A presentation by Suzi Phillips on her studies of the food and movements of Kaka in the wider Auckland region.

Date: Friday 6th March 2009
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: 180 Landing Road, Kerikeri

Presented by the Far North Branch of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Entry: Members FREE, Non-members $2

For more information contact:

Carol or Detlef Davies on 09 407 3874

He's been called an Indiana Jones of the spirit. You may know him simply as a man behind the counter in the Kaitaia library or as a voice behind the microphone at Doubtless Bay Family Radio. He's an author too.

Meet the Author and Book Signing

Join John Haines at 10.00am on Thursday, March 12th, at the Bakerman: Bakery, Café and Pizzeria in Mangonui, as he speaks about his recently released book, In Search of Simplicity, and describes his journey thus far in self-publishing in today's world. This will be a talk of interest to all.

A book signing follows at Mangonui Stationary beginning at 10.30am. If that doesn't suit, join John at 10.00am on Saturday, March 14th, at Paper Plus in Kaitaia or at 10.30am at Paper Plus in Kerikeri on Saturday, March 21st. The book is available for purchase in all three stores.

Free gift for each attendee

Every now and then a book comes along with the power to transform the lives of its readers. In Search of Simplicity has the ability to do just that. It is an autobiographical travel adventure story that reads like a novel. Over the years, when the author has told some of the synchronistic stories that are now contained within the book, listeners began to have (or at least to notice) magical happenings in their own lives.

For additional information including excerpts and video trailer visit:

www.insearchofsimplicity.com

Praise for In Search of Simplicity

"Like an innocent child, John Haines lures us to join him in awesome wonder at life's beauty, magic and mystery. His enlightened temperament oozes on every page into a simple philosophy that life has good, everywhere."

Roselyn DeGaris, Adelaide, Australia

"...interesting, captivating and thought provoking ...a great read and a great author. You won't and can't put it down!"

Jenny Hamberger, Doubtless Bay

"As modern society takes us further away from simple living, the message in this book brings us back to what matters most, by reminding us that ‘simplicity' is available at any time when we are prepared to open our hearts and minds and engage fully with the world around us. In this way, being present to each moment reconnects us with the preciousness of life."

Suzanne Stewart, Buddhist practitioner, Wellington

In Search of Simplicity is the author's true, exciting and serendipitous journey through the wilds of Papua New Guinea, the Himalayas, around the planet and into the heart of life guaranteed to change the way you see the world and so-called coincidences.

The timely themes woven through the easy to read narrative include the power of coincidence; ecological, social and economic responsibility; and personal awakening.

In today's uncertain world of financial disarray, global warming and seemingly endless war, many feel powerless in their ability to create positive change personally, nationally and globally.

In Search of Simplicity provides answers to this dilemma of uncertainty. It points the way for each reader to find the life of their deepest longing, a life of simplicity and self assurance, while enjoying a rollicking good read.

3 March 2009

NIWA scientists have discovered that nearly all snapper on the west coast of the North Island come from nurseries in just one harbour.

Juvenile snapper, near artificial seagrass habitats. [Credit: Crispin Middleton, NIWA]

Snapper is New Zealand’s largest recreational fishery, and one of the country’s largest coastal commercial fisheries with an annual export value of $32 million (2008).

But in recent years some stocks have failed to recover from historical overfishing, with some commercial catch quotas for snapper being cut recently to protect the species.

In 2003, NIWA scientists collected juvenile snapper from seven estuaries along the west coast of the North Island.

By testing their ear bones (otoliths) for eight different chemical elements, scientists were able to create a ‘chemical signature’ to identify which estuary the fish came from.

Four years on, a sample of 140 adult snapper was collected from commercial catches, from Ninety Mile Beach to Mana Island in Wellington.

The analysis of these snapper using the ‘chemical signatures’ established is now complete. The scientists found that 98 percent of the adult snapper were originally juveniles from Kaipara Harbour.

