NATURE—AND MAN
A New Year of Hope EVERYBODY CAN DO SOMETHING. (Edited by Leo. Ruining) Slowly—as the world regains its sanity- New Zealand is moving on the up grade to old-time prosperity. At no time during the slump has this bright country had any cause lor despair. With its present natural and developed resources, modern transport, mechanical equipment and man-power this Dominion could feed, clothe and house ten millions of people in comfort —but the population is now only 1,500,000. While politicians, professors and others are busy with the making of policies for the general public, the average New Zealander can help in saving the country for posterity. Everybody can help in resisting and defeating schemes which threaten highcountry forests that are necessary for the maintenance of farming lands, ami everybody can help in the encouragement of efforts of far-sighted New Zealanders to make amends, as far as possible, for blunders of the past. MOSTLY MISTAKES BY WANGANUI RIVER. Captain Sanderson, president of the Native- Bird (and Forest) Protection Society, who recently traversed the country flanking the Wanganui River, says the fact that impressed itself most deeply on his mind was the utter lack of common-sense in land-settle-ment schemes on the watershed of the beautiful river—schemes which involved the slaughter of noble forest on steep slopes—schemes doomed to failure, with few exceptions. What was the result of that folly? The Wanganui Harbour Board spent a large sum in dredging a deep basin near the mouth of the river—but it made only a convenient resting place for the silt which washed down the steep slopes on upper reaches of the river, when stupidity iampant had cleared away the soilbinding and water-regulating forests. On one scarp, from which native trees had been hacked away years ago, the visitor saw a stand of pinus insignis, poor common successors of the butchered aristocrats.
Happily there 'is now an insurance policy against repetitions of those absurdities. The personnel of the Wanganui River Trust includes intelligent men of vision who recognise that they have an important duty to New Zealand in conservation of the scenic value of the river. Even if it were possible to turn the wooded country into successful farms, without the infliction of penalties by outraged nature. the so-called “economic gain” would fall immeasurably short of the scenic value of the river. SUBMARGINAL LAND. Most of the, land that was cleared above the Wanganui River could be termed submarginal, from a farming viewpoint—and in that respect it is like much other land in this country which should have been left with its natural forest cover. “Submarginal land.” says an American writer, “may be defined as B/’op’ or pasture land which over a lon& period of time and even under reasonably efficient management cannot yield ‘an income sufficient to support the opfeitors in what is considered a satisfactory standard of living. Frequently, lahd which is submarginal for one purpefee may be
supermarginal for another purpose.” In an article, “National Eurests in lennessee Basin”—in the magazine “American Forests ’ ’-Joseph Kircher Regional Forester, I’nited States Forest Ser\ice, remarks: “Many of the moun lain farms within the Appalachians arc subniarginal for agriculture and should be taken out of cultivation. Such places the Government should buy an: put into timber.” A similar comment could apply U some of the mountainous holdings in New Zealand. The Crown land on the lower slopes of the Southern Alps i< emphatically sub-marginal for tlw pas toral industry, which is gradually destroying the native vegetation, and thus preparing the way for disastrous scour ing of the valuable farming country on the lower levels. A PROPER MEMORIAL. By popular subscription a great nature lover, Louis Fuertes, has a worthy memorial, a sanctuary for water-fowl near lire city of Ithaca, at the head of the Cayuga Lake, U.S.A. A tab let on. the gateway bears this iuscriu lion: “Louis Agassiz Fuertes—Artist Naturalist-Friend, 1874-1927. Thi: refuge for water birds has been estab iished in his honour.” Eloquent tn bute to the imperishable work oi Fuertes was paid at the dedication ceremony recently by the president ol the Cayuga Bird Club. “How sue cessful this water-fowl sanctuary habeen,” he said, “most of you already know, or can see for yourselves thi: afternoon. For the past three year: the migrating and wintering water fowl have flocked to this spot in in creasing numbers, so that it has beet no uncommon sight to see the watei entirely concealed by their mvria* forms. Gradually they have lost theii wildness, so that to-day’ as we stan r here and watch the mother ducks wit 1 their ducklings, or see the strong wing ed drakes circling overhead and dron ping into the water at our feet, wc feel that our efforts have been entire ly successful. Now everyone can sec wild birds as Louis Fuertes saw them and loved them, and we can feel withir jurselves the power of kindness.” ‘DON’T TELL.” If you happen to see a rare native bird, don ’t broadcast the locality. Certain types of collector would seize an opportunity for an unlawful killing. Even the most public-spirited collector is a collector first and a nature-lover second; he has the itch to take hold of a rare specimen. Recently the locality of a colony of the rare furseal was reported in the press. Without anticipation of any harm to the animals, the news was widely published—but, alas, this mention of the seals’ home may prove a temptation to soulless poachers who would be only too glad to butcher the creatures for their valuable pelts. The Bird Protection 1 Society is confident y requesting inewspapers to refrain from publishing information which may help poachers or other law-breakers t 1 commit a crime.
A GOOD WORD FOR THE SHAG. Some devotees of angling are urging a war of extermination against shag-, accused of devouring large numbers of trout. Mr. Robert A. Wilson, a
friend of the persecuted birds, ha* made a plea on their beha’.f in the “N.Z. Fishing and Shooting Gazette” “In actual fact,” he writes, “trout
are so fecund that sufficie. ’ young fish are always produced to ill any vacancies caused by natural nemies. If no natural enemies exist result would be a very large number of small poor fish. The breeding powers of the trout are quite sufficient
to supply the total taken by the comparatively few shags in fishing waters. “The shags, I feel convinced do not interfere with the fishing in ordinary waters. The shag was here before the white man, and The true sportsman should be quite prepared to allow our native bird life to .exist and give pleasure to the many thousands of nature lovers.”
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Grey River Argus, 2 January 1935, Page 6
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1,112NATURE—AND MAN Grey River Argus, 2 January 1935, Page 6
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