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Auckland Domain natural heritage protection
Project background
Reserved by Governor Hobson in 1840 the Auckland Domain is Auckland's oldest
park.
The park covers an area of 75 hectares and lies to the west of the Central Business
District. It borders the suburbs of Parnell and Newmarket to the east. Paths wind
through extensive areas of native bush spanning the northwest and northeast perimeter
of the park.
Close proximity to residential properties and high visitor numbers present a
wonderful opportunity to highlight the rich and unique character of New Zealand's
native forest environment.
The bush areas in Auckland Domain are rich in diversity. A 24-hour bioblitz survey
in March 2005 identified 1,779 species including
- 65 beetles
- 109 bees, wasps and ants
- 3 reptiles/frogs
- 4 fish including native banded kokopu
- 532 flowering plants (Dicots)
- 144 flowering plants (Monocots)
- 83 lichens
- 11 micro-fungi
- 62 flies and
- 26 birds including tui, fantail (piwakawaka), grey warbler (riroriro), morepork
(ruru), silvereye (tauhou) and native pigeon (kereru).
An outcome recommended from this survey was for local government to give priority
to maintaining and enhancing the diversity of flora and fauna in the Domain (Landcare
Research Contract Report: LC0506/003, Buchanan, 2005).
The council has adopted steps to protect and improve the native forest habitat.
Extensive control of invasive weed species since 2002 has seen accelerated regeneration
of native vegetation. Animal pests such as possums and rats however, have continued
to dampen the rate of regeneration by browsing on native flowers, fruit and leaf
matter damaging natural habitats and reducing the overall amount of food available
for native wildlife such as birds and insects.
The Central Auckland Middle School in 2007 commenced monthly visits to the park
to set possum and rodent traps during school term times. Their results are tabled
below. To build on the school's good work, the council established an animal
pest control group in 2009/10 to help set and monitor pest control traps twice a
week during Spring and Autumn.
Vision and objectives
Vision
To form a healthy, natural forest ecosystem in the heart of Auckland city: a
predator-free zone for the protection of forest plants, birds and insects.
Objectives
- to reduce possum and rat numbers to low levels
- to expand current pest control activities to feral cats and stoats
- to protect remnant stands of forest plants (both native and exotic)
- to establish bird, insect and invertebrate monitoring sites
- to encourage students to study flora and fauna.
Volunteer activities
A number of opportunities exist for volunteers. They include:
- animal pest control
- animal pest monitoring
- bird monitoring and nest searching
- creation of educational materials about the project
- planting and weeding
- opportunities for research students studying the impacts of urbanisation
on ecology.
Results
Animal pest control volunteers check and re-load traps regularly during Autumn
(March to May) and Spring (August to December). The results of their efforts can
be seen below:
| Year |
Volunteer hours |
Possums |
Rats/mice |
Bait consumed (kgs) |
| 2007 |
30 |
100 |
22 |
0 |
| 2008 |
4 |
19 |
1 |
0 |
| 2009 |
68 |
85 |
13 |
0 |
| 2010 |
100 |
82 |
40 |
0 |
| 2011 |
65 |
54 |
47 |
0 |
| Total |
267 |
340 |
123 |
0 |
You can contact us if you would like more
information about this project.
Updated January 2011
