Will Reports: A Great Day on Wednesday the 23^rd June for the help we received and the sunny day. Twenty two people from our group, Keep Richmond Beautiful and council staff and contractors. Also included were some friends of Bruce’s. Five hundred natives plants all in before lunchtime (gone by lunchtime!) The photo at left shows the line up of vehicles on Hill Street from where we ferried people up to Grassy Saddle. Thanks to Richard Hilton, Kevin Piper, Bruce Harvey and Damon for this. 

However, before this fine day, the preparation of the area, by Bruce, Bryan, Kevin & Ross, a couple of weeks before smoothed the way. 

Kevin & I were up again a few days later to plant some of our own plants but were concerned about the number of free ranging dogs. Dogs and dogs  – But really, the phase should be ‘dog owner, dog owner’. Then we had a person who barged up through our recent plantings – with his damn wide ranging dog, stating that he paid his TDC rates plus other words not worth putting down. Just why are we working up there??

It’s about time some people pulled their socks up, although I guess they wouldn’t know what that means. Then there is the graffiti, rubbish just discarded and plantings damaged. Graffiti around Richmond has increased along with the increase of the population too. I’m starting to think that we don’t need either of them!

Kevin Reports: June seems to have been a rather wet month, and growth has continued through, which is great for the native plantings but also great for the weeds and grass.  It has been not so good for mud and slippage on the 4WD access on Henry Road.  We have planted low-growing hardy plants around the old skid site where the table now is, and they are doing well with the present moisture.  Let’s hope they can keep up into summer. 
 
An effort over several days managed to clear the bank of poisoned weeds to leave a decent swathe for planting, and a concerted effort involving the Wills Gully Group, and KRB members on 23rd June were able to get the slope planted.  A good 500 plants were put out, many of them medium species (Kanuka, Akeake, Mahoe, Lemonwood, Wineberry etc), but also some forest trees like Beech, Titoki, Rimu, Kahikitea, Karaka, Pokaka, which will form the more permanent bush in due course.
 
A great thanks to all who came to get so many trees planted in a morning, and in time for the next bout of rain!

Bryan Riley Reports: Hi Will, Trap totals for June:
Waterfall line —– 2 rats     3 mice
Wilks line      —– 4 rats    5 mice &  1 weasel

Bruce Harvey Reports: During June there was 10 mice and 2 rats dispatched. Very enjoyable morning planting around Grassy saddle, good to see such a big turnout. Cheers Bruce

Mike Oliver Reports:
Mike’s Gully Lines: 5 mice, 4 rats.

On the Fire Lookout Lines:
6 mice, 2 rats.

Alastair Mackintosh Reports: Hi Will. Pretty slow this past month with only 1 mouse and two rats. What I found interesting is that one of the rats was a “Norway Rat”, and not the more common ‘Roof Rat”. This is only the third I have caught, and the 4th I have ever seen in Nelson. I am sure a lot of people do not realise there is a difference. It seems that the “Norway Rats” do not frequent buildings and are more inclined to eat birds and their eggs. The first I saw here in Richmond was eating a dead chaffinch.

Apart from that : Plenty of Tui coming to my feeder. Counted 14 at one time. Could have been 13, as pretty hard to count. Glad to hear Weka calling more frequently as they seemed to have been absent these last 6 months or so. Quite a few Bell birds and Quail about, and over all, all going well. Regards to all, Alastair.

This months total Gully Catches: 24 mice; 14 rats & 1 weasel.