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
Success stories
Extinct birds on show in digital art exhibition
Seen any extinct New Zealand birds at the shopping mall recently? Or maybe you spotted one while passing through Wellington Airport… Haast's Eagle. Harpagornis moorei. From the series: Extinct Birds of New Zealand., 2005, by Paul Martinson. Purchased 2006. © Te Papa. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. … [Read more...] about Extinct birds on show in digital art exhibition
Life of plenty for beech forest ship rats
Trappers from the Kepler Challenge Trust helped out by supplying 248 trapped ship rats back in 2009-2010, so that researchers Kay Clapperton, Fraser Maddigan, Warren Chinn and Elaine Murphy could carry out a detailed study of what the Fiordland ship rats had been eating before they died, the … [Read more...] about Life of plenty for beech forest ship rats
Wainui Beach pupils use building skills to help wildlife
Wainui Beach is a small, beachside community on the outskirts of Gisborne. In 2017 the students at Wainui Beach School made nesting boxes for their local little blue penguins. This year they’re putting their building skills to use again with a new project. Wainui Beach School pupils with their … [Read more...] about Wainui Beach pupils use building skills to help wildlife
New toxin combination tested for rats and possums
Up until the 1950s, most pest control toxins for vertebrates, including rats, were fast-acting. While a quick death for pests is a good thing humane-wise, the issue was, rats didn’t necessarily die. They’d try a little toxin, quickly feel the effects and sensibly refuse to have anything more to do … [Read more...] about New toxin combination tested for rats and possums
Bushy Point volunteers hold Triple Celebration
Otatara Landcare Group (OLG) in Southland has just celebrated its 20th year and two other impressive milestones: OLG’s total volunteer effort has reached 15,000 volunteer hours and 30,000 locally grown native plants have now been planted at its flagship restoration project at Bushy Point! So how … [Read more...] about Bushy Point volunteers hold Triple Celebration
Road hazards for wildlife more than just a collision risk
When you think about roads and wildlife, the first thought that springs to mind is a collision with fatal consequences. But roads can impact wildlife in a whole range of ways and more evidence is needed on the most effective ways to mitigate those impacts. Collisions with vehicles are only one … [Read more...] about Road hazards for wildlife more than just a collision risk
Rare orange-spotted gecko lives only in alpine zone
There’s a rare and colourful gecko known to live in only a few boulder fields and rock jumbles in the alpine areas of Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago districts. It’s been named the orange-spotted gecko and was only discovered as recently as 1998. Orange-spotted gecko. Photo: Carey Knox … [Read more...] about Rare orange-spotted gecko lives only in alpine zone
Saving mohua motivates Makarora Valley trappers
Ian Turnbull’s father was a member of the Central Otago Lakes Branch of Forest and Bird back in 1998 when the group first began trapping in the beech forest of the Makarora Valley near Wanaka. Now Ian himself is retired and part of the dedicated trapping team. “There were a small number of mohua … [Read more...] about Saving mohua motivates Makarora Valley trappers
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