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Birds New Zealand President, David Lawrie, said today that his society strongly endorses the decision of the Government announced earlier this week by the Hon. Dr. Nick Smith, Minister of Conservation, for the aerial use of 1080 pesticide in a "Battle for Our Birds" for the control of animal pests to achieve better protection of our at risk native birds.

Mr. Lawrie said, "Members of Birds New Zealand are increasingly concerned at the steady loss of native birds in all natural habitats, especially iconic, rare and endangered species that include kiwi, kakariki, kea, kaka, mohua, whio and kokako. The Battle for Our Birds programme launched by the Minister to save native species is a welcome response to the expected increase in pest animal numbers that will eventually prey on forest birds following exceptionally heavy seeding in beech forests that is predicted to occur this year". "Birds living in all natural habitats need protection from rats, stoats and other pests", said Mr. Lawrie, "and the problem is expected to be especially urgent in coming months in beech forests where very heavy seeding is expected and will lead to greatly increased populations of pest animals that will prey on birds".

"Birds New Zealand accepts the conclusions of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment that careful use of 1080 is safe and that its regulated use is the only tool presently available for cost-effective control of pest animals for the protection of birds over large areas of forests. It complements the use of trapping that is widely applied now but the sheer scale of the pest control problem in beech forests in coming months, especially in the South Island, following predicted mass seeding means that carefully targeted aerial spreading of 1080 is the only practical and realistic approach that can be adopted", stated Mr. Lawrie.

He said that several studies have been made on the impacts on native birds since the mid 1990s which have demonstrated that aerial 1080 poisoning of possums and other pests has not markedly affected native bird populations and in all cases is beneficial in the longer term.

Studies of North Island robin and North Island tomtit in Pureora Forest Park in 1997/98 concluded that the breeding success of both species improved dramatically after pests were poisoned by aerially distributed 1080 baits. The use of 1080 baits has also been demonstrated in studies published in 2003 to have markedly improved the survival and nesting success of kereru and kaka in Whirinaki Forest Park, near Rotorua.

In a study made on the critically endangered kakapo, a nocturnal herbivorous parrot, Mr. Lawrie said, "The breeding of the kakapo is associated with periodic heavy seeding of several forest trees and other plants, their major plant foods. Protection of kakapo chicks from predation from stoats, rats and possums is therefore critically important when heavy seeding occurs and the careful use of the 1080 pesticide can help achieve this".

Mr. Lawrie also explained, "That a major concern of ecologists is that 1080 poison itself, however carefully applied, might be killing some of the native bird and other animal species that it is intended to protect. While there was some evidence of this in the past, the design and application of 1080 has changed immensely in recent years". Mr. Lawrie added, "An issue that has been studied in South Island robins by the Zoology Department in the University of Otago was the effect of an aerial 1080 operation to control possums, which are now preceded by non-toxic pre-feeding bait. The results were clear in that adult robins nesting in the study area of the 1080 operation survived. This University of Otago research is continuing to look for other positive effects of 1080 operations on biodiversity".

Mr. Lawrie added that, "A conclusion of a study involving the kea, a parrot living only in a few South Island mountains shows that where an aerial application of 1080 was well timed the secondary poisoning of stoats was sufficient to increase kea productivity four-fold over the next two breeding seasons as well as leading to improved survival of birds in all age classes. Populations have been modelled to show that the alternative of no pest control at all would see the likely demise of the kea and that would be very sad loss indeed for such a distinctive and intelligent endemic species".

"A study published in 2012 of 1080 poisoning of possums where the fernbird occurs suggests that impacts of aerial 1080 operations on fernbird numbers are small and the observed impact is outweighed by improved breeding and survival resulting from the reduction of mammalian predators", Mr. Lawrie stated.

Birds New Zealand is the recently adopted popular name for the Ornithological Society of New Zealand. The change has been made in the hope that this will improve the awareness, understanding and relevancy of the society to the general public. The society was formed nearly 75 years ago and aims to foster the study, knowledge and enjoyment of birds. Birds New Zealand is committed to the study of birds and their habitat use within New Zealand through encouraging members and organising various projects and schemes. Activities are organised nationally and amongst 18 regions that provides a local network for members to engage in bird studies. Results of studies are published in the societys scientific journal Notornis whilst general articles and news are published in the magazine Birds New Zealand (formerly Southern Bird). The society has more than 1,100 members in New Zealand and overseas.

