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As we continue to strengthen the weave of our conservation programme, the protection of kiwi remains a central strand. This work aligns with our efforts to safeguard other native species, all contributing to our shared vision of a thriving Forest Bridge across northern Auckland. Over the past year, we have mirrored this integrated approach operationally by interlacing our funding streams to build organisational resilience and maximise the impact of every dollar entrusted to us.
We have been fortunate to receive funding from the Rodney Local Board, which has enabled us to continue predator control and support landowner trapping within the core kiwi buffer zones around Tāwharanui, Tamahunga and Glorit, as these populations establish territory or expand. When this funding is woven together with funding from Auckland Council to support wider community trapping, alongside generous donations to our Sponsor Safe Habitat campaign and commitment from landowners who are investing in ongoing trap servicing, these strands form a strong, cohesive fabric.
Operational support from Foundation North, together with our involvement in the new initiative spearheaded by the Sustainable Business Network – the Tāmaki Taiao Alliance, provides the backbone that enables us to deliver environmental projects effectively and consistently across the region. This collective support has allowed us to maintain critical areas of investment initiated through our previous Jobs for Nature funding programme, a continuation that directly supports our kiwi populations, as well as other native species that benefit from mustelid control such as kākā, whose rhythmic and raucous calls are more frequently heard across the mainland.
Volunteers are another vital thread contributing to positive outcomes. Within the Tamahunga buffer zone, teams continue to diligently check traplines, including a group of families originally from Matakana School who have been consistently trapping for nearly five years. An off-trail volunteer crew maintains a network of surveillance cameras across Tamahunga and the surrounding area, allowing targeted responses to predators and providing feedback to Tamahunga Trappers on kiwi movements and activities.
A natural outcome of this continued commitment by our community is that native species, including kiwi, will start arriving in places we may not have expected to see or hear them. Our team takes great joy in hearing stories about increasing numbers of kiwi calls. These stories are shared with pride and excitement, and it’s clear that a rise in biodiversity and growing awareness of the environment around us uplifts our collective wellbeing.
We are incredibly grateful to our community for the ongoing support to protect the natural environment that nourishes us all. Your care and your willingness to act make this impact possible.
What can you do to help?
Keep checking and rebaiting your traps, take advantage of our free Kiwi Avoidance Training for dogs (proudly supported by Rodney Local Board), and keep listening and watching. Every action you take adds strength to the weave, helping create a safer, richer, and more vibrant home for kiwi and other native species, including ourselves.
Links
Rodney Local Board
The Forest Bridge Trust
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