Wendy Sporle has been an active conservationist for more than 29 years, 15 of them specifically focused on helping save Northland’s brown kiwi. 

For most of that time, Wendy was Northland’s Kiwi Advocate for Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust.  This role had her working to raise people's awareness about the kiwi’s plight, and helping landowners and communities learn the pest and predator control skills they need to protect the national bird.

Now (in September 2006), Wendy has taken on a brand new role as the Trust’s very first National Mentor for Advocacy.  It’s a big job that builds on her skills and experience as a Kiwi Advocate.  It includes training and mentoring advocates and community groups throughout New Zealand, and making sure national networks are in place to effectively share ideas and knowledge.

“Mentoring community groups, making sure they are part of vibrant networks that share good information and best practices, will help make them more effective in their role and therefore provide more surety for kiwi,” Wendy says. To that end, she will be travelling around the regions where active kiwi recovery work is underway – including Northland, the Coromandel, the east coast of the North Island and Arthur’s Pass in the South Island’s mountainous high country.

The job also involves providing advocacy resources.  “Kiwi practitioners have been asking for help with advocacy and communication because they recognise that this is a really important part of their work – everyone needs to understand what they as individuals can do to help save kiwi.”  Wendy says this can be as simple as getting people to keep their dog tied up or on a leash.  “While it may seem a simple message, Department of Conservation research shows that if dogs stopped killing kiwi in Northland, its populations would be self-sustaining and our work up there would be largely done.”

Other parts of the role involve representing the community sector on the Kiwi Recovery Group, which allocates the Trust’s annual funding grants and develops the kiwi taxa plans.

And she will also look outside the Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust, to build links with others working in ecological protection and science.  

“All the parts of my role as National Mentor for Advocacy will enhance the profile of Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust as the national kiwi expert,” she says.

Why Kiwi?

Although Wendy has been involved in general conservation work for a very long time, her specific focus on kiwi arose from two things – Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust's funding for her positions; and communities’ growing desire to do their bit to help save kiwi and ensure the birds’ survival.

The Kiwi Advocate role was all about empowering people and getting them motivated to take action, she says. “Farmers can maintain an economic return from their land, while taking its conservation values into account.   In fact, sometimes it adds value, especially if they work with their neighbours on pest and predator control to exponentially increase the benefits.”

This is a woman who doesn't just preach, it's all based on personal experience.  Wendy has a protection programme in place on her Northland beef and tree farm, part of which is under Queen Elizabeth II covenant, and trials new methods and equipment.  "It means I can give practical advice on what has worked for me."

High Point

When Wendy began as a Kiwi Advocate, few people were actively protecting kiwi, or kiwi habitat.  Over the years, new groups have sprouted in her Northland home and around the country, bringing more and more motivated and energetic landowners and communities to the party.  “They are beginning to see the benefits of increases in kiwi numbers, chick sightings and low pest and predator numbers. The cry of the kiwi is being heard again.

“I’m excited that others are enthusiastic about this new mentoring role and I’m looking forward to standing alongside these amazing people all around the country, helping them achieve their goals.  I have more hope that we will win the fight to save kiwi in many areas, and that kiwi protection is an achievable goal.”

Low Points

While there are many positive actions underway, Wendy’s low point can be the size of the task, which can sometimes feel overwhelming.  "At times I felt I was unable to do enough, soon enough, and that has been difficult because I care about this vulnerable bird so much."

Especially hard is being handed endless numbers of kiwi injured by dogs, that eventually died of their wounds.  "At times it has made me feel that people are so very slow to realise THEIR dog can, and will, kill a kiwi.  I have been told so many times that 'my dog would never chase a kiwi, it is safe around hens,’ or ‘it only hunts possums,’ or  ‘it sits all night at the back door.’  Too often these people have come back to me admitting that ‘yes,’ their dog has gone on to kill a kiwi."

Thoughts for the Future

For all her earlier feelings of being overwhelmed, today Wendy feels that kiwi survival is achievable, thanks in part because landowners are being called to action.  "Many kiwi live on private land so relying on DOC or other agencies to protect them is not an option.”

The development of new pest and predator control methods, and ongoing sufficient funding for community projects, will make her even more confident that remaining populations of kiwi will be secure in the long term.