Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary and Education Centre
New Zealands dryland environments are located in the rain-shadow area east of the main mountain ranges, and contain some of the least protected and most threatened native ecosystems and species. They have undergone tremendous modification and land use change in the past century, more recently with cropping, viticulture, horticulture, forestry and other land uses. They contain 50% of New Zealands most threatened species but only 2% of the land is legally protected.
Biodiversity loss may be proceeding more rapidly in drylands than elsewhere in New Zealand due to continuing habitat loss, impacts of fragmentation, low levels of legal protection, pastoral impacts, weeds and pests, and intensive land development and subdivision.
A significant barrier to achieving conservation gains in many dryland areas is very low public awareness and appreciation of the indigenous fauna and flora, the threats they face, their generally poor ecological condition, and the potential for their recovery. New Zealanders are more familiar with conservation issues in forest ecosystems than in dry non-forest ecosystems. Hence, there are relatively few community-led conservation initiatives in dryland ecosystems.
A goal of the Central Otago Ecological Trust is to improve the condition and representation of dryland biodiversity by fostering community and landowner participation in protection and enhancement initiatives.
The vast majority of dryland environments is in private ownership or leased. Conservation gains are therefore heavily reliant on landholder involvement. Most landholders do not know the biodiversity values they have on their land but are often keen to know. Landholders are more likely to be involved if biodiversity protection and enhancement schemes are partnerships. Partnerships that last are those built on trust the key issue is how to build that trust. From a landholders perspective, the important ingredients are individuals who they respect and get on with, who visit them on site to discuss options, and who they can contact quickly if they have a need.
The Central Otago Ecological Trust was formed in 2005 and aims to restore native lizard communities in the Alexandra basin. Lizards that once occupied the basin (e.g. Otago skinks) will be reintroduced to a pest-free area, called the Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary.
The Otago Central Rail Trail Trust oversees management of 160 km of the old rail corridor from Middlemarch to Clyde. More than 20 000 people bike the rail trail each year. This provides a wonderful opportunity for vegetation enhancement and public education.
Lizards are a key flagship group for dryland ecosystems because they are large, easy to see, and most are very beautiful. Dryland environments host the most diverse lizard communities in New Zealand, and most species suffer from habitat degradation and are threatened by introduced species.
Otago dryland ecosystems have two excellent candidates for advocating as iconic species. The grand skink and the Otago skink are New Zealands largest and most threatened lizards. They show many peculiar characteristics of New Zealand fauna (long lived, slow to mature and breed, and nave to mammalian predators). DOC is investing heavily in their recovery and so is well placed to capitalise on them as dryland flagships. This is especially appropriate as one of the key factors leading to the demise of both species is a lack of value by the farming community for the indigenous vegetation that supports these species. Almost all woody dryland vegetation types have an image problem. The term often used to describe low dryland bush is grey shrublands but more commonly scrub not an inspiring choice of words.
(From papers supplied by Grant Norbury, NZ Landcare Research scientist, Alexandra).
Central Otago Ecological Trust:
The trusts long-term goal is to reintroduce the critically endangered Otago skink back to the Alexandra basin. They are large and charismatic, and act as flagships for educating the community about the special features of dryland ecosystems and how they can help to protect them.
The Otago skink is one of the most critically threatened lizards in New Zealand. They used to be abundant across their former range but are now restricted to 8% of that area in two disjunct, relict populations. Otago skinks were recorded in the Alexandra basin in the 1970s but have now disappeared. They are at risk of extinction in the wild within a decade primarily due to introduced predators.
COET will establish a large area (25-200 ha) that is free of pests and provides a safe haven for reintroduced wildlife. Such an area may need to be enclosed by a special pest-proof fence to minimise the risk of pest reinvasion. This pest-free area will be called the Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary (Mokomoko is a M?ori word for lizard). It will be the only pest-free dryland sanctuary in New Zealand.
The area in mind in on the Aldinga Conservation Area, administered by DOC, and is only 7km from Alexandra.
The short-term goal over the next five years is to expand public support for the project and raise funds by creating a public facility at a high-profile site at the start of the Otago Central Rail Trail on State Highway 8 at Clyde. This will be an all-in-one dryland education, lizard breeding, and plant propagation centre. The centre will be the only ecological education facility of its type in central Otago. Indoor displays and literature will be available to the public. Native lizards will be displayed outside in a secure walk-through area where the public will view lizards in a semi-natural setting. The plant propagation area will allow volunteers to prepare seedlings for planting at the Sanctuary, or for other restoration projects in the area. Plants will also be sold to the public. This will be a meeting point for all people involved in the project. Weed control, plantings, fence construction, fence maintenance, building construction, wildlife monitoring and tour guiding are examples of employment opportunities.
