Reclaiming Howie

This is an extract of a story by Rees Campbell and Col Meyers, talented authors, naturalists and conservationists (amongst other skills) from Wynyard. The full story can be read here.

Howie Island is a tiny outcrop of land off the north-western tip of Tasmania, hidden between Stony Point at Montagu and Robbins Island. The island sits in Robbins Passage, a stretch of water known for extraordinary tidal movements, with deep fast-moving channels cutting through sea grass and sand flats.

Like most islands, Howie is home to sea birds. It has a sandy knoll on the northern end originally covered with tussocks of native poa, which hosts a Pacific Gull rookery.

The Pacific Gull is magnificent, up to 65 cm long with a wingspan of up to 150 cm and weighing over 1 kg. It is strikingly-coloured with a massive red-tipped yellow beak, yellow legs, and an all-white body set off by a black back, wings and tail band. The juveniles (up to 4 years) are so different they are often thought to be a separate species, known as “mollyhawks”. They are mottled brown all over and only after the first couple of years change to the spectacular and dignified white and black of their parents. Pacific Gulls, like many other sea birds, like an open vantage point for nesting. Their poacovered hill on Howie Island has been invaded by a Mediterranean plant grown in gardens, the Tree Mallow (Malva arborea). The plants have a fibrous “daisy-bush” stem, but grow rapidly over two years into a dense thicket up to 5 m tall, making the area impossible for the gulls to nest in. They flower in the second year, and their purple/pink flowers produce thousands of seeds, which rapidly germinate and replace older bushes.

We first observed a 10 m square area of Tree Mallow in 2007, and in 2010 we kayaked to the island and saw that the thicket had grown to almost 40 x 60 m, pushing the resident gull population off the knoll into hazardous nesting sites right on the high tide mark. We looked at each other and said “someone oughta do something about that”. So we did.

After researching minimal impact weeding on the island’s tiny and fragile ecosystem, we recruited and trained a group of unwary volunteers to withstand three primary problems: getting there, timing, and stinging nettles!

Several times a year, for five years, we battled the unpredictable waters of Robbins Passage, and the vicious nettles (native and introduced), and carefully and methodically cleared the rookery of Tree Mallow.

We have learned a lot about effective Tree Mallow removal over this time, and about the natural history of the island, and you can read more about it in the full version of this story, on the CCA website.

Pacific Gulls are not endangered, nor even rare, but it is common creatures which drive ecological systems. There have been too many species regarded as common, and their value underestimated until they begin to slip into rarity. Habitat loss is a primary reason for so many extinctions, and currently 1 in 5 species of birds in Australia is under habitat threat.

Our efforts have been successful, and we’ve been delighted to see the island reclaimed by the birds after our hard work… however, as with many weed battles, this war is not quite won: Reinfestation continues, and biannual follow-up is required. In spite of some frustrations, the project has been extremely worthwhile from a conservation perspective.

A huge thank you to all the volunteers and unfortunate family and friends who have been sucked in to giving us a hand, arm or leg by sweet talking from Rees and Col.