whakatane newsletter october 2011
The 10th BIRDSaPLENTY Festival is already well underway. There is HEAPS to get involved in, so I'll see you out there somewhere. Other news is down there too, under the birds and forests.
LIFE FORCE: NZ
October 10th
Eastbay REAP
7pm
Refreshments available - koha appreciated
ALL WELCOME!
BIRDSaPLENTY 2011
The 10th Annual BIRDSaPLENTY Festival is a celebration of the wonderful bird life in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Out and About, Inside and Out the Eastern Bay of Plenty—Whakatane, Matata, Opotiki, Rotorua. All age groups welcome ‐young and old, school children, toddlers and adults. LOTS of different activities, this year’s festival has something for everyone. Programme HERE... Contact: Glen & Morley West on 07 312 5116 or birdfestmail@gmail.com
Friday 24th Sept to Sunday 16th Oct..
Sat Sept 24th 5.30 pm Festival Opening at REAP House. Celebrate 10 years of BIRDSaPLENTY with wine, finger food, and “Cutting the Cake”. Phone Morley (07) 312 5116
Sun Sept 25th 10 am Opotiki Field Trip. Meet at the Ohiwa Domain Reserve, walk to Bryans Beach, then visit Hukutaia Domain, see enormous Puriri trees. Phone Morley (07) 312 5116
Tues Sept 27th Port Ohope Playcentre - PreSchool Ramble along to Sandcastle looking at birds and collecting “treasure” to make model birds.
Wed Sept 28th 7 pm Inter‐School Debate. REAP House. Watch the Local Secondary Schools battle it out debating. One moot will be “Saving Kakapo is a waste of money” Koha please
Thur Sept 29th 5.15 pm Meet the Author. Whakatane District Library. New Zealand’s rarest parrot, the kakapo, is the engaging subject of the winning book for the Royal Society of New Zealand’s 2011 Science Book Prize. Hear Alison Ballance author of ‘Kakapo – Rescued from the Brink of Extinction’ talk about her adventures in kakapo conservation.
Ruud Kleinpaste - "the bug man"
Fri Sept 30th - An entertaining evening with Ruud Kleinpaste, Fri Sept 30th Whakatane Little Theatre 7pm, entitled "Our Biodiversity in Whakatane – privilege and responsibility".
Entry Adult $15.00 School Children $5.00. Tickets at Good Life
[Ruud Kleinpaste “the Bug Man” may get to Ohope Beach School in the afternoon, and go for a walk and talk with the school's Envirocouncil Group in the Pohutukawa Forest.]
Sat Oct 1st 10 am The Dotterels of Port Ohope. Surf and Sand Holiday Park. Meet Hemi Barsdell, DOC Biodiversity Ranger, at the Surf and Sand holiday park. We will have a cuppa and Hemi will talk to us about managing the dotterels. This will be followed by a walk with Hemi along the spit to see these amazing cute little birds. BBQ brunch sponsored by BOPRC.
Sun Oct 2nd 8 am Opening of the new Cheddar Valley walk. Meet at Cheddar Valley Pottery. Join the Nukuhou Salt Marsh Care Group at the opening of the “Cheddar Valley Inanga Loop Track" and walk to the whitebait spawning pools. BBQ brunch provided by BOPRC
Tue Oct 4th 4 pm Bird Spotting along the Whakatane River Bank. Meet at the Amphitheatre, walk along to the Information Centre and back again spotting birds. Discover just how many different species of birds live here in town. Bring a picnic tea and be there for the drawing of spot prizes.
Thur Oct 6th 9 am Waiou Reserve. Meet at the beginning of Te Kooti Road. A moderately difficult walk around part of the reserve, check traps, enjoy the bush, hear about the Kiwi Project. Bring your lunch. Book with Stuart Slade (07) 312 4583
Thur Oct 6th 7 pm Looking After the Birds of Ohiwa Harbour. REAP House. An amazing group of volunteers spent several weeks wading through the Ōhiwa mud at dawn surveying marshbird populations in November last year. The survey was undertaken as part of ecological work involved with the Ōhiwa Harbour Strategy, and compared results with a survey conducted by the Department of Conservation in 1990. This talk discusses the survey results, and their wider significance.
