Tui Nature Reserve has formed a new trust called Tui Nature Reserve Wildlife Trust.
Trust chairman Brian Plaisier, who lives on the reserve with his family, said it was formed at a critical moment for New Zealand's fauna and flora.
"After almost 20 years of restoring native forest in the Marlborough Sounds with the help of many volunteers, we realised that more action was needed to stop the decline of New Zealand wildlife," he said.
"A group of people came together to form this new trust with experience in research, science, skills in community development, practical field work, et cetera, and all committed to make a difference."
As well as Mr Plaisier, the board includes Raymond Smith of Ngati Kuia, prominent ornithologist Ralph Powlesland, Tom Stein of QEII Trust and Ellen Plaisier, who has been essential to the reserve's wellbeing.
The philosophy of the trust is "Working together to save New Zealand wildlife".
A close relationship was formed with local iwi Ngati Kuia, Department of Conservation, Queen Elizabeth II National Trust, the Marlborough District Council, business and others.
Mr Plaisier said the board wanted to form better links between private landowners and the trust to work on projects, which would mean prompt action for the recovery of habitat and wildlife.
The trust also wanted to develop youth and volunteer programmes at Tui.
"The trust is building programmes to inspire and to create employment for those young people who have an interest," said Mr Plaisier.
"The benefits are mutual. As well as creating awareness for the environment, it's also for the participants, who could pick up skills and knowledge of a practical sort."
For more information about the Tui Nature Reserve Wildlife Trust, email
The Tui Nature Reserve, located in the Outer Pelorus Sound in the Marlborough Sounds, held its first open day for students from Nelson and Marlborough on Saturday, September 17, 2011, in a move to educate youth about what has become an important conservation project in the upper South Island.
The reserve has been owned and managed by the Plaisier family - Brian, Ellen and their three children Leona, Liam and Esmae - for 17 years. The family has successfully transformed the peninsula from a barren, weed-ridden landscape to regenerating native bush. They also breed kakariki, geckos and giant weta with the aim of introducing these species to the peninsula.
After years of intense pest control and other conservation work to achieve where they are today, the family is now working towards the next step in their vision: Conservation education.
A major part of that was to hold an open day specifically for students from the Marlborough and Nelson region.
The Plaisiers have also formed a wildlife trust incorporating representatives from key supporters, including Ngati Kuia the Department of Conservation, the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust, the Marlborough District Council and others from the Marlborough community.
Brian Plaisier says more needed to be done to save New Zealand's wildlife.
The philosophy of the trust is "working together to save New Zealand wildlife" and to form a link between nearby landowners and conservation projects.
"The people who have come together to form this trust have extensive experience in research, science, skills in community development, practical field work and are all committed to make a difference."
One of the trust's first aims is to involve young people in conservation through youth and volunteer programmes including predator management, research and breeding of native fauna.
"The trust is building programmes to inspire and to create employment for those young people who have an interest," Brian says.
"The benefits are mutual. As well as creating awareness of the environment, participants will also learn practical knowledge and skills."
Meanwhile, the open day attracted students from Marlborough Boys' College, Marlborough Girls' College, Queen Charlotte College, Rai Valley Area School and Salisbury School.
The group of 45 people also included Kaikoura MP Colin King, Ngati Kuia representative Raymond Smith and Department of Conservation Sounds Area Manager Roy Grose.
Open Day 17 September 2011 - Conservation dog demonstration by Leona and certified rodents detection dog Chase.
The Plaisier family said the day was a great success, with all the students showing great enthusiasm for conservation and the project. They hope to make the event an annual one.
Photos are available at request.
For further information, contact:
Tui Nature Reserve Wildlife Park Proud winner of the Marlborough Supreme Environment Award Waitata Reach - Outer Pelorus Marlborough Sounds Private Bag 65023 Havelock 7150 - Marlborough Phone 00 64 27 4483447 www.tuinaturereserve.co.nz
Below is an article written by Leona Plaisier, age 16, about the open day for publication.
It has been in the planning for months. Finally the day had come and dawned with the most superb weather: The only day of the week without wind and rain.
It was the end of National Conservation Week, and a fitting introduction to our newly-formed Wildlife Trust. Five schools, the Marlborough Boys' and Girls' Colleges, Queen Charlotte College from Picton Area, Rai Valley Area school and Salisbury Girls' school from Nelson participated in the event, with a selection of students from each. Home-scholars were also part of the day.
