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Welcome to Behind the Scenes - DOC Fiordland's conservation newsletter
In this issue:
- What's on? Fiordland events
- Real Journey's charity ball
- Rat numbers on the rise
- Whitebaiting illegal in Fiordland National Park
- Nest building efforts help crested grebe
- Wanted - kākā observers
- Kiwi Guardian sites at Kepler Track and Mavora Lakes
What's on? Fiordland events
Conservation Week 10 - 18 September
This year is all about encouraging New Zealanders to get on board to help explore, celebrate and protect the unique natural environment here in beautiful Aotearoa.
It’s about getting children out and about in nature—young people connected to nature will more likely enjoy the outdoors and want to protect it.
Fiordland activities during conservation week include:
- National Geocache Challenge with the geocache trail on the Kepler Track
- Whio Boot Camp - play the online game to go in the draw to win a whio ranger for a day trip
- Whio colouring-in competition
Find more events, activities and competitions at ConservationWeek.org.nz.
NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival comes to Te Anau
The Fiordland College outdoor education program in association with DOC and Conservation Week is excited to announce that the Mountain Film Festival is coming to Te Anau!
All proceeds will go towards Fiordland College purchasing personal locator beacons and radios for their outdoor education program.
When: Friday 16 September 7pm (Doors 6.30pm)
Sunday 18 September 2pm (Doors 1.30pm)
*Friday = 5 International Films, Sunday = 5 NZ Films
Where: Fiordland Community Events Centre, Luxmore Drive, Te Anau
Cost: Tickets $10 (under 12 $5) Family of 4 $20. Tickets from Fiordland College (Door sales $15)
Breakfast with the Birds
Resident birds, including kākā, ducks, takahē, and ruru at Te Anau's Wildlife Centre are given breakfast each morning. You are invited to come along for this great opportunity to meet some of New Zealand's rarest birds.
When: Everyday (including weekends) 10:30am - 11:30am
Where: Meet by the takahē enclosure at Punanga Manu o Te Anau (Te Anau Bird Sanctuary)
The latest in Fiordland conservation
Real Journey's Charity Ball
The second annual 'Birds of a Feather' charity ball has raised over $65,000 for the Tamatea/Dusky Sound Restoration Project and saw Real Journeys commit to making Cooper Island, (the third largest island in Dusky Sound, Fiordland) predator-free.
Real Journeys intends to start laying 1000 traps on Cooper Island next winter, contributing to the ambitious goal of restoring Dusky Sound to one of the most intact ecosystems on Earth.
The black tie evening held at the Colonel’s Homestead at Walter Peak, near Queenstown, follows last year’s successful “Birds of a Feather” Charity Ball which raised over $35,000 for Kakapo Recovery.
Read more about how Real Journeys is working with us to support conservation in Fiordland.
Rat numbers on the rise
Pest control has been confirmed for the Kepler Mountains and Eglinton Valley this spring to protect vulnerable wildlife from a predator plague fueled by forest seeding.
Both of these areas were monitored as part of the Battle for our Birds programme as they are home to a number of threatened species, including mohua, kākā, kea, whio/blue duck, Fiordland tokoeka and two species of native bat.
August monitoring results show that rats numbers are on the increase in both areas. If uncontrolled, the increase in rats will lead to a spike in stoat numbers in spring when birds and bats are raising their young, and are at their most vulnerable.
The planned aerial 1080 treatment will cover approximately 22,700 hectares in the Kepler Mountains and 26,240 hectares in the Eglinton Valley.
Whitebaiting illegal in Fiordland National Park
Whitebaiters heading out to rivers this season are reminded that whitebaiting is not permitted in National Parks.
The coastal boundary of Fiordland National Park is the mean high water mark: whitebaiting is not permitted on rivers above this point and DOC rangers will be patrolling sites to ensure people are complying with the regulations.
Nest building efforts help crested grebe
A team effort from diverse sectors of the community means that the endangered crested grebe will have a sturdy place to raise a family on Lake Te Anau.
Australasian crested grebe/kāmana only nest on top of the water, leaving their nests and eggs vulnerable to changing water levels and storms.
Prisoners at the Otago Correctional Facility in Milton built the wooden frames for the rafts and then families from the Kids Restore the Kepler programme helped to assemble the rafts for the grebes. A plastics company in Dunedin had donated the plastic containers, which were attached to the bottom of the frames to provide buoyancy
The grebes were starting courtship behaviour and were likely to start nesting in the next few weeks.
Get involved
Wanted - kākā observers
Punanga Manu o Te Anau/Te Anau Bird Sanctuary is in need of volunteers to help observe our kākā.
Our resident kākā, Charlie Brown and Bling, have been moved into a new aviary and were joined recently by a pair of kākā from the Dunedin Botanical Gardens.
The kākā need to be monitored to build up a picture of how they interact with each other, their human visitors and their new environment. Volunteers are needed to formally observe the kākā and record the behaviours they exhibit.
Observations can be done at any time during the day for a period of 20 minutes or more. Training will be provided. Casual observations from people who pass through the Sanctuary will also be helpful.
For more information or to volunteer, contact: Wendy Newton, DOC Te Anau District Office
Email: wnewton@doc.govt.nz or phone: 027 536 6758.
Kiwi Guardian sites at Kepler Track and Mavora Lakes
Fiordland families can now enjoy Toyota Kiwi Guardians adventures with two new sites joining the nationwide network - the Kepler Track and Mavora Lakes.
The sites are part of a Department of Conservation (DOC) programme encouraging Kiwi kids to get outdoors and more involved with nature.
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PO Box 29 | Te Anau | 9640 | New Zealand