No Images? Click here
Welcome to Behind the Scenes - DOC Fiordland's conservation newsletter
In this issue:
- What's on? Fiordland events coming soon
- Meridian Energy partnering with DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme
- World Oceans Day
- Battle for our Birds e-newsletter
- On the DOC blog: Huts and thar on the West Coast
- Real Journeys Birds of a feather charity ball
- Ecological and conservation research scholarship available
What's on? Fiordland events
Matariki Night Time Nature Walk
What will you discover in the night time forest? Join DOC rangers as they walk along the Kepler Track, listening and looking for the creatures of the night.
When: 6.00 pm - 7.30 pm Friday 15 July. [Postponement: 6.00 pm - 7.30 pm Saturday 16 July].
BOOKING: Fill in the online booking form to secure your place. More information will be sent to you once you have registered. Cost to attend: Free
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
Meridian Energy partnering with DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme
This month it was announced that Meridian Energy is on board as a National Partner to support the work done by DOC, in conjunction with Ngāi Tahu, on the Kākāpō Recovery Programme.
DOC’s Director-General Lou Sanson said “DOC’s partnership with Meridian will help us to further develop techniques in the way we manage kākāpō, through research on genetics, nutrition and disease management.” Meridian’s commitment will build on the work achieved through the partnership between DOC, New Zealand Aluminium Smelters and Forest & Bird which ended a few months ago after 25 years.
Kākāpō are native to New Zealand and are listed as a critically endangered species. Numbers have increased from just 50 birds in the 1990s to 158 after this year’s record breeding season. The Kākāpō Recovery Programme supports breeding populations on three predator-free islands: Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, off Stewart Island; Pukenui/Anchor Island in southwest Fiordland; and Hauturu/Little Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf.
World Oceans Day – celebrated in Fiordland
'Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet' was the theme of this year’s World Oceans Day. DOC ranger Chloe Corne met with students at Te Anau School and Fiordland College, the Fiordland Kindergarten, Southern Stars early education centre, to enlist their help to protect our precious moana.
Her focus was plastic - a useful but long lasting material. Our oceans, and the wildlife within them, are increasingly affected by plastic. Even here in Te Anau, where we can’t see the coast, water connects us to the ocean. Plastic and rubbish ending up in our waterways flows down our rivers into the sea.
How can you help? Remember the four R’s: REFUSE single use plastics, REDUCE use of plastics and look for better alternatives, REUSE plastics you do end up with, and RECYCLE when you’re done with them.
Battle for our Birds - e-newsletter available
Interested in the national Battle for our Birds campaign? You can now sign up to a series of informative newsletters, appearing during the winter and spring of 2016 as the programme progresses.
The first newsletter covers preliminary results from long term monitoring in Waitutu. Scientists have been monitoring the seeding of rimu and beech over many years and the subsequent response of introduced pest species like rats, stoats and possums. The outcomes of pest control using traps and aerial 1080 as recently as 2014, show the benefit of regular landscape scale pest control to protect native ecosystems.
On the DOC blog: Huts and tahr on the West Coast
DOC looks after 965 backcountry huts around New Zealand. If you love and use our network of public huts on conservation land - fill out the hut books! Hut book information helps justify the maintenance received by backcountry huts and tracks.
While focusing on the West Coast - this blog message from Davey Hughes, founder of Swazi Outdoor Clothing, is important for Fiordland users too.
Get involved
Ecological and conservation research scholarship available
Applications are invited for the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Brian Molloy Doctoral Research Scholarship. The scholarship was established to promote and advance ecological science and conservation in New Zealand, and to recognise Dr Brian Molloy’s contribution to QEII National Trust
The scholarship is to support a full-time supervised doctoral research degree, and provides funding for up to 3 years at up to $50,000 per year. Closes 3 August 2016
Details about the scholarship and how to apply are on the QEII National Trust website.
Newsletter feedback
We'd like to know what you think of the Behind the Scenes newsletter and how we can make it even better.
 |  |
PO Box 29 | Te Anau | 9640 | New Zealand