Projects

A considerable amount of work has been undertaken on the Bream Head Scenic Reserve in recent years, both by the Bream Head Trust and the Department of Conservation. This work has centred on animal and plant pest control, native species monitoring and revegetation, and has resulted in some significant gains.

These include:

  • goat eradication and the establishment of a goat farming exclusion zone on all properties south of Ocean Beach Road, between Urquhart Bay and Ocean Beach
  • control of possums to low levels
  • establishment of a network of trap and bait station lines for mustelids, rodents and feral cats
  • upgrade of the boundary fence to exclude all livestock from the Reserve
  • sustained control of key invasive weed species
  • revegetation planting in excess of 26,000 predominantly seral plant species
  • upgrade of recreational facilities
  • appointment of a full-time ranger in 2010
  • establishment of an invertebrate and lizard monitoring programme
  • establishment of tracking tunnel monitoring lines
  • release of 64 kiwi chicks into the Reserve.

A key initiative for the Trust has been implementing a ranger for the Reserve. The contract employment of Pete Mitchell has been a major step forward. The appointment of a ranger and the work of the Restoration Committee have enabled the Trust to put resources on the ground to achieve restoration results.

The second key initiative has been developing an education package for school children that assists schools and teachers in developing a school programme that focuses on the Bream Head Scenic Reserve. Refining NZ, the Northland Regional Council and the Trust’s Education Committee have been instrumental in developing and implementing this Resource.