Remnant forest saved in perpetuity
Many groups assist family with fencing and covenant to preserve beech-podocarp forest near Norsewood
When Rosie Bishop and John Tylee purchased their farm 19 years ago, they were drawn to the indigenous forest on it. They knew they wanted to protect what bush they could and now, with help from a number of groups, they have done just that.
A collaboration between the QEII National Trust, the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC), Tukipo Catchment Care Group (TCCG), and the Ministry for the Environment has enabled Rosie and John to fully protect and preserve a 14.5-hectare beech-podocarp remnant forest on their farm near Norsewood, between the Makaretu and Mangatewai rivers.
“We don’t really think of this place as ours, rather we are just looking after it for a short time, while we are here,” says Rosie.
“The farm is only about 50 per cent effective, but it was the ineffective part that was the drawcard for us,” adds John. “We farm the front to make a living, but we really enjoy the bush and scrub out the back.”
Soon after buying the farm, Rosie and John knew they wanted to protect a significant bush area and began looking at various possibilities. With the farm nestled into the foothills of the Ruahine Range and home to large numbers of wild deer, forest ecologist Adam Forbes advised that the forest fence had to exclude deer.
Anything less would just make the bush a magnet to deer. “That is when we realised that we could not protect this bush without a lot of help,” says Rosie. “We are so appreciative of the assistance we received. Collectively we are all wanting the same things — to reduce erosion, enhance water quality and protect and enhance biodiversity.”
As well as financial support, the QEII National Trust was able to offer protection for the site in the form of a covenant which protects the land in perpetuity.
“The way the different agencies worked together is a fantastic example of how it can happen and make a big job achievable,” says Troy Duncan, the Hawke’s Bay representative at the trust.
“Having the area deer fenced to a high standard and the legal protection of a QEII National Trust covenant will allow the native vegetation to
regenerate uninterrupted and longterm will be a good example of what can happen. John and Rosie’s commitment and determination to their vision and the ongoing work they intend to put into the area is inspiring.”
The forest is home to native trees including red beech, rimu, tō tara and kahikatea. Native birds including the threatened (nationally vulnerable) New Zealand falcon, the kā rearea, are present too. Seed source is abundant both inside the block and on the adjacent land and with the 1.7km of deer fence now up, seedlings will naturally come through. This will be supplemented by some planting inside the block.
In September, Rosie and John were delighted to accept 3000 mānuka seedlings gifted from Comvita, and they were planted inside the block using a grant from the TCCG.
“Without permanent forest cover, land and waterways within the covenant area would be vulnerable to severe erosion,” says Warwick Hesketh, principal adviser catchment management at the HBRC.
“It’s great to be able to partner with landowners like John and Rosie and the QEII Trust to get these sustainable land management and biodiversity outcomes.”
To celebrate the completion of this project, locals and representatives from the groups involved recently walked together to the forest entrance where they had the privilege of a karakia and blessing from Jo Heperi and Tipene Heperi of Ngāi Tahu ki Takapau.
“This is a really great example of the power of community and collaboration,” says TCCG chairman Colin Tyler. “When you can get a whole lot of people and groups with similar goals to all work in the same direction, it is amazing what you can achieve”.
This protected forest sits within the Tukipo subcatchment, which is part of the wider Tukituki catchment. Tukituki Land Care is a farmer-led catchment collective which supports sub-catchment groups of the Tukituki River, enabling funding and action to benefit the region.