Kate McKessar from Whitebait Connection paid the Motat Lava Flow Forest site a visit and searched her way through clumps of oioi and grasses with bravery and enthusiasm. With success! She found inanga eggs in the grasses. We hadn’t realised the breeding area for inanga extended so far towards the sea. It’s encouraging to see this native fauna in this habitat and will influence the species we plant on the riverbank. We’ve also moved some traps closer around the area as rats and mice are partial to inanga caviar.
It’s great to work more closely with other groups who care for the environment, have specialist knowledge and are working region-wide.
Look closely; those little drops are eggsKate finds inanga eggs
Alex Bonham from the Waitematā Local Board pulled on her boots to visit the Kanuka St lava flow forest restoration site behind Motat 2. Despite losing her pen somewhere in the weeds she made copious notes and made encouraging and enthusiastic comments to the small group of Monday morning volunteers who battle morning glory, alligator weed, wattle, etc, etc. She clearly understands the importance of preserving this unique environment.
It’s great to have a board member come and see one of the very few remaining examples of lava flow forest in Auckland and the work we’re doing to restore it.