A juvenile snapper found near biogenic habitat, formed mainly of ‘dead man’s fingers’ (soft corals) attached to a horse mussel. [Credit: Kerry Webster]

NIWA Fisheries Ecologist Dr Mark Morrison said the discovery is a significant breakthrough for scientists working on ways to maintain and potentially increase snapper and other fisheries stocks.

“These findings show how fragile some New Zealand snapper and other coastal fish stocks could be. It highlights the importance of protecting natural habitats, like Kaipara Harbour.”

“Any negative impacts on the production of juvenile fish in the harbour will cascade through into a much larger coastal ecosystem, ultimately having a huge effect on the abundance of fish over a 700-kilometre coastline,” Dr Morrison says.

Kaipara Harbour is under threat from human activities – particularly land uses which causes sedimentation, eutrophication, and changes in water quality. These effects can all damage the biogenic (living) nursery habitat of snapper (usually seagrasses and horse mussel beds). It is likely other west coast harbours were also once important nurseries.

NIWA is now working on ways to restore and recover the habitats. This work includes using artificial seagrass habitats to understand why the fish value that environment, as well as the possible consequences on snapper numbers if the habitat was lost or destroyed.

Early indications from a recent experiment in Whangapoua Estuary, Coromandel, suggest a strong positive correlation between increasing seagrass blade densities and juvenile snapper (and other fish species) abundance. Reductions in seagrass blade densities are a sign of environmental degradation of seagrass meadows, which may reduce their value to small fish.

“Now that we know more about where the important nurseries are, we need to know why snapper larvae settle there, and how we can stop degradation of their habitat. Our aim is to be able to advise coastal resource managers on the likely consequences of different habitat management to fish stocks so that we can ensure that recreational, customary, and commercial fishing can continue in the future.”

Funding for this research comes from the Foundation of Research, Science and Technology, the New Zealand Biodiversity Fund, and the Ministry of Fisheries.

For more information, contact:

Dr Mark Morrison, Fisheries Ecologist, NIWA
Tel: + 64 9 375 2063
m.morrison@niwa.co.nz

A reminder that there will be a:

WORK DAY at Tokerau Beach DOC Reserve.
Sunday 1 March from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

The weather forecast is looking grim for tonight, but hopefully the storm will have passed over by Sunday morning. If we decide to cancel there will be a message on the FNEC phone from 8 am Sunday, so call 4081086 for an update before heading to the beach.

Gather at the end of Simon Urlich Road, at the entrance to the Dune Reserve area. Soozee will explain the Plan of Attack which will encompass 2 areas. One area with a patch of Cape Honeyflower will be tackled by organic methods while a second area will be controlled via cutting and painting stumps with herbicide. The organic/manual methods will require return visits to control regrowth, but herbicided area will need similar returns to deal to seedlings, so this will create an interesting trial of comparative methods.

Bring:

• Overalls or similar tough clothing
• Sturdy footwear
• Hat, sunscreen
• Drink

We will supply loppers, gloves and handsaws but bring own tools if preferred.

A BBQ lunch will be supplied by DOC.

If weather stops play, work day will be rescheduled to March 15. Check www.ecocentre.co.nz for updates, or call Soozee on 4081086

The Far North Environment Centre is proud to launch a unique environmental photographic competition:

Far North Exposure, Our Environment through the Lens

The photo competition is a celebration of the environment and the arts, connecting our schools and communities with inspiring imagery of environmental issues of our time and in our district.

The competition theme is simple: "The power of a photo: Our Far North Environment". A picture is worth a thousand words, so the winning photos may be a simple landscape, a detail of our natural world, or an image that reveals an aspect of human impact on our environment. It is your vision and image, so we will leave it to your imagination.

Far North Exposure is divided into four age categories, and a Category Winner will be selected from each of the categories. Each of the Category Winners will win one of four Nikon Coolpix L16 digital cameras. So they can enjoy using their new camera in our amazing environment, each Category Winner will also win seven nights of camping for a family of five at a Far North Department of Conservation campsite.

