Forest & Bird Magazine Issue 383 Autumn 2022 by Forest & Bird

NEW ZEALAND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR NATURE

E ST. 1 92 3

TE REO O TE TAIAO

№ 383  AUTUMN 2022

EVERY WETLAND COUNTS NI CISUM

Nature

HELP! “THERE ARE PENGUINS IN MY BASEMENT”

MEET PENNY NELSON, DOC’S NEW

CONSERVATIONIST-IN-CHIEF

Contents ISSUE 383

• Autumn 2022

Editorial

Cover

2 Lifeline to climate safety 4 Letters + competition winners

News 6 7 8 10

14 Secret heart of Kopuatai 17 Every wetland counts

Forest & Bird project 18 Help! There are penguins in my

Save our seabirds

basement

Our albatrosses need you Stewardship land review

40 Te Rere turns 40!

High Court win, climate campaign 2022, our new CEO

Profile

12 Te Kuha appeal, tax rebate time, Cawthron award, black tern world first

chief Penny Nelson

44 Kevin Hackwell: A lifetime of environmental advocacy

22 39 46 53 60

Long-distance dotterels Conservation law reform 26 Habitats NZ, part 2 The world’s lost birds Fantail tales

Opinion 23 Why do we still allow smoking in National Parks?

Force of Nature 24 Music meets nature

COVER SHOT Moho pererū banded rail. PAPER ENVELOPE Tītipounamu rifleman.

forget-me-not.

20 DOC’s new conservationist-in-

Biodiversity

Neil Foster, @wildbird2015 at Flicker.com Phototrip RENEWAL Kopakopa Chatham Island

Kyle Bland

Thank you for supporting us! Forest & Bird is New Zealand’s largest and oldest independent conservation charity.

EDITOR

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Predator-free NZ

Community

Going places

26 Returning kiwi to the Ruahine

42 Trust & Hope 50 Dogs on beaches, letters special 61 Kiwibank environmental awards

58 Artist on the high seas

Range

Te ao Māori 30 Mātauranga Māori and climate change

Freshwater 32 Rewilding our rivers and streams

Seabirds 36 Whenua Hou petrel, star of the show

Our partners

62 Classifieds

Last word

52 Hands off the Hauraki Gulf

64 Nature in stitches

In the field

Parting shot

54 Greening grey suburbs

IBC Moko pirirākau forest gecko

History 56 Fossicking for fossils

CONTACT NATIONAL OFFICE Forest & Bird National Office Ground Floor, 205 Victoria Street Wellington 6011 PO Box 631, Wellington 6140 T 0800 200 064 or 04 385 7374 E office@forestandbird.org.nz W www.forestandbird.org.nz

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CONTACT A BRANCH See www.forestandbird.org.nz/ branches for a full list of our 50 Forest & Bird branches.

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Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc. Forest & Bird is a registered charitable entity under the Charities Act 2005. Registration No CC26943. PATRON Her Excellency The Rt Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro, GNZM, QSO Governor-General of New Zealand CHIEF EXECUTIVE Kevin Hague PRESIDENT Mark Hanger TREASURER Alan Chow BOARD MEMBERS Chris Barker, Kaya Freeman,

Kate Graeme, Richard Hursthouse, Monica Peters, Te Atarangi Sayers, Ines Stäger CONSERVATION AMBASSADORS Sir Alan Mark, Gerry McSweeney, Craig Potton DISTINGUISHED LIFE MEMBERS Graham Bellamy, Ken Catt, Linda Conning, Audrey Eagle, Philip Hart, Joan Leckie, Hon. Sandra Lee-Vercoe, Carole Long, Peter Maddison, Sir Alan Mark, Gerry McSweeney, Craig Potton, Fraser Ross, Eugenie Sage, Guy Salmon, Lesley Shand

EDITORIAL

LIFELINE TO CLIMATE SAFETY

n a recent Alpine Aotearoa fundraising tour for the Society, I was overwhelmed by the grandeur of our mountains and amazing diversity of its alpine flora. We are so lucky to live in this remarkable country. Walking on Blackbirch Peak, near Blenheim, with dew glistening on the astonishing “vegetable sheep”, surrounded by thousands of high alpine buttercups and cushion speargasses, is an experience to cherish. Incredibly, 93% of our alpine flora grows nowhere else on the planet. Sadly, these environments are not immune from the impact of a changing climate. During the 20th century, alpine species have retreated an average of 6.1m up the slopes each decade. Conditions for them at their lower margins had become intolerable – too hot or dry – or newly arrived species from lower altitudes were out-competing them. For every 100m you ascend a mountain, the temperature drops more than 0.5˚C. We cannot rescue these species and put them somewhere else – there is nowhere else beyond the alpine summits. Forest & Bird has fought for 99 years to protect the biodiversity of Aotearoa. We can be proud of our achievements, fighting to secure landscapes and save threatened species from the brink of extinction. But sadly, in the future, much of our work could be undone, as countless thousands of species and iconic landscapes are swept away by a rising tide of climate change. We must act to stop the problem at its cause – the emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. For this to happen, individuals, industry, and governments need to act on climate change now. A delay of even a decade is too much. The government is

