Wetland Warriors: Leading the way in conservation and education

PICTURED: RYLA participants clear inkweed from last year’s Swamp Comprosa planting at Rotopiko Wetlands.

At Rotopiko Wetland, the Rotary Club of Te Awamutu and the National Wetland Trust are joining forces to restore nature, protect biodiversity and educate the next generation on the vital role wetlands play in our environment.

By Stephen Cox
Environmental Spokesman, Rotary Club of Te Awamutu, NZ

Rotopiko is a peat lake and semi-swamp forest near Ōhaupō in New Zealand’s Waikato Region, where the National Wetland Trust manages a major wetland restoration and education centre. The Wetland Trust is collaborating with the Rotary Club of Te Awamutu, NZ, which has provided voluntary support at Rotopiko over the past three years. All mammalian pests and grazing stock have been removed from within a pest fence enclosing 10ha of the reserve complex, which is being re-vegetated and enhanced with visitor facilities.

Wetlands are of cultural and spiritual significance in New Zealand. Traditionally, and still today, they provide food, harakeke (flax) for weaving, and other materials for rongoā (medicine), building and craft use.

Wetlands also support a greater diversity of native birds, fish, invertebrates and plants than most other habitats. They have extremely high recreational value and perform vital ecosystem services such as improving water quality and reducing flood risks. They are also essential in managing climate change. Healthy peat bogs are year-round sinks of two to five tonnes of carbon per hectare – locking it up in their soil indefinitely.

A significant ecological problem has emerged from the effects of exotic birds, which shelter in their thousands overnight and leave waste/droppings behind when they depart.

Trial cameras, sound recording equipment and strobe lighting has been installed, and the behaviour of sparrows and starlings is being monitored. This will allow decisions to be made regarding altering the roost bird behaviour and reducing the harmful build-up of guano and its effect on water quality and visitor enjoyment at Rotopiko.

Rotary volunteers have helped with pest surveillance, native plantings, the construction of viewing benches for visitors to the site and, most recently, the development of an online junior science education resource.

The resource includes six posters and two worksheets that will be available to schools when studying wetlands and visiting Rotopiko.

The posters are now a feature of the Wetlands Discovery Centre and help generate activities and meaningful discussion.

PICTURED: The Rotary Club of Te Awamutu has developed an online junior science education resource for schools visiting Rotopiko Wetlands. The resource includes six posters, which are also displayed at the Wetlands Discovery Centre to help generate activities and meaningful discussion.

The posters cover the following topics:

• What are wetlands?
• What do wetlands do?
• Why are wetlands important to Ngāti Apakura?
• The predator proof fence, keeping the pesky predators out!
• Why do we need to have predator-proof fences?
• What is Rotopiko?
• The downloadable work sheets are entitled ‘Wetland Wonders’ and ‘Uncovering the Secrets of Wetlands’ and relate to the posters

The Rotary Club of Te Awamutu and the National Wetland Trust continue to work together and are planning to assist with further native planting sessions.

The Rotary Club of Te Awamutu hosts RYLA sessions on an annual basis, under the theme ‘Environmental Service; Leadership in Action’.

This year, the RYLA team completed a bird monitoring exercise, checked the predator proof fence for any intrusions, monitored the tracking tunnels and found signs of skinks, wetas and the odd mouse… but, fortunately, no rats!

The group then ‘released’ the previous year’s Swamp Comprosa planting from inkweed infestation.

This was very much appreciated by the Rotopiko management.