Orokonui Ecosanctuary
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Orokonui Ecosanctuary is an ecological island wildlife reserve being constructed by the Otago Natural History Trust in the Orokonui Valley near Waitati, New Zealand, 20km to the north of Dunedin.
In December 2006 work started on building a 9.2 km long specialised pest-exclusion fence, which on expected completion in April 2007 will enclose 300ha of regenerating forest. It is planned to eradicate all introduced mammals, to fell or poison many introduced trees, shrubs and weeds and to re-populate the enclosed area with rare or endangered New Zealand native trees, plants, birds and reptiles.
The land consists of the Orokonui Scenic Reserve managed by DOC, who have agreed to hand it over to the Trust. This is an area of poor-quality native forest which was once part of a hospital farm. It was previously cut-over and grazed, and parts of it planted in Eucalyptus trees (one of which is reputed to be New Zealand's tallest tree). A donation of 51ha from an adjacent landowner has extended the proposed Ecosanctuary area by 20%. This donated land consists of planted pine forest.
The poorer ecological values of the forest here are not expected to be an impediment to the sanctuary development because forest under ecological stress has more to gain from fencing and pest eradication. The felling of many introduced trees is expected to result in a rapid increase in insect larva populations, providing more food for vertebrates.
