AWAPUNI LAGOON.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 238, 5 September 1940, Page 5

AWAPUNI LAGOON.

HABITAT RECLAMATION

avoids: highly praised.

AVELLINGTON, Sept. 4. The draining for agricultural and road purposes of a number of swamps in the Dominion is considered by many game sportsmen to have had a serious effect on the population of waterfowl. The adoption has been urged of any scheme which will not interfere with the utilisation and productivity of the land and which aims at the breeding and conservation of grey duck in particular.

In an interview yesterday the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. AV. E. Parry) instanced a scheme undertaken some time ago at Awapuui Lagoon on behalf of the AVellington Acclimatisation Society. This, he said, was in every way a splendid work in the interests of the breeding and conservation of waterfowl, and deserved to be more widely known than it was among acclimatisation and game clubs in New Zealand. . ,

Mr Parry said that the simplicity and practicability of the scheme carried out at the lagoon would appeal te acclimatisation men. It consisted of the. fencing!in of an area of the precincts of the lagoon so that grazing animals could not retard the growth of flax and other native plants which formed the resting and breeding ground of ducks. The result of the work, which had been described as a “judicious habitat reclamation for waterfowl” was that a wealth of birds had been attracted to the _ lagoon. Manawatu shooting and fishing men had spoken highly of the work, which the Minister understood had been carried out by Mr T. Andrews, of Palnierston North, ranger of the AVellington society, and local helpers. BIOLOGIST’S APPROVAL.

The Minister said an interesting report he had read on the Awapuni lagoon scheme showed that Mr D. F. Hobbs, biologist of the Fisheries Research Department, 'had been greatly impressed with it. “Fortunately, only part of the lagoon has been fenced,” wrote Mr Hobbs, “and so the young ‘jungle’ inside the fence contrasts sharply with the barren water ana bare cropped slopes outside. While flax and other shelter material, have been planted immediately inside the fence, the luxuriant swamp growth results mainly from the exclusion of grazing animals. This is one of the nicest instances I have encountered of habitat improvement—or rather of habitat reclamation, for here little more has been done than to give Nature a chance to assert herself. This impresses me as being intelligent work. Here, instead of attempting to improve on Nature with incubators and the like, and neglecting to provide a suitable habitat for the product of the incubators, man has contented himself with doing the minimum necessary to enable natural processes to function normally and has thereby provided both additional nesting cover and feeding ground.” Mr Parry suggested that a visit be made to the Awapuni lagoon by sportsmen and others interested in the admirable work done there.