Jo Tilson

The project began in 2006 and now monitors 20 breeding pairs of great spotted kiwi, or roroa.  

Jo says a key tool in their kit is Operation Nest Egg, using facilities at Christchurch’s Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. Young birds are then transferred to the Trust’s own crèche, set up in the foot hills of the Paparoa’s and called ‘Bois Gentil’, which means ‘friendly forest’. This 12.5-hectare crèche was funded by a private individual and is the first one built specifically for great spotted kiwi.

Jo says having a local crèche where kiwi chicks grow in the same climate and habitat where they ultimately end up seems to have improved the survival of juvenile kiwi. As well, it is hugely practical for the staff as they no longer have to regularly travel to the original crèche used, Adele Island on the Abel Tasmas coastline

The project also has 26-kilometres of traps running along two valleys to help protect a small blue duck/whio population. These are serviced by volunteers.

Her group is the first to use Operation Nest Egg on great spotted kiwi/roroa. The aim is to grow a localised population of kiwi in a site where, at best, the population is expected to be in gradual decline.

The project, now in its fourth monitoring season, has had three complete seasons of Operation Nest Egg and has released 14 chicks (as at mid-2011).

Jo’s co-ordinator position and the Trust’s work is largely funded by Roa Mining Company and the BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust, but also has many smaller, mainly ‘in kind’ contributions that help the project team on a day-to-day basis.

Much of her time is spent planning, chasing sponsorship dollars, applying for wildlife and translocation permits, and field work.

Why kiwi?

Jo used to work as a volunteer and on short-term field work contracts for the Department of Conservation. After 2000, when the Government funding for kiwi sanctuaries became available, she began working with kiwi populations at Tongariro, the Coromandel and Okarito, gaining the experience she is now applying to her current Paparoa co-ordinator’s role.

"I wanted to work with a species which I could learn a lot about and be useful, and I wanted to live on the West Coast."

High point

Jo’s high point is the opportunity to do what she is now doing with Paparoa’s great spotted kiwi/roroa. "Without our programme, nothing was going to be done here because DOC’s main focus has to be rowi and the Haast tokoeka because their numbers are so low.

"It’s amazing for me now, to be working along the tops, right in my backyard on the West Coast.

"It’s nice to be separate and independent, to use the skills that I gathered working with DOC, and be able to learn and to contribute to the survival of kiwi."

What her group is learning is also adding to the pool of information about great spotted kiwi/roroa. ‘Our birds live at high altitude and are not as big as people think.’

Low point

Jo says her low point is probably the same as everyone else’s. "Seeing all the kiwi chicks die. Of the 33 birds we have caught so far, we haven’t caught any juveniles."

Thoughts for the future

Because the plight of kiwi has such a high profile, more so than other species, Jo believes that the number of areas where they are managed will continue to grow. And that’s good news. ‘I think that in places where kiwi are managed over the long term, they will survive, like our project in the Paparoas.’  

Where kiwi live in unmanaged areas, the future is not so good.