Click here to download a PDF format version of The Kiwi Advocate - Issue 8 - September 2006, or read the on-line version below.
ISSUE 8 - September 2006
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A Kiwi Helping to Save Kiwi – Parekura White
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Parekura White is a man on a mission.
From Ngati Porou ki Harataunga, he’s working to bring back the mauri (life force) of the forest in Harataunga (Kennedy Bay) on the Coromandel Peninsula. Beginning with brown kiwi. |
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The past 150 years have wrought major impacts on the native plants and animals in his tribal area – kauri gum was dug from the ground, kauri and other native trees were felled for their wood, and gold was extracted.
These economic developments have had a major negative impact on the native species of Tane Mahuta, he says. As well, the arrival of pests such as the stoats, possums and rats has contributed to the decline of native species. |
Parekura is the turbo-driven force behind the Harataunga Kiwi Project, on behalf of the Harataunga Marae. The project, which covers around 5000 hectares, lies at the southern border of the Moehau Environment Group’s kiwi zone, and helps extend the Department of Conservation’s (DOC) kiwi zone to the north. Together, the three sanctuaries provide continuous protection for brown kiwi in more than 30,000 hectares of land at the northern tip of the Coromandel Peninsula.
The project aims to increase the number of kiwi chicks, reintroduce Coromandel brown kiwi into Harataunga forest, increase iwi and public awareness of kiwi in the area, and increase the participation of Ngati Porou ki Harataunga in conservation on its rohe (tribal lands). And it’s just the beginning of Parekura’s plan. “The kiwi project is part of the bigger picture of what I want to happen here on our ancestral lands. It has been the kick-start for the whole programme to bring back the mauri of the native flora and fauna of Tane Mahuta.”
Parekura’s whole vision is captured in a conservation plan he has written for Harataunga. It includes controlling stoats, possums and goats, and eventually rats. “I have taken a holistic approach because there’s no way that you can look at just one part of the forest. We have to look at the health and welfare of the whole forest, not just one species if we’re serious about protecting it.”
He says the recent release of brown kiwi as part of the Harataunga Kiwi Project signals a maturity within Ngati Porou ki Harataunga that it is able to fulfil the spirit of the partnership with Nga Whenua Rahui, DOC, Environment Waikato and Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust – that is, the total protection and restoration of nga taonga tuku iho within Harataunga.
“We couldn’t do the pest control without the financial support of Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust and Nga Whenua Rahui, the technical advice of people like Pim de Monchy of DOC, and administrative support from Diane Prince of the Moehau Environment Group (MEG). Meaningful intervention strategies and work programmes can only begin and be maintained if a stable funding source for species protection is available.” At present, half of the Harataunga forest land blocks have signed the Nga Whenua Rahui governance to fund the possum control programme. “We have four trappers and funding to buy 800 possum traps.
How will Ngati Porou ki Harataunga know its kiwi project’s goals are being achieved? “We’ll know when kiwi are as common a sight as the fantail within Harataunga.”
Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust has allocated $27,000 to Harataunga Kiwi Project this year.
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Funding Hits all-time High
The year 2006 is proving to be a bumper one. Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust has allocated an all-time high of $664,000 to 38 kiwi projects for the coming year. This is up a whopping 20% on the $550,000 allocated last year.
The Kiwi Recovery Group had a tough job assessing 51 applications covering a combined total of nearly $1.5 million. Click here for information on who got how much to do what.
Trust funds are allocated via a yearly funding cycle.
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Trust News
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Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trustees met at Maungatautari on 7 July.
This volcanic dome in the Waikato is the scene of a community project to bring back endangered plants and animals, including tuatara, kakariki, saddleback and...kiwi. | High on the Trustees’ agenda was determining the funding allocations for 2006/07, but while there, they also helped release a juvenile kiwi transferred from the Otorohanga Kiwi House, and saw two takahe recently released into the mainland island.
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Kids Raise Cash For Kiwi
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Posters and three-dimensional kiwi models created by Wellington children have contributed $100 to the Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust. |
Lighthouse out-of-school care co-ordinator, Shelley Tomlinson, who looked after up to 75 children each day during the July school holidays, says their Big Kiwi Day produced such great results that parents couldn’t resist buying them for a donation to the Trust.
