Warkworth Area

About Us

The Warkworth Area branch covers the area between Puhoi and Maungaturoto. Members and friends work together to help restore te taiao.

To get involved contact Chair Tim Armitage 021 322890 or Secretary Anne Ronaldson on 027 527 7005 email glendanne9@gmail.com

Forest and Bird Winter Talks

Our popular winter talks are taking place again this year on the 1st Thursday of each month - these are held at the Warkworth RSA meeting room downstairs at 7:30pm. 

5th September:  Our final talk in this year's series will be by seabird scientist and outstanding conservation photographer Edin Whitehead.

In previous talks:

• Our first talk on 2nd May was with renowned local botanist Maureen Young. She talked on the presence and characteristics of the beautiful native orchids growing in our local area. 
• At our AGM on 6th June, we were delighted to hear from Lydia Green, from Manta Watch New Zealand. Lydia presented a short film on the fascinating manta ray, followed by a Q&A session.
• On 4th July, Dr Kelsey Miller, Research Fellow at Leigh Marine Laboratory, discussed the problem of kina barrens and the importance of kelp reforestation. 
• On 1st August, Annette Lees spoke on her book, Walking into the Night: experiencing darkness and the natural world.  Annette’s presentation guided us from dusk to dawn sharing ecological and human tales of the night.  Copies of After Dark were available for sale after the talk with all profits going towards Warkworth Area Forest and Bird.

Talks are followed by a cuppa and a chance to chat with the team.

7.30pm at the RSA (downstairs) in Warkworth. And we say thank you to the RSA for their generosity in providing their excellent meeting room for these events.

Local Projects 

Our local branch proudly supports many local projects, helping to get new initiatives off the ground, fostering existing projects to help them succeed, and generally assisting with activities that contribute to the health of te taiao. Such as:

Te Kohuroa (Matheson Bay) Rewilding Initiative

We are very proud to support the "TKRI" project that has been set up to address the degraded underwater environment at Matheson Bay. Kelp beds have been lost and kina barrens abound in the bay and it requires a multi-faceted approach to bring this corner of the Gulf back to good health. Read more about this extraordinary project here: Open day for bay restoration plan - Local Matters

Falls Road Reserve and Rotary Grove

Part of our vision for Warkworth is to see a major new reserve formed around the Falls Road ford, with initial focus on a new walkway through the redwoods and an observation deck where the tributaries meet. Working bees have cleared a lot of weeds and some initial plantings completed. In a similar context we've been working to restore Rotary Grove (off Shoesmith domain) with annual plantings.

Snells Conservation 

Volunteer mornings second Sunday of each month 9-11am at reserve near Nikau School, 70 Kokihi Lane, Snells Beach. For more information email snellsshorelineconservation@gmail.com 

Pest Free Warkworth

One of our core branch projects is Pest Free Warkworth - as part of a wider network of predator control projects we are striving to make our township predator free by 2050. We also support weed control, undertake plantings and work to improve our local parks and reserves.

Some elements to note:

• We recently developed a river-based trap line operation for the awa Mahurangi (3km) and this continues with support from Ngāti Manuhiri, Council, DOC and The Forest Bridge Trust. Using automated traps this line helps protect Warkworth from cross-river reinfestation (and vice-versa)
• We maintain a stock of around 100 new trap tunnels and traps on hand ready to roll out to backyard trappers - all thanks to the generosity of Predator Free NZ
• As well as a range of traps available free to residents, including Victor and T-Rex rat traps, we can supply Flipping Timmy traps for possums and DOC200s for control of stoats and weasels.
• We also can provide bait stations to larger property owners around the township boundary

For more information or to become involved, see us local events and shows, and contact us at  mailto:traps@pestfreewarkworth.org.nz 

Little Blue Penguin / Kororā Project 

To protect little blue penguins and other birdlife predator controls continue to target rats, stoats, weasels and possums and many volunteers monitor the traplines. Auckland Council and DoC Community Funding have helped us to achieve this. ITM Matakana have donated timber for penguin nesting boxes and predator trap boxes. Tiny Living (www.tinyliving.co.nz) have also helped build trap boxes.

