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Donner’s Bush – More Waimata Restoraton

October 12, 2016
An enthusiastic group work on the Donner’s Bush restoration.

An enthusiastic group work on the Donner’s Bush restoration.

A team warm-up for more Waimata restoration.

When Dame Anne Salmond asked the Department of Conservation what they were doing to restore a scenic reserve on the banks of Gisborne’s Waimata River DoC staff got on the phone to EIT.

Dame Anne and husband Jeremy had put 111ha of their own land nearby – now known as Long Bush Reserve — under a QE2 covenant and have done extensive conservation work. As the Donner’s Bush site was not funded by DoC’s local biodiversity programme another way was needed to move forward with the project, says Department of Conservation community engagement supervisor Charles Barrie.

“I was aware of the history that EIT had with the Salmonds at Longbush, so I contacted (EIT Head of School for Primary Industries) Steve Phelps and said we wanted to put some energy into Donner’s Bush as a contribution towards the larger picture restoration of the Waimata River, and he was really enthusiastic. We are aware of the need to build capacity for conservation work in the region and EIT are right behind that vision and are already showing a lot of leadership in that space.”

Through a number of conversations between DoC, EIT, Longbush and the QE2 Trust, the idea developed to fence off a small ‘micro-reserve’ around one of the main stands of remnant bush
within Donner’s Bush.

For EIT students the project provided some great learning experiences, says Mr Phelps. “They had to learn the practical skills anyway and this gave them a more challenging environment
because it wasn’t flat, it was real life. They had a purpose, and they were out in the rain and mud like they would have to be normally.”

The Donner’s Bush restoration is a great initiative, says Dame Anne. There has been little interest in the health of the Waimata River, especially considering the river flows through town.
“I’m full of admiration for EIT and DoC for getting it going. Like Fitzgerald Glade on the way in to Rotorua, it will create an oasis for local people and visitors. Now that we have the Welcome Shelter at Longbush, we want to work with kids a lot and give them the chance to get to know plants by putting them in the ground, and to have kereru fly over their heads and have tomtits popping out of the bush. We have to make sure there are places they can have those experiences close to town.”