Roosting pest birds at Lake Rotopiko near Ōhaupō are being given another incentive to move on and take their messy poo with them.
Volunteers help feed the chipper while clearing slash at Lake Rotopiko. Photo: supplied
Collaborative efforts involving Te Awamutu Rotary Club and the New Zealand Wetlands Trust have been given a boost by Te Awamutu-based Waipā Hire, which has sponsored an enormous chipper to help Rotary volunteers clear the slash underneath stands of kahikatea trees at the lake.
The pesky birds apparently don’t like the wind and experts hope areas of cleared slash will make it too breezy for the birds to roost.
A starling
Rotary has arranged three ‘feeding the beast’ sessions this month to remove the slash – August 2, 16 and 30.
Rotarian and environmental co-ordinator Stephen Cox said pole chainsaw have been used to clear the bottom six metres of the trees to help create an air flow aimed at deterring the roosting birds.
“The resultant mulch will also improve the kahikatea stand floor and will encourage the growth of newly planted natives that the birds cannot perch in.”
Cox said Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology and Wintec are monitoring the bird numbers so the outcomes of the ‘feed the beast’ exercise will be available later this year.
Slash under the stand of kahikatea trees before the chipping. Photo: supplied
Roosting birds have become increasingly problematic at Lake Rotopiko in recent years. A successful pest eradication problem resulted in pest birds – notably starlings and sparrows – arriving in their thousands each night. The amount of bird poo they leave behind creates high concentrations of nutrients that jeopardise wider restoration projects in the area.
A collaborative research project was launched in 2020 to look into the problem. Led by the National Wetland Trust and involving both Wintec and Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, it is the first study of its type. Also lending support is the Waipā District Council and Ngāti Apakura.
World Rotary president Gordon McInally toured the Lake Rotopiko wetland area when visiting New Zealand a few months ago from his home in Scotland.
Rotary International president Gordon McInally visits Lake Rotopiko.