It was an early start for all taking part on Saturday morning, with many having to drive a long way to Havelock marina or to Elaine Bay. They arrived by the charter boat 'Southern Pursuit', sponsored by NZ King Salmon, along with a boat provided by the Department of Conservation.
Two volunteers from Europe were at the Tui Nature Reserve to help get everything organised.
The day started with an introduction at our eco-accommodation cabins.
First, a speech by representative of Ngati Kuia and Trust member, Raymond Smith, took place after the students (aged between 14 and 18 years) and teachers of the visiting schools spread out on the sunny cabin lawn.
His inspiring speech of Maori heritage and involvement in the area was followed by talks from Department of Conservation Sounds Area manager, Roy Grose, and National MP for Kaikoura, Colin King. It was wonderful to see that all ages and positions were actively participating in this event.
Soon after this, the group of 45 were shown the new baby Stephens Island Giant Weta and a young Forest Gecko called Moko (meaning lizard). The students were introduced to monitoring methods and the breeding programme for educational Red Crowned Kakariki, which are housed in one of the aviaries on the reserve.
There were also talks of mammalian predators of New Zealand and how to identify them, and also of course the importance of their trapping.
The large Rimu, Matai and thriving patches of Beech forest were toured by the schools and also a visit to the two new 'Manu' (bird) ponds on the reserve. With spring-season in full swing, the abundance of wildlife and new growth in the trees was apparent thanks to persistent trapping.
The highlight for most of the students was our Rodent-Detection Dog team demonstration held by the breeding facilities. Chase the rodent dog showed the visitors how specially-trained dogs can be used for conservation purposes. Detecting scents and remnants of rodent activity in the area was a topic many were unfamiliar with.
As the day drew to a close, everyone started the walk down the hill again.
We were very pleased with the outcome and thought it to be one of the more successful open days we have hosted. The importance of getting the younger generation inspired and interested in conservation is huge, with many of the projects around in the area relying on the next generation for their future.
We are inviting all students to join our Facebook group, Tui Nature Reserve.
The Trust is keen to keep in touch with all schools for future volunteering and outdoor-skill programmes we will soon be running.
It had been six months since Scott Theobald had last come to see the progress of our predator dogs-in-training. And now he was back to test them for their interim certificate. Chase and I were first in line.
Scott had the test sheets in front of him, and I had Chase next to me, who was looking horribly distracted. I had been training Chase many months for this obedience exam, but things were different now. I sat her down on the field and was meant to wait out of sight for 30 seconds. I knew she was pretty good at this, but I also knew how much she likes chaffinches when they fly around. As I waited, I watched one of the little birds hopping around on the field between Scott and Chase. As it flew right in front of the young dog I could imagine things going rather wrong, but luckily the training had paid off.
She passed the test beautifully. A nice reward for all the practising and training we had done, although Chase herself had no idea about it.
Liam was next with Rova. I didn't see their test, but was told it went smoothly.
Now we have two interim certified dogs on Tui Nature Reserve.
Big test: The team with people from left, Scott Theobald, Leona Plaisier and Liam Plaisier. Dogs, from left, Julz, Scott's trainee pig dog; Chase, Leona's rat/mice dog; Whero, Scott's right hand pig dog, Blue, Scott's left-hand pig dog; Crete, Scott's fully certified stoat dog; and Rova, Liam's rat dog.It will be six more months before their next and last test when they become full conservation dogs.
Liam and I now have to focus on the next part of the training, which involves more challenges and higher concentration. The dogs need experience in travelling, people and places, aversion of native birds, other non-target pests, and learning to work in different environments. Now that we have obedience sorted, we are going to get started with scent trails and aversion. It is all about learning and errors which counts for the handler. Reading the dog's indications is most important, since for each scent they have a different reaction.
Chase likes to wag her tail furiously and run through the bush like a mad dog. With mice she tends to listen rather then smell if she is close enough.
Aversion is important with dogs. Birds are especially important, but so are other animals like live stock, possums, pigs and so on, since you don't want any distractions while looking for rodents.
It's going to be fun – a challenge for both dog and human.
