Newsletter June 2023

FOBC recently attended and gave their input to a workshop facilitated by Wai Wanaka and held at the Lake Wanaka Centre on 14 June. Over 50 people representing a broad range of environmental groups and government agencies (ORC and DOC) from the UC Catchment Area attended. An UC Community Board member, Linda Joll, also attended.

Overall the workshop was very well run, but at this stage, the Draft Strategy is in a very early stage of development. The most impressive aspect of the Workshop was the turnout and level of engagement of the attendees.

Further Background about the workshop:

An expert reference group, led by Emeritus professor David Norton, has produced a draft Biodiversity Strategy, and is seeking input and feedback from those working in the UC Biodiversity space. [ Also see a copy of the powerpoint presentation here.]

The overall objective of the strategy is to sustain and enhance our unique native biodiversity by:

  • co-ordinating and prioritising the efforts of the many organisations and individuals restoring, maintaining, protecting and enhancing the indigenous biodiversity of the Upper Clutha,

  • connecting residents and visitors to our unique biodiversity, increasing their knowledge and encouraging them to get involved,

  • assisting with funding applications by connecting work in with larger strategy,

  • and providing learning opportunities.

    By the end of this workshop the aim was to have:

  • Feedback and input from a large number of the community involved in environmental activities,

  • Agreed priorities for the management goals,

  • Ideas for communicating the strategy once finalised.

FOBC is continuing to strengthen its connections with environmental groups and agencies, particularly those with expertise in the urban space. In accordance with our charter we continue to work and advocate for the restoration and enhancement of Bullock Creek and the preservation of its water quality into the future.

We are looking forward to seeing the next draft of the proposed strategy. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any input on this proposed strategy or you would like to be involved in the process.

 

A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY …FROM 30 YEARS AGO

NOTE from Andy : Please excuse the poor quality of the video production, I just took photos of the pages on the mobile phone and stitched them together!

Jenny Moss recently gifted Roger Gardiner with a couple of school project books detailing a school adventure down Bullock Creek in 1993.

Please let us know if you recognise any of the young people in the photos…now 30 years on! And while you’re at it please forward any worthy historical or recent images you may have of Bullock Creek and we’ll keep them in our archives!

 

There’s koura in the creek!

Freshwater koura in Bullock Creek

A note from Andy Oxley- our NEW Admin Assistant

“Bullock Creek never ceases to surprise! As the new gal on the block, I wasn't sure whether seeing a koura was a big deal, so I checked with Paul van Klink our Fish & Game expert and he confirmed that he had never seen one before.”

“A keen eyed resident on Bullock Creek spied this beauty and kindly sent FOBC some images and footage. Intrigued, i forwarded these images to Professor Gerry Closs - Zoology Dept. at the University of Otago to see what he thought and also to add the sightings to the Otago freshwater fauna database.”

From: Gerard Closs <gerry.closs@otago.ac.nz>
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2023 1:53 PM
To: FOBC Incorporated <info@fobc.kiwi>
Subject: Fwd: Kōura

 Hi Andy

Here are the records on the Freshwater Fish Database for koura in Bullock Creek. It does look like the koura in Bullock Creek are the only ones in the Wanaka area. Is that significant???  Hard to say, given that koura have been moved around quite widely. People keep them as pets and then let them go. Māori moved them around for food as well.

So, I’d say interesting, potentially a bit significant, but also not that surprising as they do turn up regularly in odd places. That said, nice to have a population in Wānaka.

All the best

Gerry

Begin forwarded message:

From: Ryan Easton <ryan.easton@postgrad.otago.ac.nz>
Subject: RE: Kōura
Date: 19 June 2023 at 11:30:41 AM NZST
To: Gerard Closs <gerry.closs@otago.ac.nz>
Kia ora Gerry,

 So there are only two records for bullock creek in the database, both in 2019, with ORC doing hand netting and Wildlands e-fishing. ORC recorded koaro only, and Wildlands koaro, brown trout and rainbow trout. No records of koura anywhere close to Wanaka

Cheers,

Ryan

“Interesting stuff - hey?!?”

Don’t hesitate to snap & send us a photo of anything that you think we might find interesting in and around Bullock Creek.

FOBC Trust