Bay Harbour: November 29, 2023

Bay Harbour News Wednesday November 29 2023
8
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Harbour volunteers work
to combat weeds and pests
• By Lily Duval
THE WHAKA-ORA Pest
Project has hit the ground
running with ambitious goals
to tackle invasive plants and
animals in Whakaraupō
Lyttelton Harbour.
WOPP coordinator Katie
Dunlop says the dual focus on
plants and animals is important
to help restore the Harbour’s
native ecosystems.
“We have a lot of pesky plants
like spur valerian and old man’s
beard here. They can grow much
faster than our native plants, so if
we don’t get on top of them they
can easily smother new plantings,”
said Dunlop.
Dunlop runs volunteer weeding
days at Urumau Reserve and
several other spots around the
Harbour.
“You can get heaps done with
a good group of volunteers,” she
said.
TE ŪAKA Lyttelton Museum
is pleased to have collaborated
with Lyttelton Engineering
for the second year running
on a calendar celebrating
Whakaraupō Lyttelton
Harbour’s rich history.
Lyttelton Engineering has been
an integral part of the port town
since 1953, growing to become
one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s
largest engineering companies,
with a staff of nearly 100. They
are committed to providing
training opportunities for the
future generation of marine
and industrial engineers. With
strong relationships within the
local community, they are proud
supporters of the mission to
rebuild a museum in the heart of
the township.
The 2024 calendar focuses on
a selection of historic buildings
and structures in Ōhinehou
Lyttelton and at Te Waipapa
Diamond Harbour. Of the 12
“If we can get rid of the plants
before they flower and set seed,
we can stop the spread.”
Some of the weeds can be deceptively
pretty – like the bright
pink flowers of spur valerian or
the yellow daisy-like flowers of
boneseed. Spur valerian loves
rocky outcrops and coastal cliffs
and easily out-competes native
plant species, while other pests
like wilding pines and boneseed
pose a significant fire risk.
As well as running weeding
days, Dunlop has mobilised a
motivated group of community
trappers. So far the project,
supported by Whaka-Ora
Healthy Harbour, a collaboration
between the city council, ECan,
Ngāi Tahu and Lyttelton Port
Company has 25 volunteer trappers
signed on. Trappers spend
an afternoon with Dunlop learning
the ropes – how to safely set
and check a trap, and how to record
their results – before taking
featured only five remain, with
one, the War Memorial, on a
new site at Albion Square. The
rest have either fallen victim
on the trapline themselves.
Father and son Gary and Tom
Freedman live at Cass Bay and
have adopted a trapline at Steadfast
Reserve.
Getting involved with WOPP
was a no-brainer for Gary.
“As Cass Bay residents, we’ve
been active in the planting and
maintenance of native trees and
have enjoyed watching these new
forests grow,” he said.
“Controlling pests goes hand
in hand with restoring the land,
so it was natural to help out the
trapping teams.”
The WOPP trapping programme
is only six weeks old but
the group is already recording
great results. So far, they’ve
caught around 90 rats, mice,
hedgehogs and possums, and
have even trapped an elusive
stoat.
If you’re keen to get involved
with weeding or trapping,
contact wopp@cvnz.co.nz
Te Ūaka Lyttelton Museum calendar out now
to progress or the February 22,
2011 earthquake.
Featured here is the Harbour
Board Store No 5 in 1920, on land
The Lyttelton Harbour Board Store No 5 in 1920.
Te Ūaka The Lyttelton Museum ref 14735.1
https://www.teuaka.org.nz/online-collection/1135644
Stoddart Cottage
Christmas Market
GIFTS: Paintings, jewellery and more will be on sale.
THE ANNUAL Stoddart
Cottage Artisans Christmas
Market opens on Friday,
followed by a historic
exhibition exploring the work
and home life of the cottage’s
most famous resident, artist
Margaret Stoddart, at the end
of the month.
The market includes original
paintings and ceramics, jewellery,
accessories, knitwear and
toys, as well as Christmas cards
that is now part of Lyttelton Port
Company’s operational area.
The calendar is available in
Lyttelton from Leslie’s Bookshop,
Henry Trading, Air, Sea and
Land, London Street Bookshop
and the Lyttelton Harbour Information
Centre.
On Saturday, December 2 and
9, members of Te Ūaka Friends –
an informal group of supporters
of the museum project – will be
running a stall at the Lyttelton
Farmers Market.
As well as the 2024 calendar,
they will have aprons, tea towels,
cards and postcards for sale.
and decorations. All purchases
support the local artisans who
run the co-operative shop at
the cottage throughout the
year.
Stoddart Cottage Artisans
Christmas Market, December
1-26.
Stoddart Cottage Gallery,
Diamond Harbour, is open
Friday-Sunday plus all public
holidays except Christmas Day,
10am-4pm.
Solve your Christmas gift giving
dilemmas and get in while stocks
last. You might also like to find
out about joining this group of
like-minded individuals who are
committed to contributing to the
museum project.
Any purchase of museum
merchandise will go towards the
fundraising for the new museum
building.
Te Ūaka Lyttelton Museum
looks forward to continuing our
weekly storytelling in 2024, and
to the announcement of some
exciting developments in our Te
Ūaka Stories project.
Shop ‘Shop
2023
SUPPORT
LOCAL!
‘nn Win
From left,
Sutter
Schumacher
receives her
prize from
Annabel
Judd of
Star Media.
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SUTTER SCHUMACHER
Lucky shopper at Body Care
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