unlikely to act unless people demand it. To stiffen our government’s climate resolve, we must put these issues at the top of our, and their, agenda. And regardless of the efforts of the government and even industry, unless we as citizens take the initiative, it will come to naught. Do you feel helpless? It’s easy to feel so. But there are positive actions we can all take. Begin by creating your own climate action checklist – the steps you can take to reduce your impact on the climate. And encourage your whānau or neighbours to do the same. You might change to an accredited green power option (up to 30% reduction in household emissions), use a triple-A rated shower head (up to 12% reduction in household emissions), and suggest an energy audit at work (up to 30% reduction in workplace emissions). Employees can wield significant influence in their workplace. As a country, we seek role models. You can act and demonstrate what can and should be done. You will be achieving results way beyond your local impact. Alternatively, or in addition, you could write to a politician urging ambitious action on climate change and help each other change the world. Our lifeline to climate safety is in front of us. Ngā manaakitanga

Mark Hanger Forest & Bird President Perehitini, Te Reo o te Taiao

Alpine tarn, St James Walkway, Lewis Pass, North Canterbury. Shellie Evans

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

EXPEDITION CRUISING

WITH FOREST & BIRD

Explore the remote wilderness of New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands and Fiordland with Forest & Bird and Kiwi pioneering expedition cruise company Heritage Expeditions Join a special Forest & Bird guest as we explore the untamed wilderness of Fiordland’s ice-carved mountains, forests and fiords. Encounter threatened native species flourishing on Stewart Island’s Ulva Island and discover the remote, rugged beauty of New Zealand’s Subantarctic wildlife havens Auckland, Campbell and the Snares Islands on this unforgettable 12-day expedition.

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Wade waist deep through fields of megaherbs Explore remote coastlines only accessible by sea Observe life at the Hooker’s Sea Lion colony Discover the primordial majesty of Fiordland See up to five species of penguins Unforgettable wildlife encounters Rarely seen albatross ‘gamming’ courting ritual Visit Coastwatcher’s Huts and early settements Travel is aboard new ship Heritage Adventurer

Forest & Bird members save 5% PLUS a contribution from your fare directly supports funding Forest & Bird and their ongoing conservation efforts! Beyond Fiordland: New Zealand’s Wildest Islands 28 December 2022 – 8 January 2023 From US$8,495pp

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See our website for more Subantarctic adventures!

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Auckland Islands Campbell Island

LETTERS YOUR FEEDBACK Forest & Bird welcomes your thoughts on conservation topics. Please email letters up to 200 words, with your name, home address, and phone number, to editor@forestandbird.org.nz, or by post to the Editor, Forest & Bird magazine, 205 Victoria Street, Wellington 6011, by 1 May 2022. We don’t always have space to publish all letters or use them in full.

WRITE AND WIN The best contribution to the Letters page will receive a copy of Across the Pass, a collection of New Zealand tramping writing, selected by Shaun Barnett, Otago University Press, RRP $45. A wealth of fiction, poetry, and memoir from trampers past and present.

ALL EARS FOR ENDEMICS

PEST-CONTROL COMPLEXITIES

Like me, I’m sure many of you have enjoyed the stress relief offered by our green spaces and birds. I’ve not needed science to tell me. In fact, if I have been away from our native greenery for many months, I yearn to return to our native forests. However, my stress levels rise slightly when I hear the honking of Canada geese, the raucous squawk of sulphur-crested cockatoos, the repetitious single note of the eastern rosella, and many utterances of other introduced species. I admit the thrush and blackbird have lovely songs and the chaffinch is always cheerful, but their sounds are foreign. They belong in Europe. While the skylark, in particular, evokes images and memories of my native England, which I left 46 years ago, its twittering is not welcome to my ears in Aotearoa. When the korimako bellbird fills the air with its perfect notes early in the morning, accompanied a little later by the melodious and comical chatter of the tūī, that’s when it is time to tune into the locals. Bring on the endemic chorus! It would not upset me if I never again hear a starling mimic our birds … or see a blackbird take a skink.

The continuing reports of destroyed and declining ecosystems sadden all of us. By now, I hoped we would be seeing a start on Pest-free Aotea or Pest-free Rakiura. As Dr Flux points out, this work must start with rodents first and progress to the larger pest species. Truth is, for both these islands, the most difficult task is getting the people to agree to the removal of the larger pest species. Nature will begin repairing itself, as Chris Horne suggests, with the removal of each pest species, but it is not until the last one is gone that the repair can be complete. On Raoul, the removal of goats reduced the cat population but allowed the introduced giant taro (Alocasia macrorrhiza) to grow. Then the removal of rats allowed insects to multiply and eat the taro. On Hauturu, the removal of cats made no notable difference to the bush birds but did give the New Zealand storm petrel a little breather. The removal of rats was the key to change, and even the introduced German wasp could no longer survive there. There is surely room on Hauturu now for introduction of a snipe species to replace the lost Coenocorypha barrierensis.

