Longbush Ecological Trust’s Seed Island project, aimed at transforming kānuka-mānuka scrubland into a diverse native forest, has received a $50,000 feasibility grant from Trust Tairāwhiti. The project addresses urgent needs for climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation and waterway restoration, particularly relevant following Cyclone Gabrielle.
Longbush Ecological Trust trustee Jennie Harre-Hindmarsh says the seed islands are clusters of native trees and shrubs, such as Kōwhai, Tōtara, Ngaio, and Karamū. Planting fruit and berry-bearing trees attracts birds to perch, feast, and disperse the seeds to remote, erodible land on the hillside. The goal is to accelerate the growth of native forests to help restore waterways, store carbon, and strengthen the whenua, offering an affordable alternative to planting pines.
In the first year of the project, partners conducted surveys and mapped the landscape to establish a framework for monitoring natural regeneration and creating a network of seed islands. Over the first two years, Ecoworks New Zealand planted 31 seed islands, totalling more than 1,000 native trees and shrubs.
The project's positive results are already evident at Waikereru Ecosanctuary. Diverse afforestation is underway, leading to the return of rare birds such as the Kārearea and Pōpokotea (Whitehead) and other rare species like the Rhytida Land Snail and the Woodworthia Gecko. Clusters of native plants have been found underneath trees where birds perch, further demonstrating the project’s early success.
Pest control and weed monitoring have become a focus this year, with plant experts on board to enhance these efforts.
"Controlling pests involves managing the ones that attack the birds spreading the seeds and the ones that browse the seedling plants we're planting in the seed islands. We've fenced the exterior of the ecosanctuary to prevent deer and goats from getting in, and we've also hired hunters to improve pest control. We're closely monitoring possums, too.
“Thankfully, we haven’t had as many issues with weeds engulfing the seed islands. This may be attributed to the careful selection of sites, as we avoid planting the islands in weed-prone areas,” says Jennie.
Longbush Ecological Trust plans to share the project’s findings with the wider community, including tamariki, iwi and the farming community through workshops.
Longbush Ecological Trust will receive the $50,000 grant from the Trust over three years. The project has also been supported by the Lottery Grants board.