Our Fullday walk ,20 kilometers we encounter many different associations of forest

From regenerating forest to mature 1200year old Kauri Trees.

Agnes from the California USA was amazed at the fruit in the forest.

Bush Lawyer (Rubus cissoides) is a vine that climbs trees,it is very stout and thick.

It flowers September to November,then Fruits November to April.

At the moment the fruit is in abundance.

Puketi Forest birds have more fruit available through the predator control

being undertaken in the forest.

Forest to the sea

The Kaka.(Nestor Meridionaus) is a noisy and sociable bird of the forest.They live mostly on New Zealands off shore Islands.Numbers are low.Their call resembles a creaky door,can live up to 20 years.2 species are found  one in the North and one in the South Island. North island has olive-brown plumage,South Island brighter green and crimson plumage and almost white crown.They eat nector,fruit ,berries,sap,seeds,insects and grubs. They breed in September,laying average 4 white eggs in a hollow tree or branch.Very vulnerable to predators. They have been seen in the Puketi Forest, a colony of nine birds have been residing in private land not far from thePuketi.With all the conservation work being undertaken in the forest they may in time find it a very safe place to Breed.

Yesterday 30 Robins were flown by helicopter from there home in the wild to the Puketi forest.They were met by members of the Puketi forest trust and volunteers .These birds will add more bird song the forest,bring the number of Robins back to where it was once in the forest.

A good number of interested people came to the field day held on our property.

The Council has an environmental subsidy available to all land owners in Northland.

Topics of the day were from trapping predators to fencing off sensitive and significant areas, be it forest or wetlands. We are in our first year of trapping predators, after two years of fencing rivers, wetlands and areas of forest.

Bird life is on the increase espescially the kiwi.

Our Kiwi monitoring has seen the number of calls are up on last year. All in all the field day was succesfull.