Oruawharo Medlands Ecovision (OME)
COMMUNITY GROUPS
ORUAWHARO MEDLANDS ECOVISION
Oruawharo Bay is located on the Eastern coast of Aotea, Great Barrier Island. It is a small settlement, centred around a long white sandy surf beach named Medlands. In 2018, a handful of local residents formed “Oruawharo Medlands Ecovision” (OME) a biodiversity focused ecological restoration project. This was achieved with the guidance and support of the Aotea Ecology Vision.
The main goal of the project is to protect and enhance local biodiversity and ecosystems including the beach, sand dunes, waterways, wetlands and gardens of local properties. One of the main goals is to suppress rodent numbers so that predation of vulnerable species will be reduced, leading to a higher success rate and variety of breeding birds. Pest damage around local dwellings should decline and it is hoped that the local community will be involved by way of pest control on private properties.
Funding was received in 2019 and 2020 from the Aotea Great Barrier Local Board to set up a rat trapping program, undertake weekly trap checks and carry out quarterly monitoring to assess the success of the program. For the purpose of analysis, all results are entered into a database called TrapNZ. The map below shows the location of the 157 traps within the OME project area, as well as some on private properties.
COMMUNITY TRAP NETWORK
(red dots = trap locations)
In addition to the trapping program, OME is collaborating with the Department of Conservation around the ecologically significant sites of Oruawharo Stream at the South end of the beach and the Medlands Wildlife Management Reserve, the wetland area behind Sandhills Rd at the Northern end. In 2020 OME received funding for a 3 year project to undertake work restoring these areas. Activities will include replanting, weed suppression, water quality monitoring and further pest control. As well as being supported by the Ecology Vision, Aotea Great Barrier Environmental Trust acts as the umbrella organisation for OME.
SURVEYING NORTHERN WETLAND AREA
OME welcomes anyone interested in receiving their regular newsletters or who wishes to become involved by way of helping out with project work, community planting days etc to contact them via email medlandsecovision@nullgmail.com You can also like and follow their Facebook Page “Oruawharo Medlands Ecovision“ to stay up to date with activities.
Contact Lotte McIntyre on 029 770 5111 for any enquiries or Email: medlandsecovision@nullgmail.com