Geoff Scrase Waikanae

Dick Veitch Papakura

MORE ON MĀORI BIRD NAMES

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

Forest & Bird uses tauhou as the Māori name for the waxeye (or silvereye if we must use the Australian name). As noted in a recent article, it means stranger, and I have often wondered whether Māori speakers still use it for what is now one of our most abundant and familiar birds. I have seen other names in books. I once heard a talk on Māori bird names by a te reo speaker who disapproved of our use of the word tūī. She said that kōkō was the name most commonly used by Māori for that bird. I would be interested to see any responses from readers who regularly converse in te reo Māori.

Alan Baker Dunedin

Forest & Bird Te Reo e t Taoai

BEST LETTER WINNER

I have just been reading the Spring issue of the magazine and have been disturbed, angry, and depressed by the articles that itemise the terrible lack of action on conservation and climate change by various organisations around New Zealand. It is great that Forest & Bird publish these in the magazine, but it is time that the news media was held accountable for not doing more to publicise these issues. It is great to see these issues in Forest & Bird magazine, but we need a lot more publicity about them, along with accountability by the government, both local and central. Somehow the public needs to see more of these issues and subsequent results of the inaction. By far and away, the best and quickest way to get the information out to the public is through the news media and, in particular, television. This shouldn’t just be nature programmes

from overseas but real documentaries from things that are both good and bad about New Zealand’s action or lack thereof. Every article in this issue could and should appear as a programme on television at least once a week on “primetime” mainstream channels. Keep up the good work with what you do at F&B. Roger Sharp Auckland

DEER INVASION DISASTER Your recent magazine article Hooved pest invasion spreads is timely, outlining the threats of increasing numbers of hooved animals in our native forests. Here in Kaikōura, some of our branch members have an intimate knowledge of our native forests extending back more than 50 years. Their assessment is that damage to understorey and ground cover plants is at its worst ever. Far too many deer and goats. A combination of reduced helicopter culling, limits to recreational hunting, private hunting blocks, and reduced Department of Conservation control has led to the present sorry, disturbing state of degraded native forests. Shame on DOC. Worse still, a branch attempt to write to the Minister was never seen by her but answered by an unknown employee using the name of a more senior official. DOC needs more money, including a much bigger budget for wild animal control. Good luck Forest & Bird, in getting the message to the Minister’s desk, let alone read and acted on.

BOOK GIVEAWAY We are giving away two copies of Wai Pasifika by David Young, Otago University Press, RRP $60. This beautifully illustrated series of essays focuses on freshwater, its customary use, traditions and myth, and centrality to sustaining life from Pacific perspectives. To enter, email your entry to draw@forestandbird.org.nz, put WAI in the subject line, and include your name and address in the email. Or write your name and address on the back of an envelope and post to WAI draw, Forest & Bird, PO Box 631, Wellington 6140. Entries close 1 May 2022.

The lucky winner of our festive bumper book prize draw (value $215) is Jessamine Bailey, of Auckland. They win a family pack of five conservation and nature titles published by our friends at Potton & Burton.

Barry Dunnett Kaikōura

BAN BOTTOM TRAWLING New Zealand’s global share of coal and oil consumption is less than 0.2%. So we can drive electric cars and make our milk powder without burning coal, but it won’t make a significant difference. But New Zealand does control the fifth-largest EEZ in the world (four million km2 of ocean), and we could make a big difference by banning bottom trawling. Not only does bottom trawling destroy the very environment that produces the fish, it also releases enormous amounts of CO2 and methane as it stirs up the ancient sediments on the ocean floor. More CO2 is produced by trawling than by the entire world’s aviation fleet! But instead of banning bottom trawling, New Zealand has promoted it at international fisheries management meetings. Indeed, in the last year, New Zealand was the only country to bottom trawl in the South Pacific, and we actually want to increase trawling for orange roughy! The only way Forest & Bird is going to change that is to go on a major public relations campaign to wake the public up to the stranglehold the fishing industry has over our Ministry of Primary Industries. Dr Mark L Feldman Kerikeri

A CONTORTED KIND OF BEAUTY Allan Sheppard, from our Upper Hutt Branch, sent in this image of a distorted central leader of a young rimu tree from Whitemans Valley. “As you will see, these pictures are most unusual and artistic,” he says. The condition is caused by “fasciation”, also known as cresting, and is not specific to rimu. It’s a relatively rare condition of abnormal growth in vascular plants. The phenomenon can occur in the stem, root, fruit, or flower head. Some plants are specifically grown and prized for their fasciation. Possible causes include hormonal, genetic, bacterial, fungal, viral, and environmental issues. Allan would like to hear from anyone who has seen other examples. Please email a photograph and short description to editor@forestandbird.org.nz. Autumn 2022