We are thrilled that we are the winners of not only the Habitat Enhancement but also the overall Supreme Award at the Marlborough Environment Award!
This is a real boost for our project. The prize money will be used for the improvement of the Little Blue Penguin habitat.
On the 30th of May 2009 there will be an Open Day on Tui, organized by the Council.
Judges Feedback – Marlborough Environmental Award
The Plaisiers are driven by protecting native biodiversity and conservation values, for the future and the landscape. They take the holistic approach that their property will be a stepping stone in the Marlborough Sounds.
Buildings are sympathetic to the landscape and not visible from the bay. An SNA report was undertaken three years ago which gave a high ranking to the vegetation. Over 92 species were identified including tawa, hinau, kohekohe, matai, rimu, mixed beech etc. etc.
An enclosure, including growing native bush, has been built for a kakariki and gecko breeding programme/educational purpose. There are plans for giant weta and skinks, and ultimately perhaps kiwi? Bird counts have been done and an increase in weka noted.
The owners actively share their knowledge and experience with volunteers and run a small eco tourism business with guests staying in the cottage and eco cabins.
A student programme exchange with the USA is being sought for the 2009 winter that will provide environmental awareness and conservation tools to those who take up this opportunity.
The Plaisiers’ have clear perspective on where their property sits in the overall Sounds conservation scene and an open attitude when it comes to seeking, receiving and giving information. They are future-proofing; looking beyond the years that they will be ‘caretakers’ for this property.
The judges regard what this family is doing as a useful catalyst for inspiring others, especially those who think the whole environmental crisis reported by the media and others is too big a task for one family to have any impact on. They are living out their principles. This is not just a weekend hobby, but total immersion.
This is an outstanding example of a contribution to indigenous conservation.
Tui’s win benefits penguins
By CLAIRE CONNELL – The Marlborough Express
Marlborough’s little blue penguin colony is set to benefit from a major environmental award won by the Plaisier family.
At the Marlborough Environment Awards on Friday, the Plaisier family, from the outer Pelorus Sound, won the habitat enhancement and supreme awards for their Tui Nature Reserve.
The awards, presented at Drylands Restaurant, aim to celebrate those who protect and enhance the natural environment and use resources and energy efficiently. Brian and Ellen Plaisier have spent 14 years developing the Tui Nature Reserve to its current standard, working alongside the Department of Conservation. Native birds, including tuis, are beginning to return to the area. An extensive poison-free pest management scheme has started to restore 42 hectares of native bush and wildlife, where over 92 native plants grow. About 38ha is legally protected as part of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust. A specially built enclosure houses a Marlborough green gecko and a kakariki breeding programme. The first-time competition entrants also run eco-boat tours from Havelock, and have an accommodation cottage and eco cabins for visitors to the reserve. Mrs Plaisier said the blue penguin project had been on the cards for a while, but the $3000 environment awards prize money would speed up the process.
The family planned to work on pest control and make sleeping chambers for the declining number of penguins within the next few months.
“Even though we are 180m above sea level (on Waitata Ridge), we can still hear their calls it is beautiful.” Children Leona, 14, and Liam, 12, have also played an active part in helping with the reserve project. Mrs Plaisier said they were surprised to win because there were so many fantastic projects in the competition. Because their property was isolated they did not really know who was involved in conservation work in Marlborough, Mr Plaisier said. “It was great to meet the people behind the projects. It is good to see that people in Marlborough are working to improve the environment that’s very important.”
The family wished to thank their award sponsors Spy Valley Wines, Marlborough Research Centre and Plant and Food Research as well as Marlborough District Council, Department of Conservation, Queen Elizabeth II trust, New Zealand King Salmon, volunteers and guests.
Article written by Grant Shimmin for the Timaru Herald.
Conservation is a word that is very much part of the New Zealand vocabulary and psyche. Our natural environment is precious to most of us and is a tourist attraction that sits comfortably alongside the best on the planet. But there aren't many people who feel strongly enough to walk away from their old lives to dedicate themselves to ensuring at least something of that environment remains for future generations. That is conservation at the coalface, in the raw, and it is what Brian and Ellen Plaisier have committed themselves to for the last 15 years.
When they first saw the peninsula that is now the Tui Nature Reserve, it was something of a wasteland. Sheep and wild pigs roamed freely, Brian explains, and what remained of the native forest was "under stress".