Fri Oct 7th 7 pm An evening of Bird Photography. REAP House. Join Mandy Hague, Jill and Colin Harman. Enjoy a presentation of some of their wonderful bird photos with comments about where when and how. Koha please
Sat Oct 8th 9 am Forest & Bird Plant Sale. F&B Nursery Fortunes Road. Buy plant packs to attract birds to your garden.
Phone Jo (07) 308 0411
Sat Oct 8th Motuhora Island - Join the Whakatane Kiwi Trust on a trip to Motuhora (Whale Island) $90 Details and booking Eastbay REAP 07 308 4613
Wed Oct 12th 2.30 – 4 pm Afternoon Tea at Cheddar Valley Pottery. Enjoy “Coffee and Cake” while chatting to the artists and viewing the extensive range of Bird Pottery for sale.
Wed Oct 12th 7 pm Historical NZ Bird Art. REAP House. An evening with Narena Oliver from NZBirds. Narena will be talking about NZ historical bird art. Koha please
Thur Oct 13th 7.30 am Rotorua Field Trip. 7:30am Leave REAP car park, 9:00am Lake Okareka Board Walk, 11:30am Kiwi Encounter, $24.00. Limit 20, 1:30 pm Falcons at Wingspan, $26.00 Limit 20. Bookings essential. Own Transport ‐we will car pool if possible. Contact Morley (07) 312 5116 gwest@wave.co.nz
Fri Oct 14th 1 pm Gifting of the Birds Mural at Port Ohope. Come and see the work of local school students at Otao South Reserve. Afternoon tea at The Sandcastle to follow.
Sat Oct 15th 7 am Open Day with the Manawahe Kokako Trust. Bird viewing followed by a BBQ breakfast. See and hear kokako, tui, bellbird and kereru. $5 per person. 12yrs and over , moderate fitness required. Must register Ph Jude (07) 3088585 office hours
Sat Oct 15th Otamatuna Overnight trip to hear the Dawn Chorus. Learn about the Mainland Island, hear the dawn chorus and see the kokako. Limited to 10 people. Book with Greg Moorcroft DOC Te Urewera Area Office Whakatane. (07) 307 2783 gmoorcroft@doc.govt.nz
Sun Oct 16th 9.30 am Welcome Back The Godwits. Ohiwa Holiday Park. Walk out to meet the Godwits. Adrian Riegen and a team from Miranda Shorebirds will bring their telescopes and share their knowledge with us. Afterwards gather at the Camp Ground for talk and brunch. $5 cover charge. BBQ brunch provided by BOPRC.
Mon 26th – Fri 30th Sept Radio Bird Quiz B. Listen to 1XX. Answer a question correctly and go into the draw to win trips to White Island. Sponsored by White Island Tours and 1XX
Sun 2nd Oct, Tues 4th Oct, Thur 6th Oct, Sun 9th Oct Nocturnal Kiwi Listening Walks. The Whakatane Kiwi Trust is carrying out a series of nocturnal kiwi listening walks during the BIRDSaPLENTY Festival. The walks start at 7:30pm and last for two hours, Adults: $15 Children (aged 6 to 17): $10 Family Group (2 adults and 2 Children): $40 Children must be accompanied by one adult to each child. For more information and bookings please contact walks@whakatanekiwi.co.nz.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on any aspect of the festival contact: Jacqui Hughes 07 308 7064 Glen & Morley West 07 312 5116 birdfestmail@gmail.com
FOREST FILM SELECTIONS - GISBORNE
Playing at The Dome Theatre on Mon 3rd and Mon 10th Oct. Four films will be featured each night- Poster HERE... - some of these Jackson Hole Festival winning films will also be in Whakatane on Sept 17th (details HERE...). 
