Tamatea Currency
In November 2022 I had the most amazing week in Dusky Sound with Pure Salt. I was on their ship for 6 days as their resident artist. If you've been considering exploring Fiordland beyond where you can get to by road then this is the way to do it and Pure Salt are the people to go with. You'd struggle to find a more passionate, professional and welcoming crew. Not only do they provide a great chartered journey filled with as much walking, history, paddling, snorkeling and fishing as you're able to keep up with they dedicate a huge amount of their time and resources to the conservation of the area hence my involvement.
This was my third time to Dusky Sound. The first was in 2012 when I sea kayaked around it with Tyrell, the second as an artist with DoC in 2014. I've noticed the difference above the water. Kaka squawk and swoop around every island. We saw saddleback and yellowhead and listened to kiwi calling in the night. The time and energy invested in trapping and research is paying off but what made the biggest impression on me this trip was under the water.
Lucky for me the group I was with were enthusiasm plus and in the water at every opportunity. It was the best snorkeling I have ever done. The life below the reflections was astounding, there are forests of seaweeds from the giant swaying kelp to what looks like fine, delicate pink lace to blue coral and vibrant red anemones. Every direction you look fish are darting in and out of the weed, paua creep along camouflaged in barnacles and weed while crayfish peer out from crevices.
I was able to hear about the Tamatea Restoration project first hand and I now have the chance for my work to directly impact an area I care deeply about. Pure Salt has been offering the spare crew berth on their ship to artists in exchange for artwork. The idea is that artists are great storytellers, we help spread the word through our variety of media and bring awareness to this important project. The funds generated from the art is going directly into a huge conservation project to make Dusky Sound the most intact eco system in New Zealand.
Their vision is: "for Dusky Sound to be one of the most intact ecosystems on Earth, and New Zealand's largest ‘bio bank’ – a source of endangered native species that can be sent to pest free locations throughout the country." This project is relevant to all of us as it will benefit every pest free island or sanctuary at some point whether it's by transporting native species there or learning from their experience. It's been set up by DoC and Pure Salt have joined them by being responsible for a collection of islands. They’ve made some very exciting and significant progress such as setting up a huge trapping network on Indian Island. This island lies between the mainland and Anchor Island; one of only two sanctuaries for kakapo. Pure Salt has now undertaken the next challenge; Long Island. You can probably guess from its name that it's big, long and requires a huge amount of work. They invest a lot of money and time in developing new technology to help them learn how to be more effective and smarter in their work.
The idea of Tamatea / Dusky Sound being a ‘Bio Bank’ for all New Zealand really appealed to me. I heard the concept on my earlier trip to Dusky Sound with DoC when the project was just starting but in 2022 it really stuck. I like that it's for everyone regardless of how close you are geographically to Dusky Sound. All conservation projects will benefit from this project being successful.
I've created a currency, The Tamatea Currency called 'Dusky Dollars'. 100% of the money raised from the Dusky Dollars will go into tool development for the Tamatea / Dusky Sound restoration project. So far there are three $1 bills but the currency will grow as there’s still so many landscapes and flora and fauna to include. Of course, the more dollars sold the better as each one contributes to the overall goal; however, awareness is also just as important. If my work inspires someone to learn more about our native flora and fauna, get involved in a local conservation group, visit some of our wild places or even participate on a volunteer trip, then fantastic! Join us on this journey to ecosystem restoration.
While on the ship ‘Flightless’ we went ashore at a few places I’d visited with Tyrell in 2012 and the change was dramatic and obvious. The bush was alive, it was noisy and wasn’t unusual to spot ‘rare’ birdlife. Kaka swarmed over the islands screeching and squawking and kiwi sang out at night.
There would be no ‘booming in the night’ on Anchor Island if not for the dedication of a solo conservationist a whole century ago. Richard Henry had no formal training in natural history or conservation, his love and knowledge of native birds was acquired through a lifetime of observation.
He travelled widely and was employed in a variety of industries from saw mills to construction, bush guide and explorer to rabbit culler. He watched the seasons change and noted how the wildlife responded, insatiably curious about the natural world especially native birds. As an avid writer he started to put his concerns about the effect introduced species were having on bird populations to paper.
In 1891 Resolution Island in Dusky Sound was proclaimed a safe national sanctuary for flightless birds. In 1894 Richard took up the post of curator. He built a house, store, boatshed and holding pens on nearby Pidgeon Island. For the next fourteen years he devoted his life to relocating hundreds of birds to island sanctuaries often in wild, wet and windy conditions. He reported regularly to Dunedin with his observations and published a book, ‘The habits of flightless birds of New Zealand’. Towards the end of his time in Dusky Sound he grew despondent about the threat posed by stoats to the island’s birds. He even destroyed his notebooks containing years’ worth of observations and knowledge. If only he knew the value his research would hold in the century to come.
