I was sorry to see yet another special tree in the limelight recently, the ancient pohutukawa nicknamed "Archy", whose limb makes a much-loved natural archway over the Cutting, a steep winding road leading to Karekare. Four generations of my family have camped near this special tree and it has become a landmark for locals and visitors.
The Waitakere Ranges are rich in ecological heritage, and this ancient pohutukawa "arch" has a community of epiphytic plants living on it, including a crimson rata, Metrosideros carminea, which is rare to the area.
"Archy" has caught the attention of Auckland Transport for being too low for its blanket height limit of 4.5m for trees overhanging roads. The threat to cut the offending limb has raised the ire of many and another Facebook campaign is under way.
It was fantastic to see Auckland Transport come to the party after public pressure to save a number of mature pohutukawa at Western Springs, and I'm sure there are ways around this latest "tree-versus-road" story.
A simple idea would be to prop up the living arch with a little engineering prowess. Visitors understand this is a sensitive location, and an alternative route to Karekare exists. As my location-manager friend who regularly sends overheight vehicles to Karekare said: "'Easy rule of thumb, down the Cutting in summer, and around Lone Kauri Rd in winter when the sodden rata weighs it down. Put a sign up at Lone Kauri/Piha intersection and be done."
The Good News - Joining The (Green) Dots
Fortunately plenty of great initiatives are happening around the country, including a combined effort in the Auckland region that is starting to pay off. The Northwest Wildlink is a real good news story.
This green corridor extends from West Auckland's Waitakere Ranges to the Hauraki Gulf in the east. The intention is to provide continuous habitat for wildlife, to connect restored waterways and existing forest remnants. This will also help to keep fragmented bird populations genetically viable.
Auckland Council, DOC and Forest and Bird joined forces to launch the project in 2006. The combined effort includes iwi, private landowners, schools, community, environment groups and other government departments. A couple of new motorway developments north of Auckland have also played a part, and large plantings provide "strategic habitat" along State Highways 16 and 18.
West Auckland's Project Twin Streams' restoration work, Paremoremo's Ecological Corridor and Lucas Creek Bush, Redvale, Tuff Crater and Raroa Reserve in Whangaparaoa are all part of the Wildlink. At either end, at Ark in the Park out west and on offshore islands Motutapu and Tiritiri Matangi to the east, endangered native birds species have been released and are flourishing.
Top three ways you can help
• Provide cafes for native birds by protecting large trees, and planting native trees, which produce flowers or berries. In our small urban garden, tui enjoy the native trees but also sip nectar from the flowers on our clumping bananas and grey warblers (riroriro) hop around in fruit trees, eating pests.
• Bling your cat and give your moggy a collar from birdsbesafe.com, or attach a couple of bells to a colourful collar; then give the cat a manicure to prevent tree climbing. Provide areas in your garden for fledglings to hide, such as a pile of tree prunings, or dense undergrowth. Lay bait stations for rats and set stoat and possum traps if you live in a rural area.
• Volunteer with environment groups on planting or weeding days. Our family volunteered on Tiritiri, when Dad and I helped build stone penguin boxes. Now when we visit, we can lift the lid and peek inside knowing that a little hard graft made all the difference for our feathered friends.
To get involved, visit: forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/projects/northwest-wildlink
