Alice Eaves Bush News

David Neighbourly Lead from Orewa

With the closure of Alice Eaves Bush because of kauri dieback and limitations imposed by the Covid 19 pandemic, it has been difficult for the Friends of Alice Eaves members to accomplish much in the park over the last year.
However, last Saturday the group was able to clean up the area around the entrance to the park on Hillcrest Road. Weeds and rubbish were removed and a general tidy-up of the area was carried out.
The bridge at the entrance to the park off Old North Road was sprayed to remove mould and algae.
Once the new bridge at Kensington is completed the group hopes to carry out track clearing at the western end of the park along the Nukumea Stream.
Other activity in the park includes water testing and pest trapping.
Water quality testing of the Nukumea Stream is carried out each month. There was some concern over a blockage of the stream near the bridge on Hibiscus Highway.
Significant rain was needed to clear this blockage. Significant rainfall is something we have not had in this area for quite some time.
However, the limited rain that has fallen has been enough to clear the blockage and the stream is now running freely.
Scientists from Whitebait New Zealand regularly inspect the Nukumea stream for evidence of inanga and giant kokopu spawning but this just doesn't appear to be occurring.
Traplines are maintained in Eaves Bush and surrounding areas. A few possums have been caught and the limited disappearance of bait from bait stations suggests a fairly lengthy history of trapping has pest numbers reasonably under control.

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