The Dunedin City Council reserve, located inland from Waikouaiti and running from the south flank of Hikaroroa/Mt Watkin to the Waikouaiti River, holds some of the best remaining examples of the forest types that covered the coastal Otago hills before European settlement.
Last year, six local landowners whose properties surround the 600ha reserve on all sides, joined forces with conservation experts to form the Hikaroroa/Mt Watkin Conservation Group.
The group is leading efforts to tackle pest species and invasive plants, as well as restore aspects of the habitat.
Hikaroroa/Mt Watkin Conservation Group member and Mammalian Corrections Unit Ltd (MCU) biodiversity ranger Jamie Hickling said the intention of the group was to care for the reserve and build connections within the community.
"The reserve has been classified as an area of significant biodiversity and ecologically it is a gem," Mr Hickling said.
Hikaroroa/Mt Watkin Scenic Reserve holds one of only two remaining unlogged podocarp forests in coastal Otago, including slow-growing native hardwoods like totara, kahikatea, and matai, as well as the last remaining example of kowhai, lacebark, and ribbonwood forest in Otago.
The group has been awarded funding by the Otago Regional Council, DCC, and Waitaki District Council to undertake stoat, ferret, and possum trapping on the private land and remnant bush surrounding the reserve, in conjunction with Predator Free Dunedin (PFD).
"So far, things are going very well — it is a win-win for everyone to be removing these pests from the area," Mr Hickling said.
So far, the conservation group has undertaken two major projects, installing a ring of 71 stoat and ferret traps around the reserve boundaries and installing and managing possum traps in the surrounding land with the support of the Halo Project, PFD and the ORC.
"The goal of all this work is for it to be led by the community, and so we are focusing on building community resilience and taking it into the landscape and ecosystem of the wide Hikararoa area," Mr Hickling said.
In order to expand its efforts and supported by funding from the ORC, the conservation group is in the process of finding more volunteers and training them for a wide variety of hands-on tasks, from taking part in regular biodiversity and trail camera monitoring, to handling traps.
"It is part of our brief to provide professional development for the community, to give them the skills to take care of this important space.
"To do meaningful conservation work requires a lot of community buy-in and a lot of hands. It is very important to have people with these skill sets in the community."
Workshops
The Hikaroroa/Mt Watkin Conservation Group will hold two community workshops this month with the aim of connecting with prospective volunteers, sharing the importance of the cultural and ecological values of the wider Hikaroroa area.
There will be guest speakers, presentations, activities, and a chance to share kai.
The first workshop will be held on Saturday, July 13, from 10am-noon, at the East Otago Events Centre, 203 Main Rd, Waikouaiti.
The second workshop will be held on Saturday, July 20, from 10am-noon, Puketeraki Marae, 520 Apes Rd, Karitane.
All interested people are welcome.
More information can be found on the facebook events page, or by emailing
