Kākāriki were introduced to ZEALANDIA in 2011, and since then have been thriving in the sanctuary. Residents of local Wellington suburbs, mainly Karori, now enjoy these birds in their backyards regularly. 

ZEALANDIA Conservation Ranger Ellen Irwin shares her tips for spotting these often elusive birds in this blog post.

Our nation’s capital is being celebrated as ‘an ecological triumph’ (National Geographic January 2018)—Wellington is one of the only cities in the world where the diversity of native birds is increasing. This change has been driven by the establishment of ZEALANDIA 22 years ago, the 225 ha sanctuary for wildlife just 3 km from downtown Wellington. 

ZEALANDIA has a 500-year vision of restoration, and our lakes offer a unique challenge in this respect. They are man-made, and restoring them to the state they were in before the dams went up is not really an option. As a result, we are now aiming to create healthy, functioning lake ecosystems here in the heart of Wellington.

Young animals face many challenges when they become independent from their parents. One problem is they need to find food, but have little experience to help them. Even human teenagers can struggle when there’s no one else around to do the shopping, and for wild animals, making the best foraging decisions is even more crucial for their survival. During my PhD I’m investigating how juvenile birds overcome this challenge.

On the 24th of November, 65 biology teachers from the Wellington region gathered at ZEALANDIA for the Biology Educators Association of New Zealand (BEANZ) Workshop. The event provided a forum for teachers to build connections, share resources and insights, discuss the direction of the curriculum and hear from educators and scientists working in and around ZEALANDIA.

We are receiving yet another takahē who will live out their retirement at ZEALANDIA. Find out more from our Conservation & Research Manager, Dr. Danielle Shanahan.

ZEALANDIA’s first 20 years was all about focusing on the land within our pioneering predator-proof fence, and what a success this has been. The valley now harbours a rich habitat for many birds, lizards, and invertebrates, and our vegetation is now thriving. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of a huge range of volunteers, members, staff and donors that have supported the project along the way.

On 18^th November 2017, Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) run its first Freshwater Citizen Science workshop aimed at community groups. This workshop was held in ZEALANDIA as part of its new project, Sanctuary to Sea. Around 40 people from all ages and from various locations around the Wellington region, including Kaiwharawhara water catchment, Owhiro and Waiwhetu streams, attended this instructive and fun event.

Frothy white-capped trees scattered across the western scarp have captured people's attention this spring - but what are they? According to plant enthusiast Pam Fuller, they are heketara (Olearia rani) - a type of tree daisy - that flowers only every three years or so at ZEALANDIA.

With the upcoming lower lake restoration project at ZEALANDIA (the Sanctuary to Sea project), conservation staff thought it would be good to get a baseline on shag nesting so we could measure any effect that the programme might have.