In 1999, concerned by the declining state of the Ashley-Rakahuri River near Rangiora, New Zealand, members of the community came together and formed the Ashley-Rakahuri River Rivercare group, ARRG. While different interest groups, from gravel extractors and 4WD enthusiasts to bird watchers, are often on opposing sides of issues, we all had a common desire to reverse the decline in numbers of the unique birds that breed on the river.
From the outset, we worked together with the Department of Conservation, Environment Canterbury, and the Waimakariri District Council to develop and implement a strategy to manage an 18km section of the river from the confluence of the Okuku River downstream to the State Highway 1 (SH1) road bridge.
Regular pest trapping, bird monitoring, and public education campaigns began in earnest in 2004. For the next few years we received funding from WWF, Pacific Development and Conservation Trust, NZ National Parks and Development Foundation, and the NZ Lottery Grants Board. The co-operative model worked. So in 2007, we organised a braided river birds workshop. That led to the formation of BRaid, an organisation that advocates for braided rivers across the South Island.
In 2010 we won the Canterbury-Aoraki Conservation Award, and in 2018 we won the Australasian Wildlife Management Society annual award for Practical Wildlife Management.
Today, some twenty years after that first meeting, our dedicated volunteers build, install, and check predator traps, monitor bird populations annually, undertake field research, support graduate student research, trial programmes to enhance habitats through weed clearing and island formation with the assistance of a local gravel extraction company Taggart Earthmoving, lead ‘river ramble’ walks during Conservation Week, and regularly visit schools and community groups (see our reports for details and this educational video). Apart from large one-off projects, for which we seek outside finances, we are largely self-funded through the work of volunteers, some of whom make DOC200 traps that we sell. Plus we are sponsored by a local business, Karikaas, artisan makers of a ‘braided river birds’ series of award-winning cheeses.
It’s not just the birds that benefit. The community as a whole is enriched by the knowledge that a rare ecosystem is right here in their backyard and some of the most endangered birds in the world choose to call it home.
Our job is to ensure that we protect and nurture this environment for future generations.
The River....
Contact Us
Chairman, Nick Ledgard
03-312-8799
Secretary, Joan Miles
Creating bird habitat
Title image: prior to the bird breeding season, commercial shingle extraction in the Ashley-Rakahuri river has cleared away weeds, and started to dig the channel which will create an island where the tractor is working. The tractor-mounted undercutter is making the site more attractive for bird breeding by roughing up the shingle surface.
Group update
First of all, apologies for the lack of updates this year. In fact, there have been none, as the last was in December, 2019. Down on the river The last season was a good one for bird numbers, as nearly all species were present in record numbers. Breeding results were variable. Up to 10 wrybill […]
Weed Removal Report
Background Shorebirds breeding on braided rivers require clear shingle on which to nest. Over recent years the incidence of woody weeds has increased significantly on the Ashley-Rakahuri (AR) river. It is estimated that the area of clear shingle in the core bird breeding stretch of the river (21km between the Okuku river junction and the […]
Aspects of the Ashley Weed Problem
It is well established that birds that breed on braided rivers require bare gravel for their nests, and for many years members of the ARRG have understood that weeds pose a major threat to birds nesting on the Ashley. Exactly when weeds became a threat on the river is uncertain, but from the memories of […]