Today was a very laid back day. We were given the first part of our day to work on our journal assignments. In the afternoon we headed to an area by Birdling's Flat that is owned by Banks Peninsula Trust, called Hauroko covenant. For this restoration we were removing pig's ear, allysum, karo, and parsley. Yes, parsley is an invasive species at this property! We learned that the land owned by the Trust has ecological significance because the soil is made up of both gravel and rocks, which is an uncommon occurrence. Originally, the land would have been covered in native bush, but since it was cleared for agriculture the bush is growing back slowly. Our job today was to remove the four invasive species. Unfortunately, the property is close to personal homes and many of the invasive plants come from personal gardens. The property is home to four species of lizards, two of which are endangered. The property is also home to one hundred and twenty species of moths. Thirty-two species of moths feed on a specific type of plant, Muehlenbeckia!
After our restoration we headed off for a tea time at a place called The Store at Tai Tapu. Once we were warm from our hot chocolates and lattes we headed over to a local park (domain) to learn cricket! The rules were a little confusing at first but we soon got the hang of it and were hitting like pros! Thus far, the Hungry Keas are up 30 to 19 over the Tuataras.
-Kat