In return, the children were well pleased with the stickers and masks the Trust’s executive director, Michelle Impey, sent to reward their efforts.
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New Coins for Old
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Bank of New Zealand branches are collecting old coins, with all proceeds heading toward the Save the Kiwi Trust’s coffers. While still valid for buying things until 1 November, you can put the old coins to good use by donating them at any Bank of New Zealand branch. And look out for the special kiwi displays in airport branches. |
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Mothers’ Day Kiwi Release at Whangarei Heads
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Mothers’ Day was very special for two tiny kiwi raised as part of Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi’s Operation Nest Egg programme.
On 14 May, “Fern” and “PW” left their crèche on Matakohe-Limestone Island in the Whangarei Harbour to take their first steps on the farm of Eric and Murray Jagger, at Taurikura. |
The Jaggers, a Whangarei farming family since the 1850s, are strong supporters of the Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum’s kiwi recovery programme. More than 60 people came along, including sponsors and supporters of the Trust, plus representatives of local kiwi groups and agencies.
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Farewelling a Kiwi Advocate
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Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust wishes Coromandel’s “Kiwi Lady”, Adele Smaill, all the best in her new challenges. After 10 years of dedication to kiwi on the peninsula, including being a founding member of both Project Kiwi and the Whenuakite Kiwi Care Group, Adele has left to follow new directions. |
Over her time as a Bank of New Zealand Kiwi Advocate, Adele inspired many people to get involved and her work helped establish the 30,000 hectares of Coromandel kiwi habitat now managed by community and iwi groups and the Department of Conservation. Adele also developed the special training to encourage dogs to avoid kiwi, now a key part of kiwi management on the Coromandel and in many other regions. Thanks to her work, Coromandel kiwi have a bright future.
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Be in the Draw to Release a Kiwi
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The annual fundraising drive for the Auckland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is helping spread the word that dumping unwanted pets is dumb – especially for kiwi. The top prize in this year’s raffle gives the winner the chance to release a Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Operation Nest Egg chick onto Motuora Island in the Hauraki Gulf. |
Raffle tickets are available from Sarah Frayne at the Auckland SPCA – call (09) 256 7312 or contact: sarah.frayne@spca.org.nz. Executive director for Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust, Michelle Impey, says it’s a great opportunity for the Trust and SPCA to work together to spread the message that dumping unwanted pets in the bush is not only cruel to the animals, it poses a huge threat to kiwi.
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Arthur’s Pass Kiwi Project an Award Winner
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Back in 1864 when Arthur Dudley Dobson lead the first party of Europeans across the mountain pass that took his name, the call of great spotted kiwi (roroa), was common. By 2005, the number of birds in the area was estimated to be just 16. |
But that is changing, thanks to the efforts of the tiny 40-strong community in Arthur’s Pass village in the Southern Alps, 737 metres above sea level. Residents are working with the Department of Conservation (DOC) to protect the local roroa population from stoats and possums.
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DOC’s Field Centre Supervisor, Wayne Costello, says the project aims to make sure villagers and visitors can fall asleep each night listening to the distinctive call of great spotted kiwi. And their efforts have just been rewarded – the project won the top award from the Canterbury/Aoraki Conservation Board, presented during Conservation Week 2006. |
According to judge, Tom Todhunter, the project fits very well with the Conservation Week theme: “Everybody’s business”. “Conservation is not just the job of one government department; it is far too important for that. The people of Arthur’s Pass have realised this and have taken the next step - they are doing something to make a difference for great spotted kiwi.”
Not only is the Arthur’s Pass project bringing the community and DOC together, it fits in nicely with other pest control in the area: the organisers of the annual Coast to Coast race fund stoat control along the Mingha and Deception rivers to protect blue duck; DOC’s Operation Ark programme controls predators in the nearby Hawdon and Poulter valleys to protect native species such as the orange-fronted parakeet; and DOC’s West Coast conservancy controls possums in the Otira and Deception valleys to protect rata.