This was not really surprising, since the practice of early generations of farming settlers was to get rid of the forest.
The vision that became a long-term project, which is starting to reach some significant milestones, was to restore the native forest, not just the flora, but the fauna too, from weta to bird species that had long since taken flight.
But first Brian had to persuade the owner at the time to sell a piece of land that wasn't actually on the market. That he was successful speaks volumes about the passion their find had unleashed in the pair, although it was clear that their vision was something others didn't really understand.
On a walk through the recovering forest, in which a second layer of vegetation is now thriving and a myriad bird calls fill the air, Brian took us to a towering rimu tree estimated to be about 900 years old.
When he was walking through the site with the previous owner during the purchase process, the owner took him to the same tree and told him: "This will be your house, Brian". Not sure that he understood exactly what was being said, he sought clarification. Indeed, it was being suggested that he cut down the tree to provide the timber to build a home.
It's a story he still tells with some amusement in his voice – taking on a project like this definitely requires a sense of humour – although it has a serious sequel. That lack of understanding of what they wanted to do with the land got him thinking that, if it should be sold in the future, there was no guarantee their vision would be followed. As a result, the entire site, apart from the buildings, is now protected.
That rimu still stands tall and proud, its topmost branches towering above the canopy of the forest on the slope overlooking the Sounds. If anything, its continued presence is a symbol of what has already been achieved on the property.
There are now 93 species of tree on the land, Brian explains, along with nine different varieties of fern. But what really speaks of the regeneration of the site is the developing "second layer" of vegetation that was absent when they first laid eyes on the place, a result of the destruction caused by wild pigs and other pests.
Then there are the birds. Set out on a walk in the forest here and before long you will have feathered travelling companions in the shape of friendly, frisky fantails.
Tuis and bellbirds abound, silvereyes flit from bush to bush, New Zealand pigeons are often seen in the trees near the Plaisiers' home and the distinctive call of a morepork sometimes penetrates the stillness of dawn.
But one of the most visible examples of their success in restoring nature's delicate balance here is the ubiquitous weka.
When we first arrived and were carrying our gear from his boat – we had to bring all our food for an 11-day stay, so there was plenty to carry – Brian warned us not to leave anything unattended, "because the wekas will steal it".
Sure enough, as he transported my wife and daughters up the peninsula's rough dirt roads to the guest cottage and I waited with the remaining luggage, it took less than a minute for one of these largely flightless birds to appear, wandering up to boxes and suitcases and attempting to discern their contents, sometimes by poking its beak in a gap and sometimes by giving the object in question a sharp rap with that beak.
Fifteen years ago, there were just a few of these curious birds on the property. Now their numbers have swollen to about 150 and it is impossible to walk very far without encountering one.
That achievement has much to do with the side of conservation that is not so sexy, but is essential – pest control.
In the case of the reserve, it means trapping rats, stoats and possums. Poisoning them would be easier, but also potentially harmful to other wildlife, so traps are used. Monitoring tunnels are employed to keep track of the presence of these pests.
That is important, because a significant development is at hand – the reintroduction to the peninsula of the rare New Zealand robin by the Department of Conservation. That is tentatively planned for the spring, Brian explains, but conditions need to be met before the 12 pairs can be released.
Stoat and rat numbers will have to stay down. There will also need to be a reliable water supply for the robins on a piece of land located in an area prone to drought. To that end, a system of three ponds is being built in the forest, with local companies sponsoring the materials.
But by far the biggest pending development is a one-kilometre fence, crossing the peninsula from shore to shore, which will keep out pigs and deer. Brian would love to put up a fully fledged predator fence, but for an operation that runs on the smell of an oily rag, the $300,000 cost is prohibitive. The pig and deer fence will cost one-tenth of that.
Appropriately, a new generation of robins is likely to be accompanied to the reserve by the new generation of Plaisiers, daughter Leona, 15, and son Liam, 13.
Brian says that the birds need a familiar presence to encourage them to stay, so the teens, who are as committed as their parents to this regeneration project, will likely spend some days with the birds in their current habitat before returning to the Sounds with them.
Leona and Liam already play many key roles on the reserve. Each of them has a young dog currently being trained to catch rodents, although that is a fairly painstaking process too. Before they are let off their leashes, their young handlers have to be sure they won't attack the wekas. Once fully certified, however, they will be invaluable in keeping pest numbers down.
