On Sunday, Forest & Bird South Otago invited the public to join a guided bush walk in its showcase Lenz Reserve in Tautuku in the Catlins.
Sixteen people from as far afield as Dunedin joined the 8km, four-hour walk through regenerating bush at the reserve, which consists of 544ha of mixed podocarp and other native species.
Event convener and guide Jim Young said he and fellow guide Roy Johnstone were delighted with one of their biggest ever turnouts.
"The weather has played its part, drizzle breaking into sunshine just before we began, and our visitors have enjoyed learning about the diverse flora and fauna in the reserve."
To date, 210 species of plant had been catalogued, including 59 different ferns.
Fauna included falcons, Tautuku forest geckos and kakariki.
Fernbirds had also been identified in good numbers.
Pest control was critical to conserving and enhancing the reserve, Mr Young said.
"Pigs and deer destroy the understorey, so what may look like nice clearings under ponga here should actually be covered with saplings and other young plants."
Extensive trapping of rats, stoats and possum since 2014 was helping native fauna thrive.
The reserve contained many mature trees still and, on Sunday, visitors learned about the unusual sex life of podocarps such as black pine, which grow discretely as males or females.
"If you have a preponderance of either sex, there can be problems," Mr Young said.
Although the reserve was open to the public year-round, the annual walk took visitors off the beaten track.
"It’s not like a Doc reserve, where tracks are well formed and obvious.
"So the guided walk is a great opportunity for people to enjoy an authentic bush experience with experienced guides, while learning a bit about the history and ecology of the place."
Further summer events can be found online, on the group’s social media pages.
