[Pepetuna]

Apologies to fellow Forest & Bird members for double posting, but here is an item that came up on Facebook today:

From the Central Auckland branch e-newsletter that came out in December just before Xmas:

Native butterflies: A new project about to be undertaken by the branch concerns the need to establish pockets of natural habitat for the purpose of providing Red and Yellow Admiral Butterflies (Kahukura) with a place to nest and flourish within the city. Their larvae feed mainly on native nettles and permission has been obtained from the Auckland City Council to plant nettles in Balmoral and Meadowbank. It is early days but we welcome expressions of interest if you are willing to plant nettles in your garden and establish your very own Red or Yellow Admiral Butterfly haven. Please contact our committee member and butterfly enthusiast Rob Jones for further information or to offer assistance: rob.jones@xtra.co.nz .

[Charlotte]

Wow this is great news.The more people growing nettle in Auckland the better.We need some more out West;-)

[Pepetuna]

There was an update on Facebook today from Forest & Bird Auckland about the nettle planting:

The project from Central Auckland F&B to grow some patches of native nettles in a couple of Auckland City parks and to provide plants and information about breeding/housing native admiral butterflies in home gardens has now kicked off. About a dozen F&B branch members have taken up the offer to try to provide habitat in their gardens. Here’s hoping for a good outcome and more admiral butterflies in the area.

This photo is nettle from Oratia Plant Nursery and on this website http://wildcrafty.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/introducing-the-new-zealand-nettles/

and a comment:

PS We have purchased nettles from Oratia Plant Nursery and a committee member has a butterfly-house set up at Mt Eden Gardens.

[I presume that’s Rob?]

[Anna]

Thats great news!

[Jacqui]

haha. So that’s what that Admiral was doing yesterday… carrying a bit of straw in its proboscis…

Seriously, though, this is a great initiative. Fantastic to hear it. I hope Rob hears from lots of people.

Jacqui

[Terry]

That’s very encouraging news!

Auckland city council should be praised for such a positive response.

It’s very pleasing to think that small gestures such as this could have a very important part to play in ensuring the survival for the long term of your 2 native admiral butterflies. If only the NZ Agricultural lobby could be as enlightened as this it would bode well for the future.

However I should be very interested to see a Red or Yellow Admiral building a nest???????

[Author]

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