OTHER NEWS
FOUND OILED WILDLIFE? If you are out walking the beach and see any oiled wildlife (birds, seals etc) please call 0800 333 771 to report it. Please leave a detailed message if you don’t get through to somebody. If you have time, please stay with the oiled animal to ensure it is not disturbed or injured by dogs etc. If the animal moves please try and record where it goes. DO NOT touch or pick up the animal, as the oil is toxic. Do not try to clean up oil or animals yourself unless you have received relevant training, as the combination of oil and the dispersant makes for a very toxic sludge.IF YOU ARE KEEN to help out, please call 0800 OIL SPILL = 0800 645-774. Alternatively, please email the response team at iccrena@gmail.com with your contact details and what you can offer. Help is also needed with wildlife observations - there are official forms to record data - then email to renawildlife@boprc.govt.nz. Officials are talking about the cleanup taking months, so it'll be a big effort.
PUBLIC MEETING
Frustration and questions about the cleanup have been expressed, in the media and privately, by many people. Action by concerned locals has led officials to set up a briefing tomorrow night at 7pm. In attendance will be Maritime NZ, local MP Simon Bridges, local mayors, and the chairman of BOP Regional Council. We encourage you to attend this official briefing if you'd like more information. Tue 11th Oct, 7pm at Graham Young Youth Centre, Tauranga Boys' College, Cameron Road.
Regards, Glen - Tauranga Environment Centre - 07 578-6664
Latest News (not good) - http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/5757806/Fears-Rena-could-lose-cargo - Monday night 10th Oct.
WDC are looking for a new Waste Minimisation Officer. To apply for this position, please visit: www.whakatane.currentjobs.co.nz & enter ref code: 703364. Applications close 26 Oct 2011
CINEMA 5 - Eco-Pirate: The Story of Paul Watson - Part Captain Nemo, part Grizzly Man, the film will follow Watson in the act as he repeatedly flouts the law, so that he may apprehend what he sees as the more serious law-breakers – the illegal poachers of the world. This documentary chronicles the extraordinary life one of the most controversial figures in the environmental movement – the heroics, the ego, the urgency - of the world’s original eco pirate. Starts on Nov 10th. TRAILER
GLOBAL FOCUS AOTEAROA has now [very sadly] closed and are having a final book sale on Mon 16th and Tue 17th Oct 10am-6pm in Global Focus Library, Wellington. A gold coin donation is required for the books. They are not able to post resources out of Wellington so you will need to attend the book sale if you want any books. Venue: L2, James Smith Building, 55 Cuba St, Wellington.
BIRD RESCUE for injured and sick birds- please contact Sue Greenwood on 027 209 0567. Rosemary Tully has retired after twenty years of dedicated service. She has the sincere gratitude of local bird lovers and our feathered friends.
OCCUPY WALL STREET (GLOBAL CAMPAIGN) and MANY other places - Occupy New Zealand campaigns: Occupy Auckland - QE2 square at 3pm Sat Oct 15th; Occupy Wellington - The Terrace Nov 5th midday at the Reserve Bank Wellington; Occupy Christchurch - 15 Oct at 10am; Occupy Otago - Oct 15 at the Octagon at 1pm. "We want a return to real democracy, a government by the people for the people & an economic system that works for 100% of the people."
GREENDRINKS - The Sustainable Business Network and Energy Options would like you to keep Tue 18th Oct free for a very exciting GreenDrinks. We will confirm more information as soon as we can, pending the final ‘go ahead’ for an Energy Options initiative. Tue 18th Oct at Energy Options, 5 Richardson St, Whakatane 5pm – 7pm. RSVP to kirsten@ebopchamber.co.nz or 07 307 0118 - by Mon 17th Oct
RoundUp Toxicity update - The Toxic Agrichemicals Advisory Forum (TAAF) presented their report on RoundUp/glyphosate to the Tauranga City Council last week. The councillors accepted the information and will be working with TAAF to help ensure the sprays used on Tauranga’s parks are not going to poison people, including the contractors who apply it. RoundUp type weedkillers are NOT SAFE: More HERE...