NATURE NEWS .Hoih

Ridchar Robinso

WHAT IS CONSERVATION WITHOUT HOPE? A personal message from outgoing chief executive Kevin Hague.

ext month, I’m retiring after five years at the helm of Te Reo o te Taiao. In that time, we’ve had some big wins for nature. Of course, none of this would have been possible without you, our wonderful supporters. You are what makes Forest & Bird special, and it’s why we are still here after nearly 100 years of dedicated, science-based conservation mahi. But there is still much more to do, and the time is right to pass the mantle on to someone new. I want you to know that I am very excited that Nic Toki will be taking up the role of chief executive (see page 11). She is an amazing campaigner for the environment and will bring passion and conservation expertise to Forest & Bird. I cannot think of anyone better equipped or qualified to build on my work. Soon, you will receive a personal letter from me about how you can help us campaign for a better deal for our seabirds and other ocean life during 2022. Our priorities include securing a ban on deep sea trawling, the introduction of ecosystem-based fish management, and new marine protected areas in the Hauraki Gulf. I urge you to help us protect New Zealand’s oceans by sending a generous gift.

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

I’m particularly worried about two seabirds – mainland hoiho yellow-eyed penguins and toroa the Antipodean albatross. Both are in dire straits and at risk of becoming extinct within our lifetime, on our watch. The prospect makes me feel sad and angry. Together, we need to act on the existential threats they face, including overfishing, global warming, introduced predators, and habitat loss. It will take a huge collective effort between Forest & Bird, iwi, community groups, the government, and the private sector, but I do believe it is possible to bring back these species and see them thrive. After all, what is conservation without hope? One hundred years ago, the fledgling Society helped saved

Cape Kidnappers circa 1928 with the Society’s “Protect Your Native Birds” poster on post. Forest & Bird archives

the famous tākapu Australasian gannets at Cape Kidnappers, Te Kauwae-a-Māui. Today, our expert staff and volunteers offer practical, evidence-based, landscape-scale solutions for seabird protection. We recently secured significant marine wins, including persuading the government to introduce a zero-bycatch goal, more cameras on fishing boats, and the landmark Motiti legal win that will lead to more marine protected areas. Forest & Bird also manages penguin and seabird restoration projects around the country. So, this is my last hurrah, my final fundraising appeal as I prepare to leave Forest & Bird and retire to Te Tai o Poutini the West Coast. It’s hard to think of any other conservation organisation like it, and I’m proud to have served it and you. I hope you will help me go out on a high note by doing your best to make it the most successful fundraising appeal we have ever run. It’s a tall order, but not as big as the challenges facing hoiho, toroa, and many more of our iconic seabirds. Please make a gift today to SAVE OUR SEABIRDS at www.forestandbird.org.nz/sos.

OUR ALBATROSSES NEED YOU!

outhland-based artist Hannah Shand spent seven weeks meticulously hand-drawing this Antipodean albatross to bring attention to the plight of one of New Zealand’s most at-risk seabirds. Over the next two weeks, Hannah is donating 50% of the limited edition print sales of her new toroa artwork Subantarctic Soaring to Forest & Bird’s seabird conservation work. One of the world’s most critically endangered seabirds, the Antipodean albatross has the same serious threat classification as the blue whale and snow leopard, under the UN’s Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species. Hannah was inspired to shine a light on this toroa following a trip with Heritage Expeditions to the sub-Antarctic islands, where she was lucky enough to see Antipodean albatross on the wing (see page 58). “We are thrilled to be able to share this exclusive offer with our supporters and grateful for Hannah’s help in focusing awareness on the plight of our rarest albatross,” says Jess Winchester, Forest & Bird’s head of fundraising. Antipodean albatross only breed on the sub-Antarctic islands in New Zealand’s Southern Ocean before leaving to forage on the high seas between Aotearoa and Chile. Their biggest threat is being caught and drowned in longline fisheries. They get tangled up in the fishing gear and drown. Global warming is also causing toroa to forage further north, where they come into contact with fishing fleets on the high seas. The risks can be mitigated by a range of seabirdfriendly line and net adaptations, but not all fleets use them.

Scientists warn that Antipodean albatross could become extinct within our lifetime without help. The population has seen a steady drop since 2008, according to the Department of Conservation, with just 5100 breeding pairs. At the current rate of decline, there will be fewer than 500 breeding pairs in the next 20 years. Hannah says one of her goals as an artist is to raise awareness and funds to help the birdlife that provides the inspiration for her artworks. “I wanted to draw this gorgeous toroa to bring attention to its nationally critical conservation status and encourage people to support Forest & Bird’s efforts to save it from extinction,” she says. Forest & Bird has worked for decades to protect albatrosses

and petrels from being unnecessarily killed by fishing fleets. Thanks to supporters like you, our two-year campaign helped persuade the government to introduce a zerobycatch goal and cameras on some fishing boats. But there is still much work to be done. In 2022, Forest & Bird will continue to draw attention to the plight of this species, while advocating for stronger measures to protect them from commercial fishing and climate impacts.

