Chapter 6

COMBINING EDUCATION WITH A GOOD DAY OUT

One of the fundamental objectives of Nga Manu Trust has always been to increase peoples’ awareness of New Zealand’s natural heritage. This was an aim not just restricted to school children and organised group visits; in fact, the people the Trust really wanted to reach were those who have little knowledge of, or interest in, the environment.  It was Peter’s conviction that if the Trust could create greater awareness of the pressures we are placing on the environment and the importance of preserving our threatened species amongst this group people, that it would it be a significant step in achieving this objective.

Many visitors come to Nga Manu primarily for entertainment rather than education. By using informative and engaging signage and labeling, visitors can be informed about the flora, fauna, ecological and geological features of the site while experiencing Nga Manu as a place of recreation and leisure.

Having signage professionally designed and produced was always beyond the Trust’s financial means, so most of the signage has been produced in-house. Over the years, improvement and increased affordability of computer and printing technology has greatly enhanced the Trust’s ability to produce attractive and descriptive signs at reasonable cost. With the purchase of a  laser printer in 1994, and using weather-proof adhesive paper, Peter and his team was able to produce cost-effective and durable plant labels identifying many of the plants at the Reserve.

Signs identifying and describing birds in aviaries and the other features at the Reserve have been more difficult to produce at an affordable cost. Many different methods were tried with varying degrees of success. One method was to use photos with explanatory text laminated on to a backing. This method showed some initial promise, but was expensive and the signage deteriorated quickly in the weather. Again, advances in technology was to help the Trust overcome this hurdle: with the purchase of a low-cost high-resolution colour printer, Peter and the team were able to create signs cost-effectively that could be amended or replaced quickly and easily to reflect developments at the Reserve. Creating signs in-house also meant that the team could utilise the extensive collection of plant and wildlife photographs taken by Peter.

CONSOLIDATION: ENTERING THE SECOND DECADE OF NGA MANU

The 1990s saw a significant increase in the number of visitors to the Reserve. This was due to a number of factors including improvements in the facilities and grounds, better signage, as well as publicity around the opening of the extended visitors centre, lookout tower and nocturnal house. This period also saw a change in visiting patterns: with a relative increase in weekday visitors in comparison to weekend visitors.

This trend suited the changes we had made in the information centre and tea rooms, as Chris Geale was able to manage visitor reception and admission duties as well as the tea-rooms and shop by herself for most of the week.  At weekends and during busy periods, one additional person working for half a day was enough to deal with the additional workload.

The early 1990s was a period of consolidation. There was little major development undertaken; rather, the focus was on the steady upgrading of the facilities and infrastructure. For instance, water supply was becoming a problem. To resolves this, the existing bore was upgraded and a new submersible pump installed.  Planting of the driveway continued over successive winters, assisted by the enthusiastic help of Wellington Rotary and the Wellington Branch of the Ornithological Society. However, in 1994 a very severe frost killed many of these trees and severely damaged a number of quite mature specimens that had been planted around the Reserve up to 12 years before; a reminder that nature is more powerful than any human endeavour.

Two new developments were put in place during this period: the walk in blue duck aviary and the tuatara display [do we have photos of these?].  Both of these were related to ongoing captive management programmes that the Trust were involved with.

Peter had always been intended that there would be a large walk-in aviary at the Reserve, but for number of reasons this project had never proceeded.  This project had been preceding by some experimentation with new materials. In 1991, Peter and the team had experimented with some netting material designed to keep birds out of orchards. A medium-sized aviary was constructed to trial this material and see if it was as good at keeping birds in as it was at keeping them out. The netting was woven from nylon, and there was some doubt about whether it would last in the strong wind and high UV levels, despite its 15 year guarantee.  However, the material had many advantages over traditional netting materials: it was light and easy to use, required little support, and could be stretched to mold around awkward angles and corners.

The aviary that was constructed was 10 metres by 5 metres, with the netting supported in the centre and at the corners by posts joined by tension wire.  Around the base was a low wooden wall on concrete foundations.  The structure took a couple of weeks to build but the netting (usually the biggest job on any aviary) was put in place in less than a day.  This aviary is used to keep and rehabilitate injured Harrier Hawk and has now been in place for nine years, it is showing no sign of  deterioration.

After this experimental aviary had been in place for two years and we had had a chance to assess it is success, we decided to build a second much larger aviary.  This new aviary was to hold our breeding pair of blue duck.

The blue duck aviary was constructed on a slope near the nocturnal house, and completed in 1993.  It was laid out with a small stream and waterfall and a large pond.  It was designed as a walk-in rather than a walk-through aviary.  This layout allows visitors to enter the aviary and observe the birds from a viewing area without a layer of netting spoiling their view.  This aviary was completed in 1993, but as the Reserve’s breeding pair of blue duck had begun nesting in their old aviary it was decided that this new aviary should hold a mixed collection of native birds.  Later these birds were joined by a young blue duck, the first that had been bred at the Reserve.

[Photo right: a blue duck in the wild. The species is endangered, and its populations now highly localised in the wild. Photo: Alan Reith, Department of Conservation]

Tuatara had been kept at Nga Manu since 1987 when two young Stephen’s Island tuatara were given to the Trust by the Department of Conservation. Later these young tuatara were joined by several more. These were initially kept in the Information Centre but problems with overheating during the summer necessitated a move out doors.  After the nocturnal house was completed some were kept inside the nocturnal house and others we had received were housed in small display enclosures in the nocturnal house foyer.

By 1994 they were beginning to out grow their enclosure and plans were made for a new large display enclosure.  This was constructed alongside the path leading up to the nocturnal house.  This enclosure is glass fronted to give visitors a good view of the tuatara.  It has a deep soil base banked up against the concrete block rear wall.  This enables the tuatara to dig deep burrows into which they can retreat if it gets too hot in the summer.

CHANGES TO THE BOARD

The Board of Nga Manu Trust underwent a number of changes during the early 1990s.  Ray Cleland was by this time living in Gore and was unable to attend many meetings, so in 1992, he resigned from the Trust Board after serving for a decade, during which time his knowledge and skills had proved the of great benefit to the Trust.

Professor John Salmon had been living in Taupo for several years and commuting to Wellington for meetings.  Towards the end of 1991 he advised that he could no longer continue to serve as chairman and trustee.  His resignation after 16 years on the Board, including the last fourteen as chairman, was reluctantly accepted by the Board. John Salmon had been an inspirational chairman, his depth of knowledge of New Zealand flora and his passion for its conservation, together with his skills as chairman, had enabled him to make an outstanding contribution to the Trust and to the development of the Nga Manu nature reserve.

To replace these Board members, in 1991 [?], Group Captain T. A. McL (Mac) Morgan was appointed chairman and Dr John Dawson was invited to join the Board as trustee. [It would be good to say something about both here]