Big Bellamy thumbs up for Maungatautari project

COR BLIMEY! David Bellamy admires an 800-year-old rata in the southern enclosure (Pukeatua access) on Maungatautari. Photo by Phil Brown.

The Maungatautari restoration project got the thumbs up from world renowned conservationist and environmentalist David Bellamy, following a brief visit to the mountain on Sunday.

Three years ago Professor Bellamy spent an afternoon in the Maungatautari bush next to Bill and Sue Garland’s property on the western side of the mountain. He said then that the project was as significant as anything happening in the world at that time, and that he looked forward to visiting the project again to follow its progress.

Sunday was that opportunity. As Prof. Bellamy walked through the 65 hectare southern enclosure, stopping along the way to get a closer look at the variety of plants particularly the different mosses, he said he was most impressed by the progress.

“The restoration of Maungatautari must succeed,” he said as he looked up to admire an approximately 800 year-old rata inside the pest-proof fenced enclosure.

Jim Mylchreest, Maungatautari Trust chief executive, says it was wonderful to have Professor Bellamy back on the mountain.

“It was so inspiring walking in the New Zealand bush with such an enthusiastic, interesting, expert botanist.”

Meanwhile, more than half of the perimeter pest-proof fence around Maungatautari has been completed. Xcluder fence builders reached the 25km mark at the end of January, only 18 months after construction started.

“It’s been a mammoth undertaking to fence off the 3400 hectares of native forest on Maungatautari, and at times the weather has been against us, but with 1km being built each week from now on we are still on target to finish by the end of winter this year,” Mr Mylchreest says. “Then it is full swing into the pest eradication stage, which we are preparing for right now.”

The fence along the southern edge of the mountain is completed with construction now focusing along the northern and north eastern boundaries. Two 12 tonne diggers and a 14 tonne bulldozer are currently carving a fence track along the bush boundary to clear the way for the 22-strong fence building team.