[Blake in Porirua]

Fate? Coincidence?
By chance I overheard that on Wednesday the Porirua City Council is opening a garden aimed at attracting butterflies at Aotea Lagoon.
I’ve been releasing my tagged butterflies at the lagoon and down the road 1km at Papakowhai reserve.
Neither I nor the city council knew about each other’s movements… But hey Presto I’m wrapped and am very excited to see how many of my approx 200 tagged butterflies make it to being seen in the new garden!!!

[Jacqui]

Hi Blake – see the separate post about sightings. But this one came in today

Wellington / Karori / 2018-07-04 14:45:00

and I suspect that there will be an overwintering colony in Ben Burn Park, Wellington.

[Blake in Porirua]

Hi Caryl
Can you please clarify with me where you know the local overwintering sight in Porirua is?
Thanks kindly
Hope you’re housesitting is going well. Wellington is freezing, so you’re not missing that!!

[Blake in Porirua]

We made the Kapi-Mana news. Page 5. The link above is the similar article.
It’s just a mention of how to log a tagged butterfly’s location (and a terrible shot of me), but publicity none the less.

Jacqui, have you got the contact details for Sarah Field- the Poriruas project initiator?

I saw in the Trusts 2015 brochure online that the Trust awards i’deal butterfly habitats’ a permanent plaque if it meets criteria. Would the council, Sarch or I be able to apply for this for the walkway still? They have 600 odd swan plants (and ive seen the nursery depot is stocked up with hundreds for when those get munched), there is different flowering bushes AND they have stinging nettle hidden over the fence!!!! 😀 (the walkway is directly beside a very popular children’s playground- so that’s amazing to consent to stinging nettle 😉
Alternatively a permanent plaque with the weblink to how to report a tag sighting would be wonderful if the Trust would consider that. I have mentioned that to the PCC Parks manager as well 😉 The Wellington City gardens manager is also interested in a plaque to explain how to log a sighting (and possibly will copy a butterfly habitat if they were given the criteria for qualifying to gain a plaque award).

[Blake in Porirua]

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1806/S00647/butterfly-walkway-takes-flight-at-poriruas-aotea-lagoon.htm

I also released 4 at the Wellington Botanical gardens and one of the head staff in the Treehouse is keen to run an article.

I am wondering if the Trust would be interested in making a couple of plaques to put at the Porirua gardens to explain to people visiting to look for monarchs with tags, and how to report the sighting.
I also took a couple of perished tagged butterflies for people to look at closer. A lot of people at the opening mentioned it was hard to understand the small writing on the tags, in regards to the www….org website. It’s tricky as butterflies are small.. and monarchs are surely one of the biggest here in NZ.
I’m sure more publicity will be coming soon 🙂

[Blake in Porirua]

Yes Jacqui Sarah Field has had a butterfly walkway completed in Porirua.

Press were here today. We released 2 of my last 6. 547 & 544!!

It’s amazing as now my 200+ butterflies have the best garden possible, and all within 1km!! I simply can’t believe their luck.

I’ll post more information when I get a chance. The article will initially be on the Porirua City council website media page.
Maybe newshub as well. And eventually the kapiMana will run something.

It’d be great to get all the stories together.

Oh also… I don’t know where the overwintering sight is out here in Porirua.. I hope my butterflies have found it though!

[Jacqui]

Thanks for that Caryl – there is another Butterfly Walk there. I have found out a bit more about the Porirua project and will write it up in our Spring magazine (it’s early days yet).

[Caryl]

Jacqui, Fairfield Park is in Nelson not Porirua. Like you I want to know more about the Porirua City Council’s plans. Caryl

[Jacqui]

Hey Blake – that’s great to hear. Do you think that’s actually the Butterfly Walkway (Fairfield Park) that you’re talking about? This was on the news a few weeks/months ago?

Project Butterfly is a project driven by SANDS (Stillborn and Neonatal Deaths).

If not, I’d very much like to know more about what the Porirua City Council is proposing. Could you provide more information about it, please? Feel free to email me if you like, jacqui@monarch.org.nz, if you don’t want to post names and contact information here.

Jacqui

[Caryl]

That’s wonderful news Blake and so close to the winter over site. Have you visited it recently to check on how many you can see at the site? Thanks for posting this positive news. I live in Seatoun and am presently in Sydney for 11 weeks doing a house and pet sit. Warm regards, Caryl

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