Towering above visitors in the ngahere/forest, the non-native pine trees at Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne were originally planted as a forestry trial as early as the 1880s. Jo Ledington, General Manager Conservation and Restoration, shares some of the thinking that has gone into the removal of these trees. |
Some very special visitors came to Zealandia this month. These Conservation Dogs were helping sniff out kiwi for a kiwi pukupuku/little spotted kiwi survey in Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne. |
Yesterday our solid sanctuary biosecurity systems put in place by our conservation team were put to the test, with a weasel discovered dead in a DOC200 trap at the southern end of the sanctuary. The good news is our safe-guarding systems are working. |
There will be some closures on Te Māhanga track from May until the end of June as part of a very exciting project to release the population of pepeketua/Hamilton’s Frogs from their enclosures later this year. |
While the fence does a fabulous job keeping out mammalian predators, invasive plants are a bit trickier to contain.
Our conservation team have been on the hunt recently for floral pests in previously unsearched areas of the sanctuary. |
Conservation is complex work that rarely comes with a neatly packaged ‘How-To’ guide. This month alone we celebrated the arrival of a new pair of takahē to Zealandia while also trying to unpack a ‘whodunnit’ of epic proportions beneath the surface of our waters.
An eagle-eyed Zealandia volunteer spotted a pied shag making light work of a rather large pinky coloured fish in Roto Kawau, the lower reservoir. |
We are super excited to announce the arrival of the newest pair of takahē to Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne! The new takahē are Waitaa (female, 3 years old) and Bendigo (male, 6 years old) who came from the Burwood Takahē Centre near Te Anau. |
Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne are welcoming two new takahē (Bendigo and Waitaa) on 28 August 2023, bringing the Zealandia takahē population up to 4! |
Zealandia member and wildlife photographer Holly Neill has a bit of a passion for wildlife in her backyard. So much so, she's built her own lizard garden so she can interact with them at home!
Read about how she created her little lizard haven, Mokomoko Manor, and how you can start one at home too. |
This summer, we're encouraging you to explore further into the sanctuary and take notice of things you may not normally see, hear or feel.
Whether you’ve visited 100 times or never, there’s always something new to notice if you slow down and take it all in.
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