This cheery story tells how Aucklanders have helped expand kokako numbers in Pureora from 7 pairs in 1995 to over 1000 today. Jean and Keith are well known for working at Maungawhau, Meola catchment and across Auckland as “moth plant weeders”. Thanks to the dedicated members of Auckland Tramping Club whose fight against pest plants and animals is an inspiring example to us, and also to all the people who will benefit from seeing and interacting with rare kokako in the future. See more about North Island kokako here.
STEPS has a vision for a mountain to sea pathway along Waitītiko Meola Creek, free of pests and populated by local wildlife. Our volunteers carry out weeding and trapping to make this possible. Members and new volunteers are welcome.
Ecological restoration work involves a lot of weeding. Hand weeding is how gems such as the Withiell Thomas rock forest fragment and the rock forest on Roy Clements Treeway have been helped back to being beautiful natural areas which are now seeding and growing in a ‘natural state’.
STEPS has had two regular weekly weeding sessions running for the past 2-3 years. One is at Roy Clements Treeway, Mt Albert on Wednesday afternoon. The other is in the rock forest lining the creek towards Point Chev where these cygnets were spotted last week.
Black Swans – Waitītiko Meola 7 Nov 2019
We can always do with more helpers. Little experience is needed as training is provided and the work is not arduous. Each session lasts 1-2 hours. Please contact us via this site if you are interested in coming along once or more regularly.
STEPS will take you on a journey through the catchment of the Meola Waitītiko. The creek has a varied history – wetlands have changes to wasteland and back again, sections have been derelict and are now prized, and some parts are still lost.
We will start from the summit of Ōwairaka / Mount Albert and end at Meola Reef Te Tokaroa, where the creek meets the Waitematā Harbour. Along the way, we will visit reserves, rock forest, bush, roads and walkways, always with the stream nearby.
Walk 1: Sunday 20 October. Meet at Mt Albert Owairaka Summit Trig Station 0930.
Walk 2: Sunday 27 October. Meet at Western Springs Garden Community Hall 0930.
We welcome families and people with an interest in the history and state of the largest catchment on the Auckland isthmus. See more details at Waititiko/Meola Creek Mountain to Sea Walk
