Umbrella Project for the Creek, Estuary, Zones and Palms of Kaipatiki.

iNatNZ Projects have been made for each Zone, using the Zones established in 1999 to plan and communicate weed and path work, and for filing some of the 6000 digital photos of that restoration.

Observations are being made throughout the stream restoration site, from Easton Park Parade opposite Glenfield College, upto Vale Crest Avenue and Noeleen Place, and downstream to the Kaipatiki Bridge at the Estuary at the Eastern end of Eskdale Forest, including the cliffs below the Witheford and Pemberton Rd neighbourhoods.

To help assess what has progressed, what has stayed the same or gone backwards, , and the weed invasions that occurred both before and since 1997-1999, we welcome historical photos of the wildlife of the stream, forest and estuary.

The most obvious change from the roadside is the general absence of kikuyu, brush wattle and pampas, now replaced by young native trees planted along the entire length of the roadside.

But this native planting has been invaded by tree privet, Moth plant, Madeira vine, Japanese honeysuckle and Kahili ginger.

Hundreds of mature and juvenile tree privet look likely to overtop and replace native trees in the next year.

Weed vines have already killed some trees, and threaten the rest. Several large invasions of Moth plant have been seen, pods removed where seen, and a few of the vines have been uprooted.

Areas yet to be observed include steep slopes, areas hidden by dense undergrowth or fallen trees, and the forest margins adjacent to housing in Witheford Estate. The Reserve's boundary with private housing is at some points a sheer drop below private land or fencing, so surveying the top of these banks will require the assistance of some neighbours in those areas.

Also yet to be fully surveyed are the coastal cliffs and saltmarsh, and the streambank below housing in Pemberton Rd and alongside the beginning of the walkway to Lynn Reserve.

All your observations from Kaipatiki Creek Reserve are helpful to this survey and weed-control planning. Your observations appear automatically in some of the Kaipatiki Creek and Kaipatiki Estuary restoration Projects, but have to be added manually to the Zone Projects which does not have an iNat Place boundary, and relies on a "Field" being created. The Curator/s of the Zones Projects will see any new iNatNZ observations made in the Creek area, and add them to the appropriate Zone Project.

Posted on August 25, 2018 10:47 PM by kaipatiki_naturewatch