Thames/Hauraki Branch of Forest & Bird:

Wetlands Activities Sep-Dec 2004

Halls Reserve Nov

News 16-Sep-04

Pohutukawa home

WILLIAM HALL MEMORIAL RESERVE

Update: December.

General

The year 2004 marks a turning point in the recent history of Hall's Reserve. Hall's was planted around 1870, and lovingly tended by Hall himself until his death in 1915, but then languished for the greater part of the following century, as one of the "Parks and Reserves" of the then Thames Borough Council. About 4-5 years ago it was re-discovered by local botanists who noted its lacklustre condition and brought this to the attention of Forest and Bird and the Thames Community Board (TCB). In 2003 local volunteers, Forest and Bird, and the TCB began working together in a restoration programme which is now beginning to take shape, culminating this year in:

1. a major allocation of $35,000 from TCB for the survey of boundaries and their fencing to stock-proof standards.

2. inclusion of Hall's into the annual programme of the Arboricultural School of the Waikato Institute of Technology for training its students, who this year have worked through the lower 1.07 ha touching Currie St.

3. creation of volunteer work groups by Forest and Bird, and neighbours to the Reserve.

4. wider dissemination of information to local supporters and the media, leading to growing public interest and awareness.

Pohutukawa Festival

With growing public support the annual walk through the Reserve as part of the Pohutukawa Festival on 27 Nov was better attended than in previous years, The 55 participants were conducted by botanist and nurseryman Graeme Platt who spoke of Hall's foresight in creating NZ's first arboretum of native trees, at a time when native forests were under severe pressure. Some of Graeme's other observations included:

1. identification of an Australian pine "callitris"

2. suggestion of a moderate approach to remedial work on the original trees

3. prunings, thinnings, and logs to lay where they fall as part of the forest renewal process

4. need for paths to make the Reserve accessible, though in the upper blocks these need not necessarily be formal with metalled surfaces

5.eventually some form of memorial entrance gate

6. desirability for a research student to assemble Hall's written materials which now lie in museums and in archives of other arboreta

Graeme also drew our attention to less well known aspects of Hall's work, such as his correspondence with the curator of Abbey Gardens at Tresco in the Scilly Is, UK. This arboretum, set in the ruins of an abbey, is home to 20,000 exotic plants from 80 countries. Though just 30 miles from Cornwall it is frost-free and friendly to exotics such as NZ's natives. Seeds for some of these were known to have been supplied by Hall whose letters to the curator still await systematic discovery.

On the subject of the pecking order of arboreta of native trees in NZ, Graeme considered that Hall's would have been the first, the next in time being the arboretum set up by Cockayne in a suburb of Wellington around the 1920's or 30's. This is now a well recognised part of the visitor and tourist circuit of Wellington

Wintec

A group of 20 arboriculture students with their tutors spent the three days 20-22 Oct on tree maintenance in the lower 1.07 ha of the Reserve. They used climbing equipment and techniques to take out weakened limbs, the crowns of some oaks which had been suppressing some totara, and one complete ash which was in a diseased state, It is hoped that funding can be found to bring the Wintec team back in 2005, where they can begin their survey and recording of parts of the upper blocks totalling 8.15 ha.

As part of this year's assignment the Wintec students brought in their high tech equipment, and used it to record the height and GPS location of each of Hall's trees in the lower 1.07 ha. This data, along with an assessment of the condition of every tree, is now systematically stored in the Institute's data base in Hamilton. It also is the basis for a published report "William Hall Reserve Tree Assessment" June 19th 2004, copies of which are lodged with the Thames Coromandel District Council (TCDC) and the Thames Public Library. Talks are continuing on having a machine-readable copy of the report on CD to store in the TCDC data base of its parks and reserves. It is planned that this tree assessment survey will continue over the coming years to include all of the original trees that survive.

Herewaka Stream

It is not commonly known that the Reserve also includes a few acres South of Mt Sea Rd and which straddle the Herewaka stream. It is the steepest part of the Reserve, and has in it mature macrocarpa, many pines, a whau and some unidentified North American trees.Its boundary is defined by the remains of a fence to south and west, but on the upper eastern side is not clear. Stock seem to be entering this part of the Reserve on a daily basis. Part of the boundary has been taken over by a super-sized elaeagnus, which reaches upwards for about 30ft also, on to a large macrocarpa. Even in its present state, however, this part of the Reserve provides for a strenuous but enjoyable scramble, especially along the stream itself.

Programme

The contribution of TCB for survey and fencing is a landmark step in the rehabilitation of the Reserve. We express our thanks to TCB, TCDC, its councillors and staff, and also to Pub Charity which has financed Wintec's team on its two visits this year. Forest and Bird is continuing to work with the TCB in sustaining the momentum of restoration so that within a few years' time the Reserve will occupy its appropriate place as a community heritage site.

Ref: comments may be sent to kow@xtra.co.nz (Ken Clark)