The Arthur’s Pass Community Roroa Protection Project’s efforts were boosted last year with funding from Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust.
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Along with money for traps, the Trust paid for a professional trapper to show villagers how best to locate, maintain, bait and check traps to get effective results. It also funded publicity material highlighting the plight of the roroa and the community’s efforts. | Click here to read more about what’s happening at Arthur’s Pass, and also many other community-driven kiwi projects.
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Sniff the Kiwi a Hit with Tourists
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You saw him first on www.savethekiwi.org.nz - now Sniff, the Trust’s illustrated kiwi, is in a tourist shop near you.
The first two items in the SniffTM range have hit the shelves in tourist outlets throughout New Zealand. | The magic towel, which is compressed into the shape of an egg but “grows” to full size when immersed in water, and a plastic tumbler for children, are being received with open arms.
Produced by Derek Corporation, a Supporting Sponsor of the Trust, the products help spread the message about kiwi via information on their swing tags, and a percentage of sales is contributed back to the Trust for Save the Kiwi work.
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Kiwi Bacon Promotion
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The drum roll is about to begin.
On 21 August, the winner of the children’s competition to design a label for Kiwi Bacon was announced – and it’s 13-year old Aimee Russell of Auckland. |
Aimee’s design will grace packaging on Kiwi Bacon from October to December 2006, and she has won a trip for four to Kiwi Encounter at Rainbow Springs, Rotorua, where she will have the chance to learn more about kiwi and check out what happens behind the scenes at this amazing Operation Nest Egg facility. Don’t forget to look out for the great-looking Kiwi Bacon packs at a supermarket near you.
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What’s New on the Web?
In July we completed a full audit of our website and added some great new information. Topping the list is the profiles of 18 community-driven kiwi projects that receive funding support from Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust.
These inspiring Kiwis, from the winterless far north to the wintry climes of the Southern Alps, give up hours of their free time and devote vast amounts of energy to help save kiwi. They’re an inspiration. Read about them on in the Kiwis Saving Kiwi section of this website
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Upcoming Events
Egg Candling Courses
What: Core egg candling course
Why: A practical hands-on course about egg and embyro development, and how to use egg candling techniques to determine egg status and development. Also discusses principles of successful handling and transportation of kiwi eggs.
When: 12 -13 December 2006
Where: Kiwi Encounter, Rotorua
Cost: $180 (GST exclusive) for two days. Includes study guide and lunch.
What: Advanced and refresher candling course
Why: For graduates of the core workshop - to re-visit core work, update participants on improvements or advances in techniques, and extend people's skills
When: 14 December 2006
Where: Kiwi Encounter, Rotorua
Cost: $100 (GST exclusive) for one day. Includes lunch.
Both courses are provided by Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Operation Nest Egg and Kiwi Encounter, Rainbow Springs. To attend, or for any inquiries, contact Suzanne Bassett or Claire Travers, Rainbow Springs, PO Box 25, Rotorua: kiwihouse@rainbownz.co.nz
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Did You Know?
Until recently, we thought only male kiwi incubated the egg. But new information on the social systems of kiwi species and varieties shows that the female doesn’t always leave her mate to do the job alone. It is still the case with little spotted and brown kiwi, but not with great spotted, rowi and the Haast tokoeka – these species share incubation. And going one step further, sometimes southern tokoeka pairs enlist the help of others to share with incubation.
The average incubation time is 70 - 80 days, more than twice what is normal for a bird and about the same as the gestation period of a mammal of similar size. At the end of that time, the chick emerges fully feathered, a miniature version of its parents and expected to look after itself.
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What do you think about The Kiwi Advocate?
What would you like to read about in the Kiwi Advocate? Would you like:
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More people profiles?
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To hear about what community groups are doing?
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To learn more about kiwi?
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More about the science and research that is underway?
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To hear about the different kiwi facilities involved, such as Otorohanga Kiwi House?
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More about what Bank of New Zealand and the Save the Kiwi Trust is doing?
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More competitions?
Email your thoughts to savethekiwitrust@bnz.co.nz. We’d love to hear from you.
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