Mt Bruce Biodiversity Field Trip

Thursday, 24 October 2024, 5.00 – 6.30pm

Riversong, Mt Bruce

Join renowned conservationist and outdoor educator Ruud Kleinpaste on a very special tour exploring the amazing biodiversity present at Riversong, the home of Trevor Thompson and Tracey Kereopa located at Mt. Bruce beside the upper Ruamāhanga River.

This is a wonderful opportunity to visit this special whenua and discover some interesting inhabitants including Latia neritoides, a freshwater limpet believed to be the world’s only bioluminescent freshwater organism. This glow-in-the-dark limpet is endemic to fast-flowing streams in the North Island and a great indicator of water quality.

With a little bit of searching, you might also find one or two Peripatus that love the lizard mat Trevor has around a tree. These walking worms, who still resemble their ancestors who lived hundreds of millions of years ago, spit on their prey before devouring them!

The property also has geckos and skinks, but we can’t guarantee that you will see them. But you will come across some of our native molluscs and a couple of special tree wetas, which Ruud is always very fond of handling and passing around.

Trevor has successfully brought several nationally and regionally rare plants back from the brink and actively manages them to be used as a source to return back into suitable QE2 covenants, amongst a diverse range of lowland forest species. Riversong also has five native epiphytic orchid species, four mistletoe species, two nationally critically rare species, and seven regionally rare species. While Tracey will happily introduce some medicinal Rongoā Māori plants.

The Ruamāhanga River, which sits on the boundary of this property, is without question the jewel in the crown and anyone who visits this narrow gorge area will see the obvious linkage with the aims of the Ruamāhanga Restoration Trust and the local whenua; embracing the awa, enhancing the water quality, and re-establishing the natural processes which work so well at keeping our waters and local ecosystem healthy.

Visitors are recommended to bring suitable footwear, warm clothing, and a torch for exploring the darker corners on this intriguing afternoon tour.

For bookings and enquiries, please email info@rrtrust.org.nz