Celebration of restoration at Sherwood Forest in Southland

Biodiversity Southland, a group focused on protecting Southland's natural heritage values, has undertaken a range of management work at Sherwood Forest at Tussock Creek north-east of Invercargill since 2003.

Funded by the Biodiversity Condition Fund, the work includes weed and pest control and revegetation plantings.

Protected with a 34ha QEII covenant in 1991 by Pat and the late Derek Turnbull, the matai-dominated forest is a nationally significant ecosystem.

A kowhai and ribbonwood riparian forest area in the covenant contains a number of threatened plant species including the nationally endangered Olearia hectorii.

At a gathering in April 2009 in Sherwood Forest, guests including local covenantors celebrated the progress made with the restoration over the last six years.

A Friends of Sherwood Forest group was also launched to enable people to assist in the long term management of the Turnbulls’ special area.

Planting at Sherwood Forest Photo: Maitland Manning

Above, from left: Gay Munro, QEII Southland Regional Representative; Stuart Collie, Environment Southland Chairperson; and Frana Cardno, Southland District Council Mayor, planting a matai in honour of the late Derek Turnbull.

Gay Munro has now retired from the position of QEII Regional Representative, having given 12 years of wonderful service in helping Southland landowners to protect special areas with open space covenants.

With two peatland covenants south-east of Invercargill at Gorge Road and Mokotua, Gay and her husband Ron will continue to have links with QEII.

The new Southland Regional Representative is Graeme Watson, phone 03 230 4843, email Graeme

To contact the QEII Representative in your region ...


Open SpaceTM Magazine No. 76, July 2009 © QEII National Trust


Back to Covenant Stories ....

© QEII National Trust

MoST Content Management V3.0.3882