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 Projects
and Restoration
Work Program
Starting in 2005, the Trust developed and implemented a
plan to rid the island
of red deer,
stoats and mice. With the initial eradication of these pests now
completed, work has now moved to maintenance.
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Phase
of Project
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Timetable
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Track cutting, Coal Island
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completed
February 2005
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Stoats, initial knock-down
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June 2005
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Stoat maintenance program
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ongoing
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Deer culling
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February 2006 –
February 2008
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Deer maintenance program
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Mouse eradication program, bait application
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July/August 2008
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Long term pest management is
focused primarily on 3-monthly checking and maintenance of trap
stations. There are currently 132 trap stations on the island and 132
on the adjacent mainland and islands.
Getting Involved
The Trust uses teams of 5
volunteers accompanied by a Trust representative to undertake the
checking and maintenance of trap stations. Traps are serviced in
February, May, September and December. Volunteer trips are usually
about 6 days in duration – this gives plenty of time to carry out trap
servicing and explore the Preservation Inlet area. Because of the
difficult and remote nature of the area, volunteers need to be
experienced trampers, with a reasonable level of fitness and good gear.
Find out more about volunteering
by downloading this file.
The following table shows which future
volunteer trips have space available.
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Trip
Dates
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Spaces
available
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December 2009
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Trip full
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February 2010
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Trip full
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May 2010
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Trip full
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September 2010
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5 spaces available
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December 2010
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Trip full
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February 2011
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5 spaces available
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History
In 1809, the American sealing captain Eber Bunker charted
the south coast of Fiordland and gave the name of “Preservation Harbour”
to what is now known as “Preservation Inlet”.
Coal Island, known as “Te Puka-Hereka” to early
Maori, was called “Preservation
Island” by early
European visitors. In 1851, Captain Lort Stokes of the Archeron survey
gave the island its European name by which we now know it.
Although Coal was found on the island in the early 1800’s
it was not of sufficient quantity or quality to sustain further
development.
In the late 1800’s the discovery of gold on the island
brought the inevitable “rush”. One of the largest gold nuggets ever
discovered in New
Zealand was found on the beach at
Moonlight Point, reportedly weighing-in at 16 ounces.
Kakapo were reported to be present on the island during
the late 1800’s.
Flora and Fauna
Coal
Island
has a healthy cover of native forest, predominantly rimu, kamahi,
miro and rata. A variety of habitats exist on the island with a small
lake of approximately 3 Ha, 4 permanent streams, extensive forest and
coastal areas. The climate is generally cool, wet and windy.
Threatened native species possibly present include the NZ falcon,
South Island kaka, long-tailed cuckoo,
kereru, yellow-crowned parakeet, Fiordland crested penguin,
white-fronted tern, long-finned eel, giant kokopu, short-jawed kokopu
and beech mistletoes.
Common native bird species seen on the island include the
tui, bellbird, fantail, brown creeper, tomtit, rifleman and little
shag.
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