Get in quick – this offer is only open from 21 March to 4 April! Buy Subantarctic Soaring from https://shop.forestandbird.org.nz/ and Hannah will donate HALF the purchase price to Forest & Bird.

Autumn 2022

NATURE NEWS

TOO PRECIOUS TO LOSE

The government’s review of stewardship land comes with great risks as well as opportunities. Lynley Hargreaves

he natural landscapes of Aotearoa are internationally recognised as biodiversity “arks”, home to a variety of unique flora and fauna found only here. So the government’s soon-to-be-released review of more than a million hectares of conservation stewardship land in the South Island is incredibly significant. The process could result in greater protection for some areas but risks others being removed from public ownership altogether. “The areas under review include some of New Zealand’s vast ancient forests, wild rivers, and unusual geological formations,” says Jen Miller, Forest & Bird’s conservation advocacy group manager. “It’s vital these are well protected as we face a future with more development pressure and increased risks to nature from climate change.” Over the next six months, the government will be consulting on stewardship land on the West Coast and the top of the South Island, asking whether any areas should be removed from the conservation estate. The West Coast public consultation process, due to kick off soon, covers more than 500 separate legal land parcels. Some of these include vast areas, including the Weheka Cook River to Haast River conservation

area within Te Wāhipounamu South West New Zealand World Heritage Area, an internationally recognised UNESCO site. “During the 1980s, Forest & Bird played a key role in securing this unique world heritage area for future generations to enjoy,” says Jen. “More recently, we’ve led campaigns to stop the destruction of other stewardship land, including stopping coal mining at Te Kuha, in the Mount Rochfort Conservation Area.” “There are small areas of stewardship land with depleted natural values in Aotearoa. But, in our view, much of this should be kept in the conservation estate to help New Zealand mitigate and adapt to climate change – through forest regeneration, wetland restoration, and riparian plantings.” In 2017, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised to end mining on conservation land. This hasn’t happened, in part because pro-development interests have argued that conservation stewardship land does not deserve this protection. “Development pressure is high, and this is already a politicised topic,” adds Jen. “We’ll be engaging strongly with the stewardship land process to make sure nature is properly protected, and soon we will be asking you, our supporters, to do the same.”

ew Zealand’s 2.5 million hectares of stewardship land accounts for a hefty 30% of the conservation estate. Most was allocated to the Department of Conservation when it was formed in 1987. The stewardship land status category was intended as a temporary holding pen until areas could be reclassified into other categories, such as forest park or scenic reserve. Most stewardship land is home to threatened species and high-priority ecosystems. Under current legal guidance, it can only be removed from the conservation estate if it has no, or very low, conservation values.

Cascde eau.tPl This dhparwets land is in the Artawh tionaservC Area, Te hipounam. W

Neil Sioderw lv

Earlier this month, Forest & Bird made a submission on the government’s proposed legislative changes to the process of reclassifying and disposing of conservation stewardship land.

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

NATURE TOOK MILLENNIA TO SHAPE

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NATURE NEWS Coastal wetlands provide many climate-friendly benefits, as well as being refuges for native birds. Moho pererū banded rail. Neil Foster @wildbird2015 on Flickr.com

GOVERNMENT’S CLIMATE PLAN NEEDS NATURE

A HIGH COURT WETLAND WIN

oastal wetlands, including salt marshes and mangroves, have greater legal protection today, thanks to your support! Forest & Bird’s environmental lawyers, along with the Minister of Conservation, appealed to the High Court last year, challenging the Environment Court’s decision not to include coastal wetlands in the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater. The High Court agreed with our arguments and ruled last November that coastal wetlands, including mangroves and salt marshes, should be covered under the freshwater standards. “We are delighted to have secured better protection for these special coastal ecosystems that also act as important carbon sinks,” said Peter Anderson, Forest & Bird’s general counsel. “This important High Court ruling recognises that mangroves and salt marshes are wetlands and are therefore protected under the Freshwater National Environmental Standards.”

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

Coastal wetlands provide important habitat for many endangered birds, including tara iti fairy tern, makuku-hūrepo bittern, and moho pererū banded rails, as well as providing a buffer for sea level rises, capturing sediment run-off from surrounding land, and stabilising coastal areas.

Mangroves near Dargaville, Northland. Caroline Wood

Listen to Lissy Fehnker-Heather, our Auckland and Waikato conservation manager, about the High Court decision on Radio New Zealand at https://bit.ly/3sxyqgG.

dvocating for a healthy climate is at the heart of everything we do here at Forest & Bird, and this year we will be working hard to make sure nature-based policy solutions are included in New Zealand’s Emissions Reduction Plan and its Adaptation Plan. The government has to adopt both plans as a result of the Zero Carbon Act, and they are due to be gazetted during 2022. This provides an opportunity to secure a range of nature-friendly commitments that will benefit biodiversity on land and in the oceans, says Geoff Keey, our strategic advisor. One of the primary challenges is to address a general lack of understanding about how nature-based solutions can be a powerful antidote to climate change. To help mitigate this, Forest & Bird has published A Nature-first Climate Response, a new report that sets out our key policy asks and shows how the country’s forests, waterways, and oceans can play a vital part in keeping climate warming to safe levels. Ramping up predator control, rewetting drained peatlands, and including agriculture in the Emissions Trading Scheme are three actions that could make a significant contribution to cutting our greenhouse gas emissions. “Our natural ecosystems hold a phenomenal amount of carbon, with around 1,450 million tonnes in above-ground vegetation alone. Small nature-friendly

FOREST & BIRD APPOINTS ITS FIRST FEMALE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

W changes could make a big difference to how much carbon they can store,” says Geoff. “This year will also set the scene for an 2023 election contest over whether agriculture enters the Emissions Trading Scheme.” The government will be consulting the public on its adaptation plan later this year. There are many challenges ahead, including anti-regulation sentiment becoming more noticeable across sectors and affecting government decisionmaking. “We will need your help to help get these vital policies across the line and make sure the government puts nature at the heart of its decision-making,” adds Geoff. “Healthy forests, wetlands, dunes, and mangroves can help protect us from some of the damage climate change is going to cause.” Please download and share Forest & Bird’s nature-first climate report. It is available at https://bit.ly/3JeuFUe.

ell-known Aotearoa conservationist Nicola Toki will take up her new role leading Te Reo o te Taiao in April. Many of you will remember Nicola from her time working as a conservation advocate for the Society in 2010–12. Following a decade championing nature in a range of roles across the private and public sector, she is now returning to our conservation whānau. “Nic is a well-known champion for Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural world and has a deep understanding of the environmental management challenges and opportunities in this country,” says Mark Hanger, Forest & Bird’s president. “She is highly skilled, highly motivated, and an inspirational leader for the future. “With her high public profile, whether it be on Radio NZ’s Critter of the Week, travelling the country with kākāpō superstar Sirocco, or as a highlevel Department of Conservation manager, we are confident she will add a significant volume to the chorus of our thousands of supporters giving nature a voice across Aotearoa.” Mark also paid tribute to outgoing chief executive Kevin Hague, who is retiring after five years at Forest & Bird and a lifetime of political and environmental activism. “When he joined us, Kevin brought an impressive suite of skills and a gravitas that have placed us in an excellent position for the future. He is now retiring, and we look forward to Nic working with us all to build on this success.” After leaving Forest & Bird, Nicola worked in conservation leadership roles in the agribusiness industry, in the Predator Free New Zealand movement, and as Department of Conservation’s Threatened Species Ambassador. She has also represented New Zealand at international biodiversity science and policy meetings overseas. Most recently, she held a senior role as DOC’s Operations Director for the Eastern South Island. “As the Society approaches its centenary next year, Nic will lead and guide Forest & Bird on behalf of Kiwis everywhere who are passionate about protecting our natural heritage,” added Mark. “She will focus her attention on improving the visibility of the Society’s wide-ranging conservation work, as well as developing a strategic direction to take Forest & Bird into its next 100 years.” Autumn 2022

NATURE NEWS Did ou y wkno ew vha endtahr eybut in New ealnd?Z olymerP ycla taris yKimberl Sndonw edtacr this esorf ringlet orkatw ot suport tesorF & sd’Bir campign ot help ectopr it.u Yo can nd out emor @KimSden12.wo

pepe, the forest ringlet butterfly. Crucially, your generous financial gift will allow our in-house legal team to employ expert witnesses to present evidence that will hopefully win the case and stop the mine going ahead. Any leftover monies will help fund other upcoming legal cases, including the Southland Land and Water Plan and the regional landfill extension in the Dome Valley, north of Auckland, says our general counsel Peter Anderson. “I’m incredibly grateful for the support and aroha shown by our supporters in giving to our Te Kuha legal appeal,” says Peter. “We are up against deeppocketed opponents, and these additional resources will make a huge difference as our team prepares evidence for the court. “With limited resources, Forest & Bird is careful which legal cases we choose to fight. They tend to be on key issues of environmental law, precedent-setting cases, where we can protect nature at scale, while making best use of your donations.”

THANK YOU TO OUR TE KUHA DONORS!

huge Forest & Bird thank you to all of you who contributed to help Save Te Kuha. Together with the generous donors who pledged to match your gift, you gave a record-breaking $485,000! These funds will not only defend Te Kuha’s pristine wilderness as our environmental lawyers head to court later this year but will also be used to protect other threatened places and species. As you know, Forest & Bird has

been running a long campaign to save the Te Kuha maunga, near Westport, from being destroyed by an open-cast coal mine. But Stevenson Mining is back for another roll of the dice and will be in the Environment Court in August seeking resource consent to create an open-cast mine at the top of the maunga. The ancient forest and unusual coal ecosystem support a myriad of rare wildlife and plants, including a large population of endangered

TAX REBATE TIME

id you know you can claim back up to 33% of the money you’ve donated to Forest & Bird or any other charitable organisation over the past four years? For example, if you gifted $3,000 last year, you could receive a refund of up to $1,000 straight into your bank account from Inland Revenue. Some of our supporters choose to regift their tax refunds, including Helen, from the Bay of Plenty, who donated a $750 tax rebate she received last month. It’s easy and quick to submit a claim yourself via myIR, or you

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can ask a tax-refund company to help you. They will charge a fee for doing this. Forest & Bird is working with Supergenerous this year. You can claim a tax credit if you made a donation of more than $5 to an approved charitable organisation, like Forest & Bird, where there is no identifiable direct benefit to you or your family.

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YOUR DONATION

You can claim up to a third of your total donations per tax year minus your annual $57 membership fee. All the information you need is on your annual donation tax receipts. Every dollar Forest & Bird spends on defending nature comes from our generous supporters, and last year you donated more than $9 million towards our conservation work!

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CLAIM REBATE

33%

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DIRECT CREDIT TO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT

IRD has published a simple guide to claiming donation tax credits at https://bit.ly/3LnvZ9h.

SOCIETY SCOOPS FRESHWATER AWARD

orest & Bird is thrilled to have been awarded the prestigious Cawthron Reo Mō Te Awa River Voice Award for our freshwater campaigning over the past 100 years. The 2021 award recognises an individual or group that has been an “outstanding advocate or communicator about the issues facing New Zealand’s rivers and streams”. The winner is chosen by the trustees of the New Zealand Rivers Trust. The judges particularly acknowledged Forest & Bird’s longterm commitment and dedication to highlighting freshwater issues, stretching back to our long-running advocacy during the Manapōuri

campaign in the 1970s. The society spent more than $400,000 in today’s money defending the lake from being destroyed by a hydro-electric dam, and volunteers and staff organised a record-breaking petition signed by more than 264,000 New Zealanders. “This award comes off the back of decades worth of advocacy for rivers and all the important land, water, and species they connect along their run from ki uta ki tai mountains to sea,” says freshwater advocate Annabeth Cohen. “Thank you to all of you, our supporters, for all the work you do to enable us to be a voice for nature.”

Check out this video about Forest & Bird’s win at https://bit.ly/3JfdcLp. See page 17 to find out more about Forest & Bird’s new freshwater campaign Every Wetland Counts.

off for a different location, before being spotted six days later in Plimmerton. No-one knows where this bird came from or how it got here. There is speculation it flew from Asia, as there is a breeding zone for the species in China. Roger Smith

BLACK TERN TURNS HEADS

agle-eyed photographer Elizabeth Taylor didn’t realise the significance of her “find” when she submitted a photo of the unusual looking tern she had spotted at the Waikanae River estuary to Ebird. Our top ornithologists were dumbfounded to identify – for the first time ever in New Zealand – a Northern Hemisphere black tern. Her first sighting of the black tern was noted on 14 January

2022, prompting many birding enthusiasts to travel to Waikanae to watch and photograph this “celebrity” bird. Each day brought a new crowd of photographers to the Waikanae Estuary, all scanning the huge flock of white-fronted terns for a glimpse of the vagrant tern. It stayed around Waikanae Beach until late afternoon on 24 January when, in the company of a huge flock of white-fronted terns, it took Autumn 2022

COVER

Kopuatai is one of the few places in the southern hemisphere where scientists are continuously measuring the uptake and release of carbon dioxide by the wetland’s plants. Georgie Glover-Clark, University of Waikato

SECRET HEART OF KOPUATAI

Researchers have been unlocking the incredible carbon-capturing qualities of New Zealand’s largest peat bog. Zoë Brown

n the Hauraki Plains, around 40km northeast of Hamilton City, lies a vast expanse of waterlogged wilderness. Wedged between the Piako and Waitoa Rivers, this outlandish yet oddly enchanting habitat is Kopuatai Peat Dome: the largest remaining unaltered raised peat bog in Aotearoa. Remarkably, despite stretching a hefty 10,201ha, many people are unaware of Kopuatai’s existence. Even local farmers who work on the many neighbouring dairy or blueberry farms may not know about this Ramsar wetland of global significance. Others, however, are no strangers to the area. Waikato University ecohydrologist and wetland expert Dr Dave Campbell has been conducting hydrology and carbon research in and around Kopuatai, and the wider Waikato region, for more than two decades. “A lot of people live in the lower Hauraki Plains near this amazing 100km2 area of wilderness, yet there really is no public access. I’d love to see that change so more people can experience the wonders of Kopuatai,” says Dave. Part of Kopuatai’s quiet appeal is that it is home to an array of unique wetland species (see overleaf). Hidden from public view, except from the air, is another important feature – a small research tower bedecked with many specialised monitoring instruments. This tower, in the heart of the peat bog, is