Getting the project to the point it is now at would surely not have happened without the passionate belief of the family in its importance, particularly as it involves plenty of hard, physical work, such as keeping the dirt road from the wharf on Waitata Bay to the houses on the ridge above in reasonable order, without any immediate payoff.
Sometimes that work can be entrusted to those who travel to the reserve as part of a volunteer programme, but only when there are volunteers in residence.
It is a passion that looks certain to be passed on to the youngest member of the family, Esmae, 19 months, who will grow up without ever really knowing just how "stressed" the land was when her parents first saw it. As Brian explains, when they arrived, they had no camera, so there are no photographs of the site when the project started, just some old video footage, somewhere.
For 15 years one family has slogged to return a slice of New Zealand to its native splendour.
Now, the award-winning Tui Nature Reserve is moving ahead faster than ever.
It was 15 years ago that Brian and Ellen Plaisier arrived on an uninhabited but pest-ridden Marlborough Sounds peninsula, set up their tent and got to work.
Plunged into a life that was a far cry from Auckland, from where they had just come, and an even further cry from their native Netherlands, the Plaisiers in their little tent were battered by storms, went hungry when weather prevented their supplies from arriving, and had their bank account stretched to breaking point.
All because Brian and Ellen had stood on top of this 160-hectare peninsula and had seen the devastation caused by animals pests which had taken over. Standing in the same place today, it is hard to imagine Ellen’s description of bare tree tops, dying stumps and grey shrub, with only a few ancient trees surviving the onslaught of possums, stoats, rats and pigs. There was no food for the birds or lizards, and the peninsula was silent.
Now the peninsula’s regenerating forest canopy is a lush green, the forest floor is alive with the rustling of wekas, and the tree tops are full of the sound of tuis, bellbirds, fat native pigeons and fantails.
Brian and Ellen jumped straight into the deep end when they made the life-changing decision to buy the peninsula and return it to its former splendour.
Back then, their knowledge of New Zealand’s ecosystem was about as slim as their finances.
But they quickly built up their knowledge with help from the Department of Conservation, possum trappers and books.
A decision not to use poison for pest control except for wasps meant the work was slow and arduous. Hours were spent setting, checking, emptying and resetting traps. Brian estimates they trapped and killed about 3000 possums, more than 1000 bush rats and hundreds of pigs, as well as stoats which were blatantly stealing birds’ eggs.
More hours were spent clearing the peninsula of weeds smothering what remained of the native bush. It took five years for the native bush to begin to bounce back.
Just getting the groceries was a mission of epic proportions, because not only is the Outer Pelorus Sound peninsula accessible only by boat, but from the beach, a month’s worth of food had to be carried 50 metres up a steep, muddy hill to where the Plaisiers had set up home.
It was a rough life of hard work riddled with setbacks.
But the Plaisiers had never been so happy. A seemingly far-fetched dream to restore this barren, grey peninsula, stripped bare by pest animals, was starting to take shape, inch by hard-earned inch.
The Tui Nature Reserve was born. Volunteers came from around the world to visit this extraordinary place and help.
The Plaisiers had 38 hectares of land placed under an open space covenant through the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust.
The birds started to come back. The kohe kohe, a tree threatened with extinction on the mainland because of possums, began to flower, which gave the Plaisiers a huge boost of confidence.
Ellen and Brian’s children, Leona, 14, and Liam, 12, have been an important part of the peninsula’s restoration through the physical work they willingly put in and the huge wealth of knowledge they built as they grew up.
Leona is the keeper of the red-crowned kakariki (parakeet) that live in the reserve’s aviary, while Liam takes charge of the geckos and skinks in another enclosure. Leona and Liam have inherited their parents’ passion for conservation and love to share it with others. Visitors to the reserve are invited on a tour given by the pair, who impart their wealth of knowledge of the trees, plants and animals that live in their backyard.
The family lives in a home that Brian built from recycled materials. Solar panels provide power, backed by a generator. The Plaisiers have a compost toilet and use only eco-friendly cleaning products. Heating is simply a fireplace, but even that may soon be replaced with a greener solution, such as a pellet burner.
