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Rangiwahia Scenic Reserve

  • Rangiwahia Scenic Reserve Update

      15 July 2024
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    This is an update on what is happening at the Rangiwahia Scenic Reserve. Earlier this year we completed a signage programme, which included replacing 35 temporary signs with permanent ones. Many thanks to CEDA of Palmerston North for their support and guidance through this project. Our rope-rail project is completed and visitors have provided such positive comments in our visitor's book. We continue with track maintenance, and our pest-control programme has resulted in the reserve having one of the highest bird counts in Manawatu. Your Give-A-Little donations have enabled us to purchase a further four traps. However, we do need more for the longer track. This is why we would like our Give-a-Little page to continue. We thank you all for your support and kind comments. A final word. In January this year, a lady reported seeing the white fantail in the same area that it was first sighted in December 2022. Photo below. Apparently, from what we have read, white fantail are a sign that pests are under control.

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  • Your Donations Well Spent

      25 February 2023
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    We are delighted to report the money you have all generously donated has been used in the Rangiwahia Scenic Reserve to purchase materials for rope rails. Steel standards with safety caps, twisted shackles and rope have been used to create rails in steeper sections of the reserve providing more secruity for those walking the tracks. We have had some really nice comments in our visitor's book. Take a look at this link to see some of the comments. https://www.irongates.co.nz/visitor-comments.html

    We continue with the pest control programme and have purchased a few more traps through a local funding source.

    Over Christmas, Steve and one of son's spotted a white fantail in the reserve. We read up about the white fantails on line, and they may be considered a positive sign of reduced predators as mentioned in the article. "Fantails are fast breeders and have short lifespans... and would be far more common if not for introduced predators. White birds could be easier to spot, making them even more vulnerable than other members of a species without genetic variations".

    So it is encouraging to know that our ongoing pest-control programme within the reserve is perhaps reaping some special rewards.

    I have attached a photo of a section of rope rail.

    Plus a link to the Rangiwahia Scenic Reserve Face Book Page for photos of the white fantail.

    https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=rangiwahia%20scenic%20reserve

    So again, we thank you all so much for your generosity and be rest assured your donations have been used to improve the safety of the tracks in one of Rangiwhia's beautiful reserves.

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  • Rangiwahia Scenic Reserve September update

      25 September 2022
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    Our pest-control efforts continue in the Reserve. One of our volunteers, Anne, has noticed more bird song, including the chaffinch, over this month, the start of Spring. The karearea (NZ Falcon) has also returned. For a short time the birds go quiet at its presence and then start up again! It has been very wet around Rangiwahia, so there are a few muddy spots in the reserve, but especially walking along the paper road before entering the reserve.

    At our last Community meeting, we discussed the Give-A-Little funds people have so generously donated, and we will soon be purchasing more stoat traps.

    In August we were privileged to walk with Felix and Suzanne from USA through the Reserve track, which takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. As a scientist, Felix has made several trips to NZ for his ongoing work at Massey University and the reserve is one of his favourite NZ walks. This time Suzanne accompanied him and was able to walk through for the first time.

    I have attached a photo of Felix and Suzanne sitting on the "seat" created by a white rata (metrosideros diffusa) cable surrounding a rimu.

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    • 27/09/2022 by Felicito

      I was so happy to finally get to show Suzanne one of my favorite hikes in New Zealand, the Reserve Track. Mary and Steve were kind enough to walk with us and give us a history of the Reserve. We will return in February 2023 and will walk the new track. We are happy to have contributed to help maintain this fantastic bush reserve.

  • Rangiwahia Scenic Reserve update

      14 August 2022
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    Thank you to everyone who has given a donation for the ongoing pest-control in the reserve. The Rangiwahia Community Committee is having a meeting in a couple of weeks and we will be discussing purchasing traps with the donated money. We continue with the trapping programme visiting the reserve every week. We are aiming to reduce the pests to a minimum before the birds begin nesting in the spring. We are encouraged by the increase in the endemic & native birds. During the winter, they are quieter, but come to life in the spring. We regularly see plenty of fantails, and hear the beautiful song of the tiny grey warblers, the "pee pee" of the waxeyes, the bell-like song of the bellbirds, tui, wood pigeons and on the odd occasion a more pork (see photo). There are plenty of noisy magpies and eastern rosellas - both Australian imports! We keep the tracks well-maintained and clear of debris. In June 2022, a video about the reserve was published in NZ Herald. Here's the link.

    https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=728756145124016&ref=sharing

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