Proceedings of the Banks Peninsula Biodiversity Workshop

Abstract

A satellite view showing the many bays of Banks Peninsula is a reminder of how every bay is different. In recent human history devastation of forest (between 1840 and 1920), 95% of Banks Peninsula’s remaining forest was lost, taking fauna as well as flora. Introduced predators (including hedgehogs) are vacuum cleaners of fauna, including invertebrates and lizards as well as birds and bats. When we lost forest on Banks Peninsula, we probably also lost many invertebrates we’ve never known we had. Exciting things are happening now on Horomako / Banks Peninsula. On Banks Peninsula, conservation seems to be infectious – passing from one neighbour to the next – which is why Banks Peninsula is so special. Many of the bays have adopted a mainland island approach to pest management – they are a leading light to other communities.