http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz en-us Sat, 18 Apr 2026 13:03:26 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/post/128480/kings-birthday-2024-planting-bee/ ... Thu, 16 May 2024 14:13:46 +1200 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/#post128480 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/post/71033/preservation-of-otama-reserve-village-pa-site/ The Otama Reserve Group is very happy to have achieved its goal to preserve and protect the Village Pa Site -te wāhi tapu - an historical site on the beach reserve. Originally this site was used by Ngati Hei as the site for a village. Subsequently it has been used for - grazing, camping and more recently for parking and as a viewing point. To protect and respect this special site going forward a decision was made in partnership with Ngāti Hei , DOC and the archaeological experts, to form earth... Sat, 03 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/#post71033 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/post/71050/work-underway-to-protect-historic-site-at-otama/ Protecting the area’s environmental and historical heritage has inspired a community-led initiative at an important public space at Otama. Paul Kington from the Otama Reserves Group says learning more about the history of the village reserve currently managed by the Department of Conservation prompted the action. “The Otama Reserves Group recently formed earth mounds around the reserve to protect the historic pa site,” he says. “This was done in conjunction with DOC and all materials and... Tue, 11 May 2021 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/#post71050 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/post/70595/nz-dotterel-ry-yw/ Photograph taken by Lianne Dalziel, Otama beach 2021Over the December 2020/Jan 2021 breeding season, a banded NZ dotterel was sighted on Otama Beach, which is very exciting! Her name is RY-YW (Red/Yellow-Yellow/White) and she is 26 years old, which makes her a’ senior citizen in the New Zealand dotterel world’. This bird, a female, was originally banded as a chick in November 1994 at Opoutere, Coromandel Peninsula. As most juvenile NZD dotterel, she spent the next few years wandering the coa... Sat, 02 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/#post70595 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/post/70815/bush-to-beach-corridor-the-aim-for-otama-reserves-group/ A vision of a “bush to beach” corridor free of weeds and pests is driving the efforts of eastern Coromandel’s Otama Reserves Group (ORG). The group has received $13,000  in the latest round of the Department of Conservation’s (DOC) Community Fund grants, which ORG Acting Chair Paul Kington says will be used to develop a robust restoration plan for the wetland reserves it is already working in – alongside partners Waikato Regional Council and DOC. “We identified very early on tha... Wed, 09 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/#post70815 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/post/70593/pampas-eradication-on-otama-reserves/ As part of our weed control programme on the Otama Reserves the ORG engaged the services of Remnant Restorations last year to eradicate Pampas Grass as well as other weeds such as Agapanthus and Blackberry on its reserves including the main domain, sand dune and wetland reserves. Remnant Restorations undertakes grid spray environmental weed control and this will be an ongoing programme funded by DOC.The Otama Reserves are home to several nationally and locally significant plant and fauna species... Wed, 08 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/#post70593 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/post/70594/results-of-predator-trapping-at-otama/ The Otama Reserves Group implemented a local predator control programme on the Otama Reserves and private landholdings. This initiative began in 2018 with the establishment of a trapline encompassing the 5 reserves and landowner property and has resulted in the trapping of 348 predators to date. These have been mainly hedgehogs, possums, pigs, rats , stoats and feral cats. The kills are humane and total 175 in 2018, 152 in 2019 and 21 so far in 2020. Myna and Magpie traps are also now being util... Wed, 08 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/#post70594 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/post/70592/matuku-bittern-released-into-the-otama-wetland/ A rescued Matuku – Hurepo (Australasian Bittern) was released into the Otama Wetland Reserve on the 26 of March by DOC Ranger Troy McDonald and Paul Kington from the Otama Reserves Group. The Matuku has been cared for by Annemieke Kregting from Kuaotunu Bird Rescue who looks after native birds that are found unwell and distressed, with the aim to release them back into the wild when recovered. The Matuku was found in Tairua on the 12 of March very emaciated and missing some flight fe... Thu, 26 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/#post70592 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/post/70591/otama-reserves-group-on-an-exciting-journey/ Paul Kington, chairman of the Otama Reserves Group, is not only excited about their progress the past 12 months, he is also keenly looking towards the future. “We’ve recently become an incorporated society and we’re seeing the impact our predator control efforts have on the reserves in and around Otama Beach, especially the Otama wetland,” he says. “Bitterns are among the birds we spot more often at the wetland now. In a way the bittern became our mascot.”The group is responsible for... Wed, 18 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/#post70591 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/post/70590/dune-weeding-on-otama-beach-dunes-reserve/ DOC organised a weeding day on the Otama Beach Sand Dunes Reserve on the 28th of February inviting local community volunteers to participate. This initiative was mainly to target Lupins to reduce infestation over the dunes area.There was an excellent turnout of 12 volunteers and 10 staff from DOC. Wearing hats, sunblock and safety vests we spread out over the dunes in a grid pattern to ensure good ground coverage. We spent 6 hours pulling out Lupins and learning about some of the rare ... Fri, 28 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.otamareservesgroup.org.nz/blog/#post70590