Increased monitoring of penguins has helped recently as we continue to try to ascertain penguin numbers and give them further protection from predators. Funding has been received from the council RENH fund towards monitoring equipment. Other donations have enabled us to purchase more trail cameras and night vision equipment. Penguin Random House Books recently became a sponsor to help our little blue penguins.

Recent penguin seasons have been difficult for little blue penguins. We have seen the wettest seasons record and these have included many extremely stormy weather events including Cyclone Gabrielle. Many predator traps and penguin nesting boxes were washed away, buried under slips, fallen trees or damaged. Natural nesting sites were also affected but further monitoring will give us a better idea of numbers of penguins that survived.

If you live locally and would be keen to help with predator controls or penguin monitoring please contact us. We are also interested in any sightings of little blue penguins coming ashore around the local coast. leighpenguins@gmail.com  or check out the Leigh Penguin Project Facebook page www.facebook.com/LeighPenguinProject.

If you'd like to make a donation to the penguins put 'penguins' in your Forest & Bird Warkworth donation. 

Lucy Moore Memorial Park

Our volunteers have been working in this park for several years and parts are now essentially weed free and in “maintain” mode. The closed section of track is also under action and is gradually emerging from the climbing asparagus, agapanthus, ivy, tradescantia, morning glory, jasmine, etc.  There is a closed bush walk that runs from the Watercare site up to Alnwick St that is gradually being exposed and possibilities for re-opening will be reviewed with Council. Bamboo is being cleared down near the flying fox.  Pest control efforts are ongoing.

Kowhai Park

Since the new motorway opened Kowhai Park has become an even more special place to visit - the noise from heavy traffic had the birds struggling to compete. Visit there - it's beautiful!

Weed control by our volunteers continues and the traplines are continually taking out large numbers of rats and other bad guys. Council continues to maintain the walkways to a very high standard and all tracks are open.

Sesquicentennial Walkway

Sesqui was very severely impacted by floods in recent years, including Cyclone Gabrielle. However, our restoration efforts continue, supported by Council, and weed control combined with plantings alongside the riverside is really bringing the walkway experience back to a genuine pleasure. 

Trapping by Pest Free Warkworth continues to bring steady results.

Forest & Bird Mothplant Eradication

Mothplant eradication within the greater Leigh/Whangateau area has been successful thanks to the huge response from people in this area. Mothplant is a fast growing vine that can rapidly smother and replace native vegetation, making it a big threat to our native planting schemes. Unfortunately it will continue to come in the hundreds for a few years unless kept under regular surveillance. It is considered by many to be the next big threat to our reserves and off shore islands, because the dandelion like seeds can be spread through wind-sources far and wide.

Forest & Bird Coast Care Group, Leigh

The Coast Care Group is led by Forest and Bird members is dedicated to pest plant eradication and is strongly supported by DoC and Auckland Council. As Leigh is the closest point on the mainland to Hauturu/Little Barrier Island, the group's objective is to stop the spread of wind borne seeds to the island, and also across the bay to Tawharanui Regional Park.

The group targets moth vine, climbing asparagus, pampas and other invasive weeds on both public and private land on the Leigh coast including an area of bush bordering a stream with eels and other native fish. The group received a Weedbuster award for this project. 

The group meets monthly and is always looking for more volunteers. Communication is via email so if you would like to know more please email corsut15@gmail.com 

Mt Tamahunga Trappers

Mount Tamahunga is mostly covered in bush and the majority of the land is owned by Doc. The Tamahunga Trappers group contains many F&B members, who trap stoats and rats. For more details contact Eliane on elianelagnaz@gmail.com or check out Facebook www.facebook.com/TamahungaTrappers/ and learn more about kiwi being introduced here.