One Grand Prize Winner will be selected from the Category Winners. The Grand Prize Winner will also be able to use a $100 gift voucher to select from the fantastic range of native plants and gardening products available from the Trees Company nursery.

Entry is free and the competition opened today (26th February), so get out there and start snapping! You can enter up to four photos, and each photo needs to have been taken within the Far North District, between 26th February 2009 and 1st May 2009. Entries must be received by 4pm on 1st May 2009. For more information on how to enter Far North Exposure check out the Far North Environment Centre's website (www.ecocentre.co.nz/whatson/photo/), pop into the Environment Centre at 190 Pukepoto Road in Kaitaia, or call 09 408 1086. Digital photos can be submitted by email to: photo@ecocentre.co.nz

The winning and runner up photos from Far north Exposure will be exhibited at a number of events around the Far North as a way of celebrating World Environment Day (5th June).

Far North Exposure would not be possible without the kind support of the Department of Conservation, Far North District Council, More FM, Top Print, and Trees Company.

From the Doubtless Bay Marine Protection Group:

Attached are the minutes of a meeting held (10th Feb) in the Bay of Islands on the upcoming Marine Protected Areas (MPA) forum for our bioregion - this area runs from East Cape to North Cape and down to Ahipara.

The forum to decide on MPAs for our bioregion is expected to have a chairperson and up to 14 members to make decisions for, and represent everyone in this region and 10 sector groups, including tangata whenua, commercial, recreational and environmental interests.

The expectation is that within 3 years we will be establishing these MPAs and the amount of consultation looks like being one public meeting in each area (budgetary restraints!!!!!!!). For more information on now the MPA process will work, click here.

MPA meeting BOIMP_10Feb2009.pdf

In response, we need to make our own decisions before things are imposed on us by the bureaucrats in Wellington. This reinforces the urgency for anyone concerned to fill in the questionnaire in the Doubtless Bay Marine Protection Groups discussion document:

DBMPG_questionaire.pdf

If you don't have a copy of the supporting discussion document it can be found on our website - www.livingseadoubtlessbay.org.nz

Please send the completed questionnaire to:

Doubtless Bay Marine Protection Group
Te Roopu Whakahauora o Tokerau
PO Box 503
Kaitaia 0441

Thanks for your participation

Doubtless Bay Marine Protection Group

WORK DAY at Tokerau Beach DOC Reserve

Celebrate the Start of Sea Week With the Far North Environment Centre

Sunday 1st March from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Gather at the end of Simon Urlich Road, at the entrance to the Dune Reserve area. Soozee will explain the Plan of Attack which will encompass 2 areas. One area with a patch of Cape Honeyflower will be tackled by organic methods while a second area will be controlled via cutting and painting stumps with herbicide. The organic/manual methods will require return visits to control regrowth, but herbicided area will need similar returns to deal to seedlings, so this will create an interesting trial of comparative methods.

Please bring:

• Overalls or similar tough clothing

• Sturdy footwear

• Hat, sunscreen

• Drink

We will supply loppers, gloves and handsaws but bring own tools if preferred.

A BBQ lunch will be supplied by DOC.

If weather stops play, work day will be rescheduled to March 15. Check www.ecocentre.co.nz for updates, or call Soozee on 4081086

