Sanctuary fences keep predators out – but they’ve also become a popular ‘highway’ for ship rats travelling around the sanctuary exterior. Rats have discovered that the rolled steel hood (designed to stop mammals climbing over the fence), also makes a great way to get around, safely out of reach of … [Read more...] about What’s happening up in the hood?
Sanctuaries and projects
Ecosanctuaries in the spotlight
Ecosanctuaries are currently our modern-day ‘Noah’s Ark’. In New Zealand they range from small islands in the middle of lakes and unfenced mainland ecosanctuaries to isolated marine islands, fenced off peninsulas and the ‘mainland islands’ of ring-fenced sanctuaries like Maungatautari, Orokonui and … [Read more...] about Ecosanctuaries in the spotlight
Hauraki Gulf islanders surveyed on pest control attitudes
Now that an increasing number of our wildlife-rich - but uninhabited by humans - offshore islands are becoming predator free, the conservation spotlight is turning to some of New Zealand’s inhabited islands. But predator eradication becomes more complicated when people are living onsite. Its not … [Read more...] about Hauraki Gulf islanders surveyed on pest control attitudes
Tūī spill out from Maungatautari
Maungatautari Ecosanctuary is overflowing with tūī. They’re spilling over the predator proof fence into the surrounding community, according to an article just published in Notornis – the research journal of BirdsNZ. It’s great news for those who live near the sanctuary – especially those whose … [Read more...] about Tūī spill out from Maungatautari
Video camera study reveals rare birds in ruru diet
The ruru (morepork) is a predator – but it’s certainly not on the ‘predator-free’ hit list. Those slots are just for introduced mammal predators which haven’t co-evolved with our vulnerable native species. Ruru do prey on other native wildlife however, including endangered species, as a recent study … [Read more...] about Video camera study reveals rare birds in ruru diet
Would summer eradication of rodents work for Auckland Island?
Approximately one-third of New Zealand’s islands are now free of all invasive mammals. Could Auckland Island be next? Predator control and eradication operations are often carried out in winter – when predators are hungry and uptake of bait likely to be greater. But when it comes to … [Read more...] about Would summer eradication of rodents work for Auckland Island?
DOC and volunteers count kiwi on Tiritiri Matangi
The little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii) was probably the most common kiwi species in Aotearoa/New Zealand in the mid-1800s. Now it's our second rarest kiwi of the 5 kiwi species. Numbers plummeted last century and it had almost disappeared from the mainland by the mid-1900s. Then 5 birds were … [Read more...] about DOC and volunteers count kiwi on Tiritiri Matangi
Citizen science monitoring method outlined and tested
Monitoring wildlife population densities in our ‘mainland island’ fenced sanctuaries is an important part of measuring sanctuary success and assessing the longterm costs and benefits of predator-exclusion fencing. Such fences don’t come cheap, after all. What's the best way to monitor population … [Read more...] about Citizen science monitoring method outlined and tested
Study seeks future homes for kakapo
The kakapo population is outgrowing its island refuge – but where might future kakapo live? In a predator free future, the answer could include protected mainland sites provided there are sites that are big enough, safe enough and with the right kind of habitat for kakapo to thrive. If those likely … [Read more...] about Study seeks future homes for kakapo
Community groups under the microscope
Has your community group identified specific longterm conservation goals? What outcomes do you expect to see from the many hours of volunteer work that your team puts in? Have you thought about how your project contributes to the wider New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy? In a recent report … [Read more...] about Community groups under the microscope