In 1990 the then International President of
Rotary, Paulo Costa, called upon Rotarians throughout the world to “Preserve
Planet Earth”. At the same time there was a real danger that the iconic
pohutukawa forest on Rangitoto and Motutapu Islands in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf
would become extinct through the voracious appetites of wallabies and possums.
Rotary District 9920 responded by funding a poison drop which successfully
eradicated those pests and saved the largest pohutukawa forest in the world.
A community project was set up in 1994 and
the Motutapu Restoration Trust established to restore the cultural and natural
landscape of Motutapu which had been destroyed with the eruption of Rangitoto
about 600 years earlier. The Rotary Club of Newmarket spearheaded support for
the Trust and other clubs in the District have participated in a variety of
tree planting, weeding and maintenance projects. Half a million trees have been
planted in about 80 hectares and the long term plan is to restore native
vegetation to 500 of Motutapu’s 1508 hectares.
In 2005, the year of the Rotary
International Centenary, the Rotary Club of Newmarket completed a walkway
through the restored forest as its centennial project and the club is now
working on extending this walkway into a Home Bay Loop Track which will provide
visitors with a two to three hour walk from this gateway point to the Island.
Further plans include developing this Loop Track into “The Great
Rangitoto-Motutapu Walk” a network of tracks whereby visitors will be able to
spend two or three days exploring the islands. Those visitors will enjoy the
returning bird population where about 60 species have been recently monitored
and endangered birds such as the kiwi and takahe translocated.
In 2009 the Department of Conservation
spent $ 3.5 million and conducted the most challenging and comprehensive pest
eradication programme ever attempted in New Zealand which removed feral cats,
rats, hedgehogs, rabbits mice and stoats making the 3,800 hectares combined
area of Rangitoto and Motutapu the largest pest free area in New Zealand.
Another facinating aspect to Motutapu is
that it is still being farmed and it is the biggest pest free farm in the
world.The farm has at times sustained 3,500 sheep and 1,000 beef cattle and
grazing by light stock is considered to be the most appropriate management
technique available for managing the pasture covered three hundred archaeological
sites on the island.
The Motutapu Outdoor Education Camp houses
the largest off grid solar power installation in New Zealand and provides all
of the Island’s energy requirements. The camp attracts 12,000 school children
per year and provides them with a valuable and stimulating outdoor educational
experience. The Rotary Club of Newmarket have been involved in provided support
for the camp since 1990.
On a beautiful day on 3rd March
this year District Governor Ron Seeto organised a Rotary Leadership day on
Motutapu where the 9920 District Leaders discussed potential future plans for
further involvement in the restoration process including a “Rotary Fire Break”
area where slow burning trees will be planted to minimise the danger of fire
speading rapidly throughout the now densely restored forest.
President-Elect Iain MacKenzie of the
Rotary Club of Newmarket is keen to hear from Rotary Clubs outside New Zealand
interested in participating in a ”Global Grant” Rotary Foundation Future Vision
project for the further development of Motutapu.