The house, the guest cottage, the eco-lodge and the new bird and gecko enclosures blend in with the surroundings so well that from the sea the peninsula looks uninhabited. Leona and Liam are home-schooled at the family dining table that looks across the peninsula over the Sounds to the open sea. There, the outside world passes by in the form of mussel boats and the occasional container ship.
Eight months ago, the Plaisiers welcomed a fifth member to their family, Esmae.
Feisty and with big inquiring blue eyes, Esmae arrived just in time to witness great change on the nature reserve.
Soon after her birth, the Plaisiers entered the reserve into the Marlborough Environment Awards. They had never entered before and did so after encouragement from Marlborough District Council staff who had supported the Plaisiers on projects and when applying for funds.
The judges came, and the Plaisiers prepared to visit Blenheim for the awards night in early May. What they had not prepared for was that they would win not only the habitat award but also the supreme award.
The judges called the project inspiring, particularly to those who thought the environmental crisis was too big a task for one person or family to tackle.
They said the Plaisiers were future-proofing by looking forward to the generations who would benefit from their work.
The Plaisiers could not believe they had won. After 15 years of quietly working away, out of the public eye, a huge crowd of people were applauding them and with that, the Tui Nature Reserve was thrust into the limelight.
With the win came $3000 in prize money, a pot of gold for the Plaisiers, who have largely funded the entire project themselves through their small eco-accommodation and tour business and a very understanding bank manager.
About the same time, they were told their application for two years of funding from the Biodiversity Fund and a grant from the Marlborough District Council had also been successful.
With such financial resources a rarity on the Tui Nature Reserve, the Plaisiers have allocated their funds carefully.
The winnings from the Environment Awards will go towards building nesting chambers along the shore of the peninsula for little blue penguins.
Brian says the penguins already come to the peninsula and, with their numbers under threat, shelters to keep them safe are important. How many shelters are built depends on how far the money stretches.
After a visit from a Marlborough District Council consultant who did a report on predator control on the peninsula, it was decided the biodiversity grant would be turned into rat traps and monitoring funnels. The funnels contain an ink pad so that whatever goes in leaves footprints, revealing what animal it was.
Brian says the opportunity to increase rat control to such a level is hugely important to the reserve, because at present, rats are only a by-catch of the pest-control operation.
“I think in a few months after we start (rat control), we will end up with a lot more birdlife,” Brian says.
“The food chain is restored, but the rats are always a weak spot.”
But the only way of totally restoring the peninsula, and coming as close as possible to ousting all the pests is a predator-proof fence.
The fence would stretch across the peninsula from coast to coast, cutting off the Tui Nature Reserve from the mainland.
Once the fence is in place, the Plaisiers can begin to slowly, carefully, reintroduce species that once roamed the peninsula. It is the ultimate reward for a family that has dedicated their lives to this cause.
But, of course, the fence comes at a great cost in the area of $200,000 and the Plaisiers need help to pay for it.
They hope publicity gained by winning the Marlborough Environment Awards will help attract new company partnerships.
Recently, New Zealand King Salmon was the first to sign up for a two-year sponsorship.
For the Plaisiers, life is suddenly a whirlwind where work that would have taken them years to complete has been fast-forwarded.
The last month has been amazing, says Ellen. As the project moves into a new stage, the Plaisiers hope to attract students who are doing conservation work to come and bring their specialist skills to the peninsula.
Until now, international volunteers have been perfect for bringing much-needed elbow grease and a myriad of skills that have all been helpful, but Brian says attracting students is part of the overall vision of turning the reserve into an educational resource.
The Plaisier family is thrilled at how far they have come, but are realistic that there is still a lot of work ahead of them. Pest control must continue, even when the fence is eventually built, because pests have ways of sneaking back.
In the meantime there is a bird pond to be built, wildlife permits to apply for, penguin shelters to install and many, many other jobs.
For Ellen and Brian a major achievement is seeing their children grow up in the safe, free environment they created and knowing that, should they choose it, the reserve and its eco spin-offs can be their future.
“There is a second generation coming after us who can enjoy it. This is about the future, very much so,” says Ellen.
Ellen and Brian’s children, Leona, 14, and Liam, 12, have been an important part of the peninsula’s restoration through the physical work they willingly put in and the huge wealth of knowledge they built as they grew up.