Wellington - 13 October 2021: The titipounamu/rifleman pair living on Te Ahumairangi Hill in Wellington have become proud parents. 

With their chicks, currently the size of a bumblebees, the pair of New Zealand’s tiniest birds are making history. 

When the pair were first spotted in August, 3km away from Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne, it was thought to be the first sighting of their species in that area in more than 100 years.  

There's so much to see and do at the ecosanctuary in the heart of Wellington. Whether you’ve been 100 times or never there’s always something new to do and see.  

Danielle is currently our Director of the Centre for People and Nature and our Deputy Chief Executive and will take up the lead role on 15 November.

All members of Karori Sanctuary Trust (Zealandia) are invited to our AGM on Wednesday 10 November. We will chair highlights and challenges from the last year and celebrate the success of the Roto Kawau/lower reservoir restoration. A Guardian will also be elected by you - we are now calling for nominations for this role. 

New Zealand’s smallest bird has been sighted on Te Ahūmairangi Hill in Wellington City. 

New Zealand’s only fully parasitic plant has been successfully germinated at the Lions Ōtari Native Plant Conservation Laboratory in Wellington. The milestone germination was of rare seeds gifted from Ngāti Rereahu in the first translocation to involve all six Greater Wellington iwi.

Taranaki Whānui iwi has officially declared Opau Urupā in Makara, Wellington as plastic- free, the first urupā (Māori cemetery) nationally to do so. 

They’re encouraging the community to use sustainable, plastic-free ways to commemorate loved ones instead of using plastic flowers.

Matariki has become a popular celebration of Māori culture, for all, across Aotearoa/New Zealand. Matariki is an important celebration to Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne as the sanctuary acknowledges the importance of Te Ao Māori through our commitment to Te Tiriti and our organizational values.

Click here to read more about how we're celebrating Matariki at Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne including events and activities for the whole whānau.

ZEALANDIA is proud to work with the Department of Conservation Takahē Recovery Programme which aims to boost takahē numbers living in their natural habitats, and for the species to be treasured as a national icon.

ZEALANDIA’s world-first predator exclusion fence is now twenty years old. The patent on the fence has now reached its end, and this provides us with the opportunity to share our expertise and accumulated knowledge with others, confident that this approach works.