Newsletter #69
Image: Grant Davey.
It is essential that gravel mining sites are returned to a natural braided state after operations cease.
Tēnā koutou,
Gravel extraction: We support the hard mahi of the many people at ECan trying to navigate outdated and often conflicting legislation and equally conflicting values in a rapidly changing climate. When it comes to gravel extraction on braided rivers, consenting processes in their current format do not consistently adhere to ECan’s stated goals. To this end, and in support of the Ashley Rakahuri’s submission (which you can read here), BRaid has submitted background material and a reply to certain statements made by Road Metals Co. Ltd to Environment Canterbury’s Catchment Sub-Committee. Specifically, Road Metals suggestion that conditions associated with the gravel extraction consenting process be reduced, and that ‘bird protection groups’ and others including LINZ, Forest & Bird and DOC, have ‘too much control and influence’ over ECan. See here if you want skip the context and go straight to our reply.
Planning a braided rivers symposium takes a bit of time. Covid has meant that we have not yet confirmed the venue and date. Thank you to those who have already offered to present on your activities or research. The format for this year will be three broad themes:
- Ecosystems / habitats
- Birds
- Threats: weeds and predators (we may expand this if there is a compelling paper on other threats)
If you would like to present, please send me a one-liner outlining your topic. This will help us develop what I hope will be once again a great symposium. If you would like to call to discuss your topic, please flick me a quick email and I’ll reply with my phone number.
Ngā mihi,
Sonny Whitelaw manager@braid.org.nz
Bird surveys:
- Opuha Water Ltd. kept a close eye on a colony of black-billed gulls that set up house on the lower weir of the Opuha Dam in November. In January, they reported 281 gulls including chicks and fledglings, with many adult gulls still nesting. The colony finished nesting by February 09 and moved on. A great outcome and one hopefully to be repeated this coming November.
News:
- Great story several years in the making: black-fronted tern protection in North Canterbury – Environment Canterbury
- Make your voices heard! Environment Canterbury is currently seeking your input on the draft Annual Plan 2022/23. These virtual (online) drop-in sessions are happening THIS MONDAY 21 March at 4.00pm and Tuesday 29 March.
- Reporting Rare and Unusual Species – New Zealand Bird Atlas
- Saving aquatic insects: We may be looking in the wrong place – University of Melbourne
- How Birds Make Colorful Feathers – Cornell Bird Academy
- How Do Gulls Deal With Cold Feet? – Cornell Lab (this is not ‘news’, but fascinating nonetheless)
- New Zealand is reviewing its outdated conservation laws. Here’s why we must find better ways of getting people on board – Sci Blogs
- The Detail: Are cats mostly pets or mainly predators? – Radio NZ/Stuff
- SPCA calls for comprehensive cat law reform – One News video report
- ‘The Flock’ at Selwyn Library – see the kids’ creative works
- Predator Free Backyard Communities Funding – PredatorFree NZ
- Share your flood photos! NIWA is seeking to expand their visual database
- The fascinating connection between Covid and floods in China – BBC
- The Rivers Group conference ‘Making Room for Rivers’ has officially been postponed. The new dates are 9 – 11th November 2022 (BRaid will be presenting at this conference).
Reports:
- Review of 6-year upper Rangitata River predator control project – Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research report for ECan
- BW-BW: The Ashley Rakahuri River’s last banded bird. Nick Ledgard reflects on the life and times of the wrybill known as BW-BW and why he’s been re-named BB.
- Catchment And Community Environment Groups In Aotearoa New Zealand: Goals, Activities And Needs: Cawthron Institute
- Knowing what’s out there: Regulating the environmental fate of chemicals: Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment
Research:
- Piersma et al; The Pacific as the world’s greatest theater of bird migration: Extreme flights spark questions about physiological capabilities, behavior, and the evolution of migratory pathways – Ornithology
- Harvey et al; Birds can transition between stable and unstable states via wing morphing – Nature
- Basu et al; Managing nitrogen legacies to accelerate water quality improvement – Nature Geoscience
- Chambers et al; Nitrate in drinking water and cancer risk: the biological mechanism, epidemiological evidence and future research, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health