We’ve been lucky to have the great team from Turanga Ararau working with Patsy from Eco-works to get this year’s plantings in the ground. And with Spring now on us, their latest efforts are already forging ahead.

Megan Wraight, one of New Zealand’s finest landscape architects, visits Longbush to begin work on a 10 year ecological landscape plan.

After being alerted to unauthorised felling of trees in its scenic reserve at Donner’s Bush, Doc has put up a sign …

we can’t wait for the river bank to be restored to its original beauty.

Nice bit of publicity for  Longbush, featured in the “Green” section of Home magazine, April 2011 edition.

Great news from the Biodiversity Fund. We have received a grant which will paid over the next three years to help us set up the inland titi colony at  Longbush.

The trustees having been eyeing the esplanade between the river and the gravel road that leads to the Ecosanctuary from Gisborne city. There are some fine remnant stands of bush there, but also heaps of weeds – blackberry, pampas, old man’s beard, you name it. With the help of Gisborne District Council staff, we have just discovered that this is in fact a DOC Scenic Reserve (although DOC had forgotten they owned it).

We are now figuring out a way of working together with DOC and GDC to restore Donner’s Bush to its former glory. This will be great for the Waimata River.

Watch out for the Muttonbirds!  The H.B. Williams Turanga Trust and the World Wildlife Fund have given grants to support the re-establishment of an inland titi (muttonbird) colony at Longbush Ecosanctuary during 2011.  Titi and other seabirds were once a major source of guano, dropped on the bush during their flights inland, and a key source of nutrients for native trees and plants.

We’re Tax Free

The Longbush Ecological Trust was registered with the Charities Commission and IRD on 9 December 2010, and can now receive donations on a tax-free basis - don’t hold back ……

Our first release of North Island robins has been a great success, with 12 birds relocated from Bill and Sally Gaddums’ farm at Matawai.  They seem to have settled in well, and turn up regularly for feeding at a number of sites in the reserve.  Brent Stevenson did the honours, and Patsy has been doing the catering since.

The Longbush Ecological Trust is now an incorporated society.  Founding Trustees are Anne and Jeremy Salmond, John Thorpe, Steve Sawyer and Meikle McNab.  This means we can now apply for funding to bring back kiwi, titi, pateke etc. to  Longbush.  Fantastic!

On 13 November, we accompanied Patsy Matthews from Ecoworks and Bill Gaddum to feed native Robins - destined for Longbush Reserve - in the bush on Bill’s Matawai property.  5 male birds responded to Patsy’s call and cheerfully gathered up the meal-worm takeaway.