Wow – What a night!!
The Environment Southland team of Shaun Cunningham, Ali Meade and Tom Harding organised a great community biodiversity night on Saturday 30th September here at the Education Centre. Around 40 people came to see what goes on in the night. The neighbours must have thought some strange pagan festival was happening as strange murmurings, light traps and spotlights lit the air!
But first, some interesting talks - Marie Haley from the Banks Peninsular Conservation Trust talked about a restoration project on a grand scale, Estelle Leask on the fabulous work happening at Motopohue/Bluff Hill, Brenton Wilson from DOC showing off the “Walk the Line” pest trapping App and Catriona Gower the batwoman from the Catlins – enthusing us all to go out and survey for bats in our local areas. Ian Davidson Watts another bat expert from Gore was also on hand with his bat loggers set up previously on the edge of Rances Bush. Lloyd Esler had set up a light trap in the paddock and we all crowded around to see what had been attracted – a surprising number of moths for a cool early spring night. Then a walk around the pond on a wonderful calm starry night with bat loggers. Although we didn’t detect any bats on the night – watch this space!
And then there was the excellent food delivered from “Food at Clifton” - http://foodatclifton.co.nz/ which had everyone gathering, networking and sharing information and having a really good catch up with like-minded people. The fact that people stayed well beyond the official finish time shows just how valuable such events are.
Now we are all ready for the Bioblitz at Daffodil Bay, Sandy Point on Saturday 14 October 2017 – 10am-4pm. For more information contact Environment Southland biodiversity programme coordinator Ali Meade on 0800 76 88 45
Chris
Posted: 2 October 2017