Moore's Bush Reserve
Moore's Bush Reserve, also known as Moore's Bush, is a small reserve in the suburb of Leith Valley in Dunedin, New Zealand.[1]
This 4-hectare reserve is a combination of remnant native forest and a former dairy farm that has been replanted with native species.[1]
A number of small streams, including the Leith, run through the reserve.[2][3]
History[edit]
Moore's Bush was purchased by Percy and Ellie Moore in 1945 who began restoring the open farmland to its natural state by planting native podocarp conifers and broad-leaved hardwood trees. Moore's Bush was bequeathed to the Dunedin branch of Forest & Bird by the Moore family in 1974 after Percy Moore died. An additional 2 hectares of forest owned by the Department of Conservation was added to Moore's Bush for the branch to manage in the 1990s.[1][3]
Flora and fauna[edit]
Native bird species present at Moore's Bush include tūī, bellbird, grey warbler (grey warbler), kererū (wood pigeon) fantail, tomtit, pīpipi (brown creepers), and pīpīwharauroa (shining cuckoo).[1]
Common plants include tarata, miro, rimu, māhoe (whiteywood), horopito (pepper tree), kōtukutuku (tree fuchsia), pōkākā, tōtara, kahikatea, pāhautea (New Zealand cedar), makomako (wineberry), mataī, pittosporums, coprosmas, and broadleaf trees.[1]
Freshwater species include kōura (freshwater crayfish) and tuna (eels).[1]
Conservation[edit]
Moore's Bush is currently owned and managed by the Dunedin branch of Forest & Bird who are working to restore the forest through native tree plantings, pest control, and the removal of invasive weed species including blackberry and broom.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f "Moore's Bush Reserve, Dunedin". www.forestandbird.org.nz. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
- ^ "Patmos Avenue, Leith Saddle, Moores Bush". Taieri Recreational Tramping Club. 2017-01-17. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
- ^ a b c Hayden, Jeannie. "Moore's Bush...1947 dairy farm, now a reviving podocarp reserve for all". Wild Dunedin. Retrieved 2019-05-08.