Otanewainuku Kiwi Trust

Located in the western Bay of Plenty, 25 kilometres south of Tauranga, the Department of Conservation reserve is the focus of the Otanewainuku Kiwi Trust, formed in 2002.

This community-based conservation trust was initiated by Te Puke branch of Forest and Bird after a survey revealed brown kiwi numbers within the forest had dropped sharply, from around 50 birds in 1984 to just 5 in 2006. Other native species, including the beautiful songbird, kokako, were also suffering at the jaws of stoats, ferrets, feral cats and dogs.

The Trust operates under a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Conservation. Local iwi support and assist its vision – to return to the Otanewainuku forest of 100 years ago, to build brown kiwi numbers and, later, to return kokako to the forest so their haunting call will again echo in the canopy.

To that end, the Trust supports kiwi surveys and carries out predator control – targeting stoats, rats, wild cats and possums, and all dogs are banned. Volunteers now maintain the Trust’s integrated pest management programme, which has benefits for all plants and animals at Otanewainuku, including brown kiwi.

Most recently, the Trust has been fundraising for a $650,000 kiwi creche to take BNZ Operation Nest Egg™ chicks from Kiwi Encounter, in Rotorua. The 21-hectare fenced area will be next to Otanewainuku Forest, on private land under a QE II Trust covenant.

Up to 20 one-month-old brown kiwi will arrive each season and be cared for until big enough to better defend themselves from warm-blooded predators.

Any extra juveniles will be released into the Otanewainuku forest to boost its kiwi population.

Size of area under protection

Otanewainuku reserve covers 1200 hectares of ancient virgin forest, of which 1000 hectares is the focus of the Trust’s integrated pest management plan. The mature forest’s thick carpet of leaf litter holds more than 1000 species of insects, which in turn provide a rich source of food for kiwi, other birds, geckos and skinks.

Biggest challenge

Trust secretary, Carole Long, says there are many challenges, with funding near the top of the pile. ‘Pest control is not cheap, so finding ongoing funding is right up there. Our fundraising committee is targeting local businesses, service clubs and schools for support.’

Other challenges include managing volunteers to keep them involved, informed and enthusiastic. ‘We are slowly educating local dog owners to keep their animals out of the kiwi zone, and we are working hard to keep the community informed and involved, through education and the media.’ Quarterly newsletters are sent out each year, and are available on the Trust’s website.  

Biggest successes

Predator control has been so successful the Trust was given permission to reintroduce its first brown kiwi to Otanewainuku in autumn 2007. ‘That was a great cause of celebration,’ Carole says. The four new birds brought the known number of kiwi in the forest to 10, and the Trust is looking forward to re-introducing kokako by 2010.

The one most important thing

Kiwi projects depend on community support, Carole says, which can come as time, expertise and/or money. Initial funding to set up the Trust and put in stoat trap lines came from Environment Bay of Plenty, via a grant to Te Puke Forest and Bird. ‘Launching the Trust at a local school worked very well for us - and we have had tremendous media support,’ she says.

Today, the lifeblood of this Trust is its more than 100 active volunteers, who walk many thousands of kilometres each year and collectively donate about 5000 hours. Carole says it is important to be well organised to support their work, and the newsletters are an important part of keeping them up-to-date.

Contact details

If you would like to learn more about the Otanewainuku Kiwi Trust and its work, and/or volunteer your efforts, contact:
Contact name: Carole Long, secretary
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Postal address: PO Box 9311 Tauranga
Phone: 07 542 0224

Contact name: Dave Edwards, Trust chair
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Phone: 07 544 0885

Contact name: Dave Wills, kiwi project manager
Phone: 07 573 7322