Thursday, 15 February 2024 10:55

From grazed valley to a lush wetland

Written by  Staff Reporters
Underwood Wetland celebrated on World Wetland Day, attendees tour the wetland. Underwood Wetland celebrated on World Wetland Day, attendees tour the wetland.

The completion of the second stage of an ambitious project to rewild a once grazed Northland valley into a lush wetland has been celebrated with an event to mark World Wetlands Day this month.

The Underwood Wetland project near Dargaville commenced seven years ago in 2017 with an opening ceremony attended by then Associate Minister for Conservation, Nicky Wagner. The project has been a partnership led by Fish & Game New Zealand, and protects an area of precious native forest, wetland and river flats.

The 342ha area includes remnant kauri, hardwood forest and wetland, and river flats containing scatterings of kahikatea.

The land was purchased from local farmers David and Gloria Underwood by a $600,000 grant from the Nature Heritage Fund with $55,000 from the Northland Fish & Game Council for survey costs in 2016.

Three hundred hectares of the native forest was then classified as scenic reserve to be administered by the Department of Conservation. The remaining 40ha of grassed valley floor and surrounds was vested to Northland Fish & Game Council as Local Purpose Reserve for the development of a wetland.

Access work to create public tracks and to allow machinery into the property began in 2016. A series of ponds starting from the head of the valley were created as Stage 1 of the project. This was followed by a second stage in 2022, which saw a 210m long and 4m high bund wall created to block the valley floor and flood it, creating over 5ha of open water and vegetated shallows. It now features almost 10ha of pools and ponds with the remaining area being remnant native forest, native plantings, grassland and newly created access tracks.

The development work for the wetland has primarily been funded by $122,000 from the Northland Fish & Game Council and the Game Bird Habitat Trust, who gave $137,900 to fund the project.

This totals $259,900 of money derived from the sale of hunting licences going directly back into the creation of wildlife habitat.

Costs for access to the property were shared with the Department of Conservation, and grants for plantings have also been received from Kaipara Moana Remediation and the One Billion Trees Programme for native plantings. Planting work has been completed by Fish & Game staff as well as a significant volunteer effort from hunters and other supporters of the project.

More like this

CAT's 100th anniversary

While instantly recognised as the major player in construction equipment, Caterpillar Inc, more commonly known as CAT, has its roots set in the farming regions in the west of the United States.

Featured

Editorial: Climate dilemma

OPINION: The farming sector, or at least some parts of it, are preparing for a battle with the Government over its latest international climate change target.

Certainty welcomed

There's been very little reaction to the government science reform announcement, with many saying the devil will be in the detail.

Science 'deserves more funding'

A committee which carried out the review into New Zealand's science system says the underinvestment will continue to compromise the country's future.

National

FE survey underway

Beef + Lamb NZ wants farmers to complete a survey that will shed light on the financial toll of facial…

Top dairy CEO quits

Arguably one of the country's top dairy company's chief executives, Richard Wyeth has abruptly quit Chinese owned Westland Milk Products…

DairyNZ seeks more cash

For the first time in 17 years, DairyNZ wants farmers to contribute more cash to run the industry-good organisation.

Machinery & Products

New home for JCB Agriculture

Power Farming has announced a new chapter in its partnership with JCB, which having represented the UK-based company’s construction equipment…

CAT's 100th anniversary

While instantly recognised as the major player in construction equipment, Caterpillar Inc, more commonly known as CAT, has its roots…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Ruth reckons

OPINION: Ruth Richardson, architect of the 1991 ‘Mother of all Budgets’ and the economic reforms dubbed ‘Ruthanasia’, added her two…

Veg, no meat?

OPINION: Why do vegans and others opposed to eating meat try to convince others that a plant based diet is…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter