Te wāonui o maruwharanui - Mangaoapa forest update

Kōnui, Kōroa, Māpere, Manawa and Kōiti are visible signs of the progress being made by the mahi to safeguard kiwi living in the Mangaoapa forestry block.

Named after the five fingers of the hand, these are the five birds – three male and two female – caught earlier this year through a monitoring scheme that has partnered Parininihi ki Waitōtara (PKW), owner of the block, with the East Taranaki Environment Collective (ETEC), Taranaki Kiwi Trust and Te Kāhui Maru.

Trained dogs and handlers located and captured the kiwi, and gave them a health check, before attaching transmitters and putting them back in their burrows.

The biggest of the birds at 3.3kg is Kōnui (fat or big), the thumb, with the other fingers in sequence – Kōroa (long or tall); Māpere (playful); Manawa (spirited) and Kōiti (small and humble).

The three males are currently sitting on eggs with the incubation process usually taking up to 80 days.

The three males are currently sitting on eggs with the incubation process usually taking up to 80 days.

The monitoring of the kiwi is particularly significant as it is part of a research project into how forestry harvesting impacts the species. PKW plans to start harvesting the radiata pine in the forest towards the end of the year.

Te Rau Mātorotoro / Procurement Coordinator for PKW Jenny Feaver says: “We need to find out what happens to kiwi before, during and post-harvesting of the pine.

“Kiwi can become skitterish when there is significant noise and activity in their habitat.”

“There is a huge gap in knowledge about what happens to kiwi in a pine forest, but we are committed to understanding more about these taonga and how we can support them while working safely around them.”

Jenny is delighted to have ETEC, Taranaki Kiwi Trust and Ngāti Maru as partners.

“They are experts in monitoring kiwi behaviour, so it is a natural fit – and we are learning so much from their expertise.”

“The kiwi project is something new for PKW, but we have picked it up and run with it.”

PKW will also be collaborating with national charitable trust Save the Kiwi, which is planning a North Island-wide research project into the effects of forestry harvesting.

Save the Kiwi’s forestry specialist Craig Balsom says the results from the Mangaoapa forest will be an important part of the project.

“No one has done this sort of research and it will help us manage kiwi populations better in the future.”

PKW’s Taiao team has been providing support work in Mangaoapa which has seen them develop their skills and knowledge.

“For our rau whakauruora in our taiao team, this is their first experience with kiwi, so it is a unique and exciting experience for them,” says Te Rau Whakaueue / Team Supervisor Josephine Sullivan.

“The work is not always easy or glamorous – kiwi get into challenging spaces, so the team have been crawling through the undergrowth. But they have found it very rewarding.”

“As PKW owns the forest, the kiwi are our responsibility and we are developing the skills to enable us to do what we need to protect them, while building up our knowledge base.”

“Our cadets are doing regular monitoring on their own, and those who are keen to develop their skills and gain a qualification in kiwi handling are being encouraged to do so.”

Civil works such as establishing tracks will start before the end of the year, prior to harvesting.

A preferred partner to carry out the harvest has been identified and negotiations are under way.

“It was important to find a company aligned with our values, and we now have a draft agreement and are working through the fine details,” says Te Rau Whakahono Pito / General Manager Property Richard Buttimore.