We are continuing to make good progress following Chris Wadsworth’s environmentally friendly weeding programme. Chris and Keith have travelled to Leigh every weekend over the past 16 weeks. Approximately 250 hours of volunteer labour has been carried out during this period and 30 x 3 cubic metre weed bags have been filled.

Nik, Kerryn and Darren have been working on the track so we can commence our halo of control. This work was started several years ago but postponed due to Covid.

Here are some of Chris’s observations at our working bee on Saturday 23 April when we worked from the top of the valley downwards.

• Lovely spot but loads of crasula, some tradescantia and moth vine. Also, some household rubbish!
• Spider orchids abundant on a tree brought down by a slip
• Discovered a White Maire (Nestegis Lanceolata).
• Lunch was delicious. Sandwiches with avocado, tomato, ham, egg followed by date scones ! (best ever?)
• Saw fresh water crayfish (koura) while clearing tradescantia at the very top of the creek. This area looked better afterwards.

I discovered 75 black sacks of garden waste (probably bagged tradescantia). They had clearly been there a long time as the bags had partly disintegrated.

Brought back several unidentified weeds. Identified ladder fern, AKA Boston Fern (Japanese variety with bulbs which aren’t present in the native variety.)

During the Easter break I saw a Miro Miro (Tomtit) while weeding and it returned the following day. John Harvey, managed to capture the attached photos on his cellphone a week later.

While this sighting and the bellbird sighting were only of individual birds, residents near the valley have heard bellbirds and seen Miro Miro previously. Kakariki have also been observed. Piwakakwaka numbers have noticeably increased and, rather than just seeing 3 or 4, we are being followed by up to 10.

Invertebrate numbers also appear to be increasing and we are seeing many more native seedlings popping up all over the valley.