2012 CAN Cycle Friendly Awards - Nominations are open. The five Award categories are: MWH Best Cycle Facility Project, NZTA Best Cycling Promotion Project, Dunedin City Council Cycle Friendly Commitment by a Business, iWay Cycling Champion of the Year, and Auckland Transport Cycle Friendly Commitment by a Public Organisation.
Nominations are for projects completed between 1 June 2010 to 30 June 2011, and must be in by 2 December. The Awards Ceremony is in Hastings 23 Febr 2012 as part of the 2 Walk and Cycle National Active Transport Conference. For further information, contact Dirk at awards@can.org.nz. More HERE...
KIA ORA GAZA - In Dec 2011, Kia Ora Gaza will join an international aid convoy to the Gaza Strip. the land convoy will leave from London and enter Gaza around 27 Dec, the third anniversary of Israel’s assault on the Strip. The 1.5 million Palestinians unlawfully imprisoned in Gaza desperately need our practical solidarity, humanitarian aid and our help in breaking the Israeli siege. You can donate towards the $50,000 Gaza Appeal. More HERE..
Professor Wangari Maathai dies - Nairobi, 26 September 2011 - Professor Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, founder of Kenya's Green Belt Movement and patron of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Billion Tree Campaign, has died in Nairobi. She was 71 years old. Professor Maathai was one of Africa's foremost environmental campaigners, internationally recognized for her commitment to democracy, human rights and conservation. Tribute HERE... The film Taking Root, screened here last October featuring the life and work of Wangari Maathai is one of the most inspiring films I have ever seen. Contact Us if you would like to borrow it.
TIME BANK HUI - Lyttelton, New Zealand 14-16 Oct 2011 There will be a sliding scale of $0-150 to attend the hui. This includes meals. Fill out one entry for each participant who will be attending. Please register by Friday, 30 September. [If you are keen, they may let you book late!] MORE
FATHERS & SONS - encouraging and insping men across the Eastern Bay of Plenty as they raise their sons to become great men. A couple of EVENTS coming up - Horse Riding Sat 29 Oct 2011 1-2pm AND the Going Wild Weekend 2011 6pm Fri 25 Nov to 2pm Sun 27 Nov. More information HERE....
TREE PLANTING - ENERGY OPTIONS have booked Fri the 14th of October for their tree planting this year, and will be aiming for 4000. Well done (in advance!) - more information from Steve steve.hanna@energyoptions.org.nz
EXULT - Whether you're looking for some simple fundraising ideas, or you need some more in depth help with Volunteering, Sponsorship or Marketing issues, we have a whole heap of workshops and resources to give you a head start with the business end of your organisation. Next TONIC CONFERENCE - Fresh Thinking for Community Groups - Thur 24th & Fri 25th Nov 2011, in Rotorua. MORE....
And FINALLY... update on FAIRTRADE Coffee in Whakatane! Cafe Coco (taken the baton from Vendor) have continued to use SWITCH Fairtrade Organic coffee, so a BIG UP to them! Java Man has also converted to 100% Fairtrade EDEN coffee. Please support! Give coffee growers a fair deal.
COMPETITIONS & CAMPAIGNS
Win EACH MONTH with ORGANIC EXPLORER New Zealand. All you have to do is: “Like” OE's Facebook page and be in the monthly draw to win.
Latest news, including special pre-order price for upcoming edition HERE....
WWF COMPETITION - Produce an original film on the theme "Life. Nature. You. Make the Connection". Your film should inspire people to love, value and protect the natural world - and to reconnect with nature. Deadline 9 Oct 2011. The entire film must be a maximum of two minutes long. Prizes - Commission from WWF to create a short film with a minimum budget of $10,000 USD and all expenses paid trip to India to attend the CMS Vatavaran environmental film festival.
CLEANFUELZ - "Cleanfuelz has a solution that works." Its Cataylser introduces hydrogen to the vehicle's fuel to change its octane rating - creating a fuel that burns more efficiently. With greater efficiency comes lower overall running costs - less maintenance costs and and lower fuel costs. More information from info@cleanfuelz.com.
