Author Archives: Friends of Tawa Bush

Know the native flora in Tawa reserves – Rewarewa- (from Gil Roper’s writings)

Rewarewa NZ Honeysuckle, Knightia excelsa A member of the protea family, the conical, vertical columns ascend 30 metres into the canopy layer and often above it. There are several tall trees in Redwood Bush with abundant seedlings growing. The leathery, elongated, dark green juvenile leaves have a prominent mid-rib and marginal teeth, and these leavesContinue reading “Know the native flora in Tawa reserves – Rewarewa- (from Gil Roper’s writings)”

Great turnout and talk from Capital Kiwi at the AGM 2025

Kiwi wow AGM! Those attending the April AGM were treated to a brief business session before guest speakers Paul Ward and Jeff Hall from Capital Kiwi gave a stunner of a presentation on the successful reintroduction of kiwi to the wild on the outskirts of Wellington. Trapping began in 2018 before the first of 206Continue reading “Great turnout and talk from Capital Kiwi at the AGM 2025”

Your Place

It’s not just Tawa’s 10 reserves that make up our natural environment – our conservation activities in our own home micro-reserves can also make a big difference What’s happening at your place? We’d love to share information on your activities – please send your contributions to newsletter@tawabush.org.nz Ongaonga, or native stinging nettle, is the onlyContinue reading “Your Place”

Busy potting up time in the nursery!

Recently a working bee was held at the Friends of Tawa bush nursery (by the Menz Shed in Oxford Street) and a great number of seedlings were potted on! Joanne advises that 125 Kōhūhū (black matipo), 60 Tītoki, 47 Tōtara, 31 Rewarewa  and 20 Kahikatea were all potted up, ready for their next growing phaseContinue reading “Busy potting up time in the nursery!”

Pest Control in Tawa Reserves -update 2025

In 2023 the following trap lines were added to our network, This has resulted in a four-fold increase to our catches in 2024 For comparison in 2022, prior to these trap lines being installed we caught a total of 273 pest animals (rats, mice and hedgehogs), this more than doubled in 2023 to 626, whileContinue reading “Pest Control in Tawa Reserves -update 2025”

Our threatened native Kōura

Kōura are found in native forest, exotic forest, and pastoral waterways, but very rarely in urban streams because of chemical pollution, increased flood flows from stormwater inputs, and degradation of habitat. They shelter between stones on gravelly bottoms but they can burrow into muddy bottoms and will burrow well down into swamps that dry outContinue reading “Our threatened native Kōura”

Help Save the Endangered Native Red Admiral Butterfly

Gary Beecroft article Header Photograph by permission from Moths and Butterflies of NZ Trust Red admirals were common in New Zealand until the 1930’s. Now they have disappeared from many parts of New Zealand and are rare in others. Why? – Because……. The Red Admiral caterpillar’s food source is the native Ongaonga nettle shrub (PhotographContinue reading “Help Save the Endangered Native Red Admiral Butterfly”

Forest of Tawa Planting Session

Following on from planting 1000 trees in Takapu Valley in June, the Friends of Tawa Bush Reserves held another planting session at the top of Forest of Tawa on Sunday 14 July. Joining Friends of Tawa Bush members, in the planting were representatives of the Ohariu Green Party, Port Nicholson Rotary Club, Port Nicholson Rotaract,Continue reading “Forest of Tawa Planting Session”