Local Species Of Ōrākei to Be Surveyed at Bioblitz Event

MEDIA RELEASE

Wednesday 4 March, 2015

Local Species Of Ōrākei to Be Surveyed at Bioblitz Event in 2015

Over the course of 22 hours scientists and volunteers will aim to count and document every species in the Pourewa Reserve and adjacent Kepa Bush area at a BioBlitz event.

Host Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and organisers Auckland Museum, with support from the St Heliers Bay Pony Club, will partner with Auckland Council, Landcare Research, the University of Auckland, Unitec and WWF - New Zealand to undergo an intensive biological survey of the land on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 March, 2015. The BioBlitz event will be presented by entomologist ‘Bug Man’ Ruud Kleinpaste.

The Pourewa land has recently been returned to the ownership of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and the Iwi have a desire to restore the land to create a native bush reserve. The BioBlitz will provide the Iwi with biodiversity data for their restoration plan. This event also marks the first time the Pourewa area has been open to the general public in over 50 years.

“Our commitment is to restoring the mauri (life force) of the whenua and it is a privilege to work alongside scientists who can inform this work” says Charmaine Wiapo, Ecological Restoration Manager for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

Open to all and free to everyone, visitors will be able to go on guided walks, look down state-of-the-art microscopes and talk with scientists to find out about some of the species discovered. All species will be identified and documented in a large marquee onsite and the grand tally will be announced around 3pm at the end of the event on Saturday 28 March.

“You would be surprised, but in urban areas there are still lots of species waiting to be discovered” says Auckland Museum’s Curator of Marine Invertebrates, Wilma Blom. “More than 30 new insect species, most of them native, were found as result of the BioBlitz in Auckland Domain”

Alongside the BioBlitz event, Auckland Museum has a complementary education outreach programme that is planned with five schools in the Ōrākei area. The programme, which links with the school curriculum, will see the Museum’s educators hold an introductory classroom lesson before taking the students to BioBlitz. The students will participate in hands on activities, gain an understanding of the historical and ecological significance of the site and learn more about the part that they can play in their local eco-systems.

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