Quarterly Newsletter

Forest and Bird, Issue 108, 1 May 1953, Page 13

Quarterly Newsletter

Date. — The news in this Newsletter is that received in the office of the Society up to Ist March.

Christchurch Section.— On 31st January about 200 members of the Section had an afternoon at Peel Forest. In Miss Jennings’ own words, “Five large touring buses were quickly filled (a few standing in each bus). We were met on arrival at the camping ground by Mr. Austin Deans, the artist, of the well-known Canterbury family, who suggested different walks, short and long. We were later met by Captain Dennistoun who himself escorted us through beautiful forest on his own estate. The Peel Forest Ranger, Mr. Cain, was in charge of the long distance walkers and gave them much valuable information regarding the fine trees and ferns, giant Totaras among them. We returned to Christchurch at eight o’clock in the evening, but before finally .leaving Peel Forest all five buses manoeuvred through the iron gates of Mt. Peel Homestead where Captain Dennistoun let us wander about his lovely park”.

On 19th February, a very full meeting heard Professor McCaskill give a talk on his recent 2000mile tour through the North Island and saw his series of coloured slides taken on the trip. Among other things he said that the North Island farmer seemed to have passed the bush destruction era, and was finding it paid him to conserve the remaining bush because of its value in water and soil conservation and stock shelter.

On 21st February, the Redcliffs group of the Section, a group from Miss Jennings’ own suburb, spent a day at Victoria Park. Immigrants Shooting Birds.—A regrettable episode occurred during a picnic of nationals from a European country, in a well known picnic place near Dunedin. A number of youths, presumably recent arrivals, shot indiscriminately at birds, protected and otherwise, and refused to stop when remonstrated with by other persons picknicking in the area. The Society, in referring the matter to the Internal Affairs Department and requesting that it be investigated, was informed that the Department was taking active steps in conjunction with other Departments to educate newcomers into the customs of the country and that the protection of wild life was part of the curriculum. Members will recall that some years ago when it became known that immigrants were shooting birds, in ignorance of conditions in New Zealand, our Society took the matter up with the Immigration Authorities and the Internal Affairs Department and co-operated with the authorities, chiefly by provision of literature in camps and immigrant ships, in this very necessary part of an immigrant’s education as to his new surroundings. It is good . news to hear that this instruction is being put on a sound footing by the Department with the active co-operation of other Government Departments. Other news.— Other items of news are reported more fully elsewhere in this number.

W7ITH reference to the paragraph which is printed in bold type in the Annual Report, which ’ adult members will receive with this Journal, the Secretary wishes to point out the considerable work entailed for our necessarily small staff if members do not pay their subscriptions when they first receive their annual subscription account. It means that another has to be made out to go into the following Journal, which means considerable extra work. At present there are generally many hundreds of these second accounts with each issue. Then if the second account is not paid, the preparation and despatch of “appeals” means more work. And yet, all we ask for is that members do not delay payment of a sum which amounts in most cases, to a fraction of a normal day’s personal expenditure, and which, we think you will agree, is for a good cause.