Friends of Okura Bush (FOOB) are concerned that the planned upgrade of the walkway by the Department of Conservation (DOC) will be detrimental to the health of the Okura Bush Scenic Reserve. Furthermore, the same engineering is to be applied to all track upgrades across New Zealand and is likely to lead to long-term damage to forests across the country.…
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Track Assessment by Stephen King
At the Request of ‘Friends of Okura Bush’ I conducted a field inspection of the current track in March 2016 to assess issues and required improvements to ensure adequate protection of forest canopy trees. The inspection took place with Geoffrey and Lezette Reid and with a copy of currently proposed treatments supplied to them by the Department of Conservation.
Catch Count to October 2015
Graphs showing pest catches to October 2015.
FOOB fundraising music night
Saturday 14th Nov from 7 – 12 midnight. At the Okura hall. Live music, BYO, entry by donation.
2016 Okura Forest Festival
Saturday 13th February 2016 – 11am till 11pm At the Okura Hall & Park 81 Okura River Road.
Track Diversion Proposal
Not long after the track upgrade a few years ago, the sea began washing away a section of trail, just before the last set of steps which climb up out of the bush to the clifftop at the south end of Karepiro Bay. At the last FOOB committee meeting, Keith Gell from DOC told us that a diversion has recently…
Sunday 30th August Weeding Day
Help us weed out the bio invasive plants!! It’s that time again with a weeding day organised for this coming Sunday the 30th August. We are tackling Woolly Nightshade and it would be great to see you there.
Bush track format fails trees – North Shore Times
Native trees are “stressed and dying” along a public North Shore bush walk, according to a resident bush volunteer. Friends of Okura Bush co-ordinator Geoff Reid says the forest floor is suffering under a tightly packed stone chip walkway, which is part of the track linking Okura to Stillwater via bush.
Albany Heights – Redvale Bird Survey 2014
Forest & Bird need your help counting birds in the Okura catchment. They ask that you spend one hour over the weekend 15th-16th November recording birds on your property.
The DOC reserve – Sunday Star Times
FOOB received a fantastic write-up in the “Backyard Battlers” section of the Sunday Star Times this weekend. There is some great aerial photography in the video here on Stuff: The DOC Reserve Excerpt from the article: Other local environmental groups are unhappy about the 150-house Weiti Bay development springing up on Okura Bush’s northern edge and the intensification of housing…