News From Our Fencing Team, June 2022

With dry summer weather and a release from lockdowns, we and our fabulous contractors have been able to get out on farms and successfully complete some awesome new fences! Two of these are located in the Kaipara Hills. The first property is a valley of agroforestry where the landowners have a mix of alternative forestry species and grazing land with the eventual plan of having stock in with the timber trees, growing together. Two sections of fence now exclude stock from the steep erodible heads of catchments which drain directly into the Hōteo river. These areas are now ready for planting.

Contractors loaded up and heading to the work site.

Finished section of fence with the Hōteo river at the bottom of the valley. This valley will be retired from grazing and allowed to regenerate with the help of some reveg planting.

The second fence is the result of a collaboration between The Forest Bridge Trust, Kaipara Moana Remediation (KMR), The Whitebait Connection (WBC) Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, and the landowner. This property borders the Hōteo river and has Inanga (whitebait) spawning areas along the riverbank. The new fence will exclude stock and have a positive effect on these whitebait spawning areas and directly reduce sedimentation entering the Kaipara Harbour. Well done and thank you to all involved!

New 4 wire fence excluding stock from grazing and trampling whitebait spawning areas along the riverbank.

River and whitebait spawning zones protected.

Please do get in touch at admin@theforestbridgetrust.org.nz if you’d like more information about how we may be able to help, Tim and Katie