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Birds NZ endorses the use of 1080 for pest control

Barrie Advance

Although Memorial Square is covered in snow and cold winds blow along Dunlop Street, Downtown Barrie is warming up for a flavour-filled spring and summer.

If you want to taste the area youre visiting, a lot of times its the street food (you buy). In Thailand, its the street vendors you go to. Its the same in Mexico, said Downtown Barrie BIA managing director Craig Stevens.

The BIA is pitching local restaurants on the idea of setting up shop in the Memorial Square area this summer.

Whether local eateries serve new, easy-to-eat items selling for $5.50 from a truck or one of a series of carts, they could expand their menus and their reach, Stevens said. Tara could do a naan wrap, he suggested. Youd get something good to eat in a cool environment, but it has a direct tie-back to the restaurants (downtown).

You want more flavour and more variety? Sometimes you fell like (having) a naan wrap, a fish skewer or a taco.

Stevens said hes asking restaurants if theyd like to set aside time for the street-food initiative, which would add more healthy and creative options to the fries, poutine, hot dogs and sausages that have been enjoyed downtown for many summers.

Memorial Square is the spot. Well reach out and see what will work best, he added.

The BIA is also meeting with city centre revitalization co-ordinator Janet Foster this week to discuss patios. It proposals the patios open April 15 and close Oct. 15.

Barrie introduced the seasonal patios two years ago. The number of participating businesses grew from nine the first year to about 15 last year.

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Barrie's Memorial Square may sizzle this summer

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Gloucester has agreed to hire a general contracting firm from Newton to build the new West Parish School and to carry out the renovations needed to convert the former St. Ann School into use as a temporary home for West Parish students while their new school is under construction.

W.T. Rich has been pegged to head up the St. Ann renovation, Mayor Carolyn Kirk said Monday, while subcontractors for the project have been lining up, from a corporation listing available construction bids in Florida to a cornucopia of companies on the North Shore.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese closed down St. Ann School last June, citing declining enrollment.

City school officials, pursuing an estimated $39.7 million project to build a new West Parish on the same site as the 65-year-old building off Concord Street, announced in December that they would house West Parish students in kindergarten through fourth grade at St. Ann for the next two years, while West Parish fifth-graders are targeted to go to an isolated wing of OMaley Innovation Middle School during construction.

W.T. Rich will serve as the construction manager overseeing St. Ann renovations and West Parish, Kirk said. The companys cost estimate came in roughly $47,000 under budget.

I was really happy about that, Kirk said.

Kirk said the timeline is tight, but St. Ann should be ready to house Gloucester students by July 30, roughly a month before the start of the new school year.

Still to be determined is the cost the city will pay the archdiocese to lease St. Ann over the next two years, Kirk said. The mayor added that those negotiations are still grinding along, even though the city has committed to a lease agreement.

Kirk noted a long-term capital plan of elementary schools is due back soon, and if the city needs to temporarily house students again, St. Ann could once again come into play. School officials chose the St. Ann/OMaley temporary option over restoring the city-owned Fuller School and moving all West Parish students together. W.T. Richs duties as construction manager include overseeing the project and drumming up trade contractors.

According to the qualifications requested by the city, the renovation of St. Ann will include selective demolition and construction of interior walls, electrical work, plumbing and painting, as well as installing a stair lift for students with disabilities.

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Newton firm lands city school contracts

If you're adding outdoor lights, here are five types you can consider, according to Kyle McKelvy, president of Oregon Outdoor Lighting in Oregon City:

Post lights: These offer a decorative way to provide light for a well-traveled path, stairs or steps that will be used at night. For the light itself, prices start at $100 on up.

Low-voltage lighting: LED lighting, low-voltage lights, path lights, spot lights, up lights, accent lights and eyebrow lights all generally fall in this category, which offers the widest range of options.

For the DIYer, prices start at $30 per light and go to $100 or more. This doesn't include wire, connections to get the light in the ground, the landscape lighting wire transformer or labor. Starting price for a professional grade fixture that's installed is $250 per light and can go up to $500 per light.

String lights: Flickering white lights can be added to tree branches. Prices range depending on the length of the string lights (generally 10 to 50 feet in length) and quality, but generally start at $10 or $25 for commercial grade.

Underwater lighting: This is a sub-category of low-voltage or LED lighting, with the difference being that these fixtures need to be watertight.

As such, prices generally start at $50, though a high quality colored light can run as high as $400. Professional grade installed starts at $400.

-- Kris Wetherbee

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Landscape lighting: Five ways to shine

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