Biodiversity loss may be proceeding more rapidly in drylands than elsewhere in New Zealand due to continuing habitat loss, impacts of fragmentation, low levels of legal protection, pastoral impacts, weeds and pests, and intensive land development and subdivision.
A significant barrier to achieving conservation gains in many dryland areas is very low public awareness and appreciation of the indigenous fauna and flora, the threats they face, their generally poor ecological condition, and the potential for their recovery. New Zealanders are more familiar with conservation issues in forest ecosystems than in dry non-forest ecosystems. Hence, there are relatively few community-led conservation initiatives in dryland ecosystems.
A goal of the Central Otago Ecological Trust is to improve the condition and representation of dryland biodiversity by fostering community and landowner participation in protection and enhancement initiatives.
The vast majority of dryland environments is in private ownership or leased. Conservation gains are therefore heavily reliant on landholder involvement. Most landholders do not know the biodiversity values they have on their land but are often keen to know. Landholders are more likely to be involved if biodiversity protection and enhancement schemes are partnerships. Partnerships that last are those built on trust the key issue is how to build that trust. From a landholders perspective, the important ingredients are individuals who they respect and get on with, who visit them on site to discuss options, and who they can contact quickly if they have a need.
The Central Otago Ecological Trust was formed in 2005 and aims to restore native lizard communities in the Alexandra basin. Lizards that once occupied the basin (e.g. Otago skinks) will be reintroduced to a pest-free area, called the Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary.
The Otago Central Rail Trail Trust oversees management of 160 km of the old rail corridor from Middlemarch to Clyde. More than 20 000 people bike the rail trail each year. This provides a wonderful opportunity for vegetation enhancement and public education.
Lizards are a key flagship group for dryland ecosystems because they are large, easy to see, and most are very beautiful. Dryland environments host the most diverse lizard communities in New Zealand, and most species suffer from habitat degradation and are threatened by introduced species.
Otago dryland ecosystems have two excellent candidates for advocating as iconic species. The grand skink and the Otago skink are New Zealands largest and most threatened lizards. They show many peculiar characteristics of New Zealand fauna (long lived, slow to mature and breed, and nave to mammalian predators). DOC is investing heavily in their recovery and so is well placed to capitalise on them as dryland flagships. This is especially appropriate as one of the key factors leading to the demise of both species is a lack of value by the farming community for the indigenous vegetation that supports these species. Almost all woody dryland vegetation types have an image problem. The term often used to describe low dryland bush is grey shrublands but more commonly scrub not an inspiring choice of words.
(From papers supplied by Grant Norbury, NZ Landcare Research scientist, Alexandra).
Central Otago Ecological Trust:
The trusts long-term goal is to reintroduce the critically endangered Otago skink back to the Alexandra basin. They are large and charismatic, and act as flagships for educating the community about the special features of dryland ecosystems and how they can help to protect them.
The Otago skink is one of the most critically threatened lizards in New Zealand. They used to be abundant across their former range but are now restricted to 8% of that area in two disjunct, relict populations. Otago skinks were recorded in the Alexandra basin in the 1970s but have now disappeared. They are at risk of extinction in the wild within a decade primarily due to introduced predators.
COET will establish a large area (25-200 ha) that is free of pests and provides a safe haven for reintroduced wildlife. Such an area may need to be enclosed by a special pest-proof fence to minimise the risk of pest reinvasion. This pest-free area will be called the Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary (Mokomoko is a M?ori word for lizard). It will be the only pest-free dryland sanctuary in New Zealand.
The area in mind in on the Aldinga Conservation Area, administered by DOC, and is only 7km from Alexandra.
The short-term goal over the next five years is to expand public support for the project and raise funds by creating a public facility at a high-profile site at the start of the Otago Central Rail Trail on State Highway 8 at Clyde. This will be an all-in-one dryland education, lizard breeding, and plant propagation centre. The centre will be the only ecological education facility of its type in central Otago. Indoor displays and literature will be available to the public. Native lizards will be displayed outside in a secure walk-through area where the public will view lizards in a semi-natural setting. The plant propagation area will allow volunteers to prepare seedlings for planting at the Sanctuary, or for other restoration projects in the area. Plants will also be sold to the public. This will be a meeting point for all people involved in the project. Weed control, plantings, fence construction, fence maintenance, building construction, wildlife monitoring and tour guiding are examples of employment opportunities.