Remote Islands, trapping, and Leave No Trace

Recently I spent the better part of a week working with volunteers checking traps and clearing tracks on Te Puka-Heraka Island – Coal Island – in Fiordland National Park.  The 1163ha island lies in the entrance to Preservation Inlet, between Puysegur Point and Gulches Head, and is predator free thanks to the efforts of the Te Puka-Heraka South West New Zealand Endangered Species Charitable Trust and the Department of Conservation.
Kiwi have be reintroduced to the island and we saw numerous bellbird, fantail, rifleman, kakariki and, of course, numerous sea birds.

My five days in the area – we also checked and cleared traps on the mainland close to the island – reminded me just how pristine parts of New Zealand still are – and how we can restore areas that have borne the brunt of mining, forestry and other human activities.  It’s difficult to imagine that not too long ago this remote part of Fiordland was a hive of activity – coal and gold mining, logging, whaling all attracted hundreds of settlers to townships that have now disappeared entirely.
Anyone not convinced of the importance of the universal Leave No Trace principles only needs to visit a pristine area like Fiordland to appreciate just why it’s so important that all outdoors users play their part in safeguarding what’s out there for future generations.
Mark Russell