On our trip through Southland we turned off the main road to visit the much-touted Rakatu Wetland. It had been created by an electricity generating company in exchange for permission to modify large chunks of the environment for a new project.
At the viewing platform we found a young Scottish tourist who was admiring the vast flock of geese that had just flown in. I explained that the geese were actually invaders. We had created this wonderful wetland to preserve our tiny native fish and shy, rare birds but the place was becoming polluted with Canada Geese.“Well,” she said, “at least the geese will migrate for the winter.” But, no, I had to explain; they don’t migrate in this country. They know when they’re onto a good thing. They just stay in NZ, competing with our own vulnerable wildlife for air and water and food.
At the viewing platform we found a young Scottish tourist who was admiring the vast flock of geese that had just flown in. I explained that the geese were actually invaders. We had created this wonderful wetland to preserve our tiny native fish and shy, rare birds but the place was becoming polluted with Canada Geese.“Well,” she said, “at least the geese will migrate for the winter.” But, no, I had to explain; they don’t migrate in this country. They know when they’re onto a good thing. They just stay in NZ, competing with our own vulnerable wildlife for air and water and food.
So what is touted as a brilliant contribution to preserving our national environment seems to have fallen short and Creation has to continue adjusting as best it can to our inadequate understanding.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment