Auckland Branch Notes

Forest and Bird, Issue 148, 1 May 1963, Page 24

Auckland Branch Notes

One of our most interesting and successful ventures was a large-scale tree planting at the Society’s property at Onetangi, Waiheke Island, on Saturday, 18 August. An appeal to members to bring or send a tree or a donation to the bush-development fund resulted in about two hundred trees being delivered to the property. A wet morning undoubtedly affected attendance but over sixty people, suitably dressed for the occasion, braved a choppy sea and joined with Waiheke members, some of whom had dug holes for the trees the previous day. The weather had cleared by the time we reached Waiheke and planting proceeded with enthusiasm.

After an unusually calm winter a trip to Muriwai Beach in July did not yield anything to the “beachcombers”. Sometimes unusual birds and numerous petrels are washed up on this beach in winter. Rain set in during the afternoon and caused our early departure. August’s outing to Ngaheretuku, the Society’s bush property at Clevedon, was most enjoyable, being the first time that we have done more than merely skirt the fringes of this bush en

route to somewhere else. In the morning we visited a delightful little reserve of kauri bush owned by Messrs. Henderson and Pollard in the hills at Whitford. The trips for September and October were transposed to fit in with the Cheeseman Memorial Native Flower Show; so we went to Lake Whangape on 22 September and saw huge flocks of black swans and cygnets there. We then called on Mr. C. Couzens at Waerenga and ate our lunch in his beautiful garden, afterwards walking through his plantation of native trees. The Annual General Meeting on 9 August was quite well attended and the following officers were elected: Chairman, Mr. W. T. Slater; Vice-chairmen, Mr. R. B. Sibson and Mr. M. G. Fowlds; Secretary, Mrs. E. L. Fooks; Assistant Secretary, Miss M. Spicer; Treasurer, Mrs. M. Reed; Committee: Mrs. J. Prickett, Mrs. C. A. Corban, Mrs. A. P. Lvnch, Mrs. H. E. Read, Miss D. Nairn, Miss M. Russell, Mr. A. V. Piesse, Mr. B. Hall. Slides taken by various members were shown after the business meeting. We have had some excellent movie films from the U.K. Information Office and the National Film Library and on 11 October Mr. R. B. Sibson gave a talk, illustrated by slides, entitled “Wandering in the South Island”.

WATER:

By

an Old Timer

Sixty years ago at my home in the Hutt Valley we had to rely on tank water for all our household needs. Water for all purposes was severely rationed and in the summer during dry spells we had to carry water quite some distance from where there was an artesian well. To leave the tap dripping or running was at any time a crime meriting severe punishment. I do not think we ever had a test for the purity of the supply, but I do know that every now and again when rain was fairly certain we had to drain the tank and remove two or three inches of sediment from the bottom. We also had to clean dust and less appetising things such as bird droppings from the roof of course. Nevertheless we survived. When finally we were connected with a town water supply it was an almost incredible improvement in home life, but for years we preserved the habit of being meagre with our usage of water. Unfortunately too many folk today take a plentiful and pure water supply for granted and I fear many badly misuse it; but it will not always be so because one of the big problems the peoples of the world will have to face in the years ahead will be the provision of pure water to meet the demands of greatly increased populations associated with the tremendous demands for water made by modern industry. The July issue of the Canadian Wildlife Review gives the following interesting information on the subject: “An infant’s body contains 70 to 80 per cent water, adults 50 to 60 per cent. Losing 10 per cent of the body’s water is serious, 20 per cent usually fatal. A person usually secretes two quarts of water per day and that amount of liquid should be taken to replace that lost through perspiration, breathing, etc. Incidentally a normal person drinks a ton of water every year. ■ One function of water in the body is to allow you to perspire, which cools you. When one pound of water is evaporated it takes away enough heat to raise sjd pounds of ice to boiling point. (A calorie, incidentally, is defined as the amount of heat needed to raise one kilogram of water one degree centigrade). The ocean contains 97.39 per cent of the earth’s water; if all the continents sank below the sea the level of the water on the earth would be about 9000 ft.

"Someone has calculated that the water in the ocean weighs about 1,400,000,000,000,000,000,000 tons. Now that’s an awful lot of water but unfortunately it is so loaded with salts that without careful treatment it cannot be used for drinking. Fresh water available is comparatively a small amount and on that the demand is increasing terribly. The American Machine and Foundry Company has estimated that in 1900 Americans needed 40 billion gallons of water per day, now they need 312 billion gallons daily and this is expected to increase to a demand for 453 billion gallons dally by 1975. This has to be produced from sources many of which are becoming so polluted that they are causing the gravest anxiety to the authorities.” [Note: An American billion = 1,000 million.Ed.] New Zealand has been blessed with a wonderful water supply, but it should always be remembered that it is not inexhaustible. Every effort should be made to prevent pollution and to see that our great steep watercatchment hills are never denuded of their native bush. No other covering is so effective in regulating . the raindrops where they fall and thereby preserving our soils and water.

Copies of Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring” are now obtainable from the Society’s Head Office, price 255.