DOUBTLESS BAY MARINE PROTECTION GROUP
Inc.Soc.
Te Roopu Whakahauora o Tokerau
Minutes of meeting held 2nd Feb 2009 7pm Taipa School Science Block
Present John Mathews, Bryce Smith, Anthea Goodwin, Philippa Moran, John
Kenderdine, Stephen Tansey, Yvonne Steinemann, Richard Robbins, Mary Ralph,
Dwayne Walsh.
Apologies
Andre Kunz
John Mathews opened the evening with a prayer at 7.15pm
Bryce spoke of the seasonal variations from Tangaroa - looks like a long season of fat kina – good for us and good for the snapper – all good for our stomachs
Mary talked about the start of her project and looked at the number of game fish caught last year compared to 1937. There were 3 times the number caught last year
Questions were on what were the factors involved.
Discussion on MSY (maximum sustainable yield) and how this was perceived at local level – it seems that local level of what fish stocks are and that local knowledge is important and outside visitors have not done so well, in catching fish this summer.
Paul Hyland was commended for his attitudes to conservation - awareness seems to be growing.
Minutes of last meeting
Yvonne skimmed thru minutes
Matters Arising
Mary Ralph’s supervisor is not a paid position, only expenses paid – any info from Mary’s work is for the DBMPG to look after on behalf of community and could go into National Oral history archives.
Discussion on ownership rights of interviews and the idea that perhaps we could make sure that all info is available freely – either on CD or ? to return to the interviewees –
the info from Maori is part of the commons knowledge. John Popata’s contact details were given to Mary so she could follow up to see if they could do some work together as they are both looking at oral history in the area.
Questions for Mary to consider during interviews - Back River road and changes to Paewhenua island - harbour changes - water quality, mangrove distribution – land use – who and where people used to live.
Original tapes from Leane’s interviews to be made available to Mary.
Discussion about where some of our material is – Habitat document and Muriwhenua fishing report to be found.
Bryce is offering to archive our material.Everyone is asked to bring whatever they have which could be useful for our archives.
CDs and DVDs were unearthed and discussed – Stephen has all old oral history tapes and will put them onto CDs
3 copies of contracts from Mary were presented to be signed – between host and Mary and Royal Society. Richard has looked at contract and is OK with it.
Maturahurahu wants to talk to DOC at a group meeting to define our relationship so as to be able to decide whether DBMPG has the hapu’s support.
Yvonne wants to restate our independence as a community led group and our objectives.
Moved by Yvonne – we reiterate that we are a community based organisation aiming and to work with whanau, hapu, iwi, and community and are independent of all govt organisations but appreciate and accept their support when appropriate. 2nd Anthea – passed by all except Bryce and John Mathews who abstained until they have discussed the situation with DoC. Consequently we want a DoC rep at next meeting to discuss this issue.
The issue of putting in an application for a MR was discussed
April was suggested as a cut off for responses to the questionnaire. Do we want an application for a MR at our next meeting?
Yvonne says to look at getting a 100 response and then we can take a bolder step towards what we want.
AMA applications are being pushed and we need to be prepared .
Anthea passed around a newspaper clipping covering Wade Doak’s suggestion for marine protected areas – we will look at getting this in the DB Times??
Richard Edmundson (reporter) could be useful for publicity – he has been interested in the past in our activities.
A number of people advised that they are interested in attending BOI. MPA forum meeting on the 10th Feb – Philippa to liaise with those interested in going.
Time line for action - 1st April as cut off for questionnaire returns.
Bryce will have an application for MR at next meeting.
Friday 10th April is start of school hols and we will look at a group picnic. (to be followed up)
Thank you letters to launch day participants to be written by Philippa.
Documents with questionnaires to be distributed to schools - Mary to do Mangonui School, Bryce to do Oruaiti School, Yvonne to do Peria School, Dwayne to get something in school newsletter at Taipa.
Chase up details for Seaweek - 1st March start.
Need to push each source where documents were left
Jet ski problems were discussed after a request from a member of the public to try and control their nuisance level. It was noted that ski lane is not being used or enforced - rules to be looked at to see what should be enforced.
Estuaries state discussed and what can be done - water quality upstream is main issue – described as disgusting cesspool in some places. Council looking at opening all estuaries river mouths into Doubtless Bay – issue is to
support their discharge consent.
Bryce blessed the group and meeting ended at 9.10pm
Next meeting - 7pm Monday,23rd Feb.