

stubborn bush to

create the Rings

Beach Wetlands

Project track.

At left is a view

of the wetlands

from track.