Ōtewao/Forest Hill (600 ha) is a major conservation asset in Murihiku and is widely used for recreation by people in the Winton District, Invercargill and wider Murihiku/Southland. The conservation and cultural values of the Reserve are widely appreciated. Forest Hill contains the most diverse flora of any forest remnant on the Southland Plains and the limestone caves at Forest Hill have yielded skeletons from the past Kiwi, Moa, Kakapo, Saddleback, various seabirds, and many other native species. Although several of these species have gone forever their remains provide a guide to the outstanding biodiversity that the wildlife of the area held prior to humans arriving.
Although this project is being overseen and supported by the Hokonui Rūnanga, the progress being made in the area is largely due to the efforts of the Forest Hill Foundation Trust and project managers, Leith Contracting. Click here to find out more about the Forest Hill Trust.
Total Pests Caught by the end of September 2022:
Possums Caught by the end of September 2022:
Mustelids Caught by the end of September 2022
Other Pests Caught by the end of September 2022:
The main outcomes for this initial 3-year period are:
Te ao Māori and the enhancement of Mātauranga Māori are at the core of this project, with the aim of reconnecting whenua to whānau.
This initial stage will provide a starting point for a larger project. It will run adjacent to the Traineeship Project (another Hokonui Rūnanga project), which will identify and upskill a base of employees to meet the specific needs of Ngāi Tahu and Southland.
This project will work with community groups conducting predator control in the reserve. These community groups could benefit from additional volunteers, if you are interested, please contact us for more information. Just let us know your area of interest (or willingness to learn!).
Volunteer activities could include anything from trap checking and trap box building, to managing data, tree planting, fundraising, and more.
If you own a business or are involved in a club that would like to donate funds or time to the cause, we would love to hear from you as well!
This work is made possible with the generous support of the Te Papa Atawhai Jobs for Nature Initiative and the hardworking team at the Forest Hill Foundation Trust.
Through this stimulus package the Forest Hill Community Trust, partnership with the Hokonui Rūnanga have significantly increased their
On Wednesday 27 April, we were very lucky to have the Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson join
