New Zealand has over 15,000 kilometres of coastline so shore species like the northern NZ dotterel should have an abundance of room to rest, nest and raise their young.
The Tawharanui Open Sanctuary is a comprehensive ecological restoration programme underway to transform Tawharanui Regional Park into New Zealand's first integrated open sanctuary (a 'mainland island') where farming, public recreation and conservation of native species combine. It is hoped that TOS will become a place free of plant and animal pests, where native plants and animals can breed successfully.