Amy's Forest is a 24ha native forest block on Birch Hill Station in Pōrangahau, Central Hawkes Bay. Photo / Ben Tosswill
Amy's Forest is a 24ha native forest block on Birch Hill Station in Pōrangahau, Central Hawkes Bay. Photo / Ben Tosswill
Birch Hill Station is a 1300ha (3200 acres), family-owned sheep and beef farm in Pōrangahau, Central Hawke’s Bay, run by Ben and Libby Tosswill and family.
Ben’s parents, Bruce and Julie, farmed here for almost 40 years, transforming it from mostly scrub and gorse into a beautiful sheep andbeef farm.
They fenced off 340ha of bush and left plenty of trees and bush around the farm to prevent erosion and ensure that stock had shade and shelter.
With 800ha in grazing paddocks, the rest is in native bush and pines, including a special 24ha native forest block named “Amy’s Forest”, after Ben’s sister, who died in a car accident 20 years ago.
In the early 1900s, selected trees were harvested from this steep, southerly facing block of bush but it had never been fully cleared.
A chance visit to Birch Hill Station, by Mark Mitchell from Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, led him to discover a block of bush that he believed needed to be preserved.
Collaborating with QEII National Trust and the regional council, Ben and Libby started to get the project under way.
Ben said that after three wet summers and a cyclone, the deer fencing around the 24ha native forest block had now been completed.
He said the 2m-high fence will keep out wild deer and allow the forest to regenerate in the coming years.
“Systematic predator control has been carried out to reduce the numbers of rats, possums and other predators, like cats, stoats and ferrets.
“This will allow the native birdlife to flourish.”
Fletcher Tosswill (left), Libby Tosswill, with arms around Jack Tosswill, team member Max Lyver and Alex Tosswill at Birch Hill Station. Photo / Ben Tosswill
Predator control will need to be ongoing, but Ben said the aim was for Amy’s Forest to become an island sanctuary where birds and other fauna could proliferate and spread to other areas.
Peka peka (New Zealand short-tailed bat) have also been found to use Amy’s Forest as a roost.
Eventually, Ben and Libby aim to create a walking track in this native block, so it can be made available for visitors to appreciate how precious our native bush is.
Birch Hill Station in Pōrangahau, Central Hawkes Bay, is home to Amy's Forest. Photo / Ben Tosswill
Eradicating the remaining wild deer that were inside the fence after it was completed has been a major job.
Professional hunters with specially trained hunting dogs, drones with thermal cameras and game cameras were employed for this task. It took a month to complete before it was 100% certain there were no more deer left.
Amy’s Forest has been protected in perpetuity by a QEII National Trust covenant, meaning it will always remain in its natural state. Photo / Ben Tosswill
Wild red deer (an introduced species) are prolific in Central Hawke’s Bay and throughout New Zealand, posing a major threat to native forests as they browse seedlings and prevent regeneration.
Amy’s Forest has been protected in perpetuity by a QEII National Trust covenant, meaning it will always remain in its natural state.
Ben and Libby are advocates for enriching the land and, in turn, enriching people.
Significant work has gone into protecting waterways and wetlands on their farm, and they also run a glamping site that enables visitors to enjoy a taste of country life and appreciate how farmers care for the environment and their stock.
“Amy’s Forest is a special place for our family, and, in Amy’s memory, it will be enjoyed by generations to come,” Ben said.
