Maps of the Ark and its surrounds

Tue, 13 May 2008 12:04:51 +1200

Click on any of the images to expand them. Once expanded you can navigate via the arrows and index icon that will appear above the image.

The Ark on New Zealand map

The Ark in the Park is situated in the Waitakere Ranges, which rise from the black sand surf beaches of the west coast of the Auckland area. New Zealand's west coasts stand in the path of the prevailing cool moist winds, and receive frequent rain. In the Waitakeres the northern kauri forest is combined with a mixed podocarp and broadleaf forest to form a uniquely varied rain forest ecosystem

The Ark on Auckland map

The Ark lies in the northern part of Auckland's Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. Its eastern boundary is the Scenic Drive, which runs south-east as far as Titirangi, along a ridge from where the ranges drop steeply down towards Waitakere City. Access to the Ark is via the small township of Swanson; the Scenic Drive starts just after leaving the town.

Getting to Ark in the Park

Continue through Swanson. At the turn-off to Waitakere follow the Scenic Drive up and under the rail bridge. After reaching the top, continue along the flat until you see Te Henga Road branching off to the right.

Growth of the Ark

The Ark has been steadily expanding, since the original area was established in 2003. It now covers approximately 2300 hectares.

The area shown in yellow was added with urgency, to protect the kokako released in 2009, who settled in what was then an unprotected area south of the Dam Road. The bait stations in this area are distributed in a less concentrated 100x100m grid, compared to the 50x100m grid previously used. The effectiveness of this less intensive control will be monitored and compared to the control obtained in the other part of the Ark.

Adjacent projects: Buffer Zone and Matuku Reserve.

The Buffer Zone was started in 2004 and is made up of a growing number of large areas of private land and/or groups of private properties (including the Forest Ridge community) close to the Ark project area who are also carrying out predator control with assistance from the project and ARC Biosecurity. To become part of the Ark in the Park Buffer Zone contact our Project Manager.

Matuku Reserve is 120 hectares of regenerating bush with wetland, purchased by Forest and Bird between 1979 and 2002, with predator control being carried out by Waitakere Branch volunteers. Click here for more information on Matuku Reserve.

Click on the image above to obtain a larger view of the map

Project maps and graphs

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:32:38 +1200

Maps used by volunteers, and graphs showing the results of predator control.

Predator control

This shows the grid of bait lines, running in straight lines 100m apart. Bait stations are placed every 50m in most areas, but a 100m spacing is being trialled in some newer blocks. Cordons of stoat traps, all of which are kill-traps, also run through the area, and are being re-baited two-weekly all year (and sometimes once a week, at the time of peak stoat activity November to March).