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Te Reo o te Taiao

the centre of operations for Dave’s fieldwork, studying the carbon-capturing abilities of the wetland. Peat bogs are formed in low-nutrient, water-logged areas where an absence of oxygen and microbial activity in the soil means dead vegetation only partially breaks down. The result is a slow but steady accumulation of semi-decomposed plant matter, deep brown in colour – and exceedingly rich in carbon. Currently, New Zealand’s emissions-reduction plans favour the use of forestry to capture and hold carbon. However, Dave’s research suggests that wetlands are a better alternative. “A mature pine forest holds 300 tonnes of carbon per hectare while Kopuatai holds 2400 tonnes of carbon per hectare,” explains Dave. He points out that this carbon has accumulated over thousands of years. But forests, unlike peatlands, cannot continue to accumulate more carbon indefinitely. They reach an old-growth stage, wherein they either burn and release their stored carbon as CO2 or else uptake simply plateaus. By way of contrast, a peatland like Kopuatai is in a constant state of slow but steady carbon uptake. “It’s a classic case of the tortoise versus the hare. It’s slow to accumulate, but, in the end, it will travel 10 times further than the hare ever will,” Dave adds. Crucially, this carbon storage ability only persists as

long as the wetlands remain wet. Sadly, over the past 160 years, around 75% of Waikato’s wetland areas – and 90% of all wetlands across Aotearoa – have been drained and converted to farmland. Draining peatlands introduces oxygen back into the soil, turning these highly efficient carbon sinks into a major source of carbon. Since 2011, Dave’s team has been continuously monitoring CO2 exchange between the soil, plants, and the air above Kopuatai and on drained peatlands used for farming. This allows Dave to compare the carbon gains and losses from an intact wetland versus the drained equivalent. His research has revealed that a single hectare of drained peatlands will emit up to 30 tonnes of CO2 per year. “It’s likely that emissions from drained organic soils, predominantly peatlands, could account for around 8% of New Zealand’s entire greenhouse gas emissions. So it’s not just a few percentage points. It’s really quite major,” he points out. Over the past two decades of research, Dave has gained vital insights into Kopuatai, not least of which is the extraordinary resilience of the bog to drought. Indeed, possibly the most unique and remarkable attribute of the raised peat dome at Kopuatai is the very fact that it exists at all. In the Northern Hemisphere, deep peatlands form in areas where the cold, rainy climate and short growing season lends itself perfectly to waterlogged soils, limited plant decomposition, and therefore a build-up of organic matter. Think Ireland, Siberia, and the Scottish Highlands. But a peat bog in sub-tropical northern Aotearoa? “Northland and Waikato are the antithesis of the parts of the world where you’d expect to accumulate deep peatlands, because this is a warm, seasonally dry climate,” says Dave. “They simply should not exist.” So how did Kopuatai come about? “It’s all in the plants. They are the intersection between the Earth’s water and carbon cycles,” explains Dave. “Wetland plants like Empodisma robustum – jointed wire rush – have particular adaptations that Dr Dave Campbell holds an impressive enable them to hold peat core. Veronika Meduna onto the water they

A mature pine forest holds 300 tonnes of carbon per hectare while the Kopuatai peat wetland holds 2400 tonnes of carbon per hectare.

The upward-growing cluster roots of Empodisma robustum forms the bulk of peat. This cross-section grew over a 10-year period. Dave Campbell, University of Waikato

get from rainfall. This indicates they are equipped to withstand the effect of seasonal droughts. “The big lesson we’ve learned is how resilient these particular peatlands are to a fluctuating climate. That is globally unique, and it gives us hope that they’ll be very resilient to climate change.” This is not to suggest that a peat wetland is completely insensitive to the dangers posed by a changing climate. Fire risk, for instance, remains a threat, as we have seen in the tragedy unfolding in Kaimaumau in the Far North, where a long-burning fire has resulted in the loss of endangered flora, fauna, and sacred Māori sites. Carbon storage represents just one of many ways in which wetlands contribute to maintaining a stable environment. For example, places such as Kopuatai also act as filters, helping to ensure supplies of clean, fresh water. Protecting and restoring wetlands means people benefit from all the services they provide, including reducing carbon emissions and protecting our endangered flora and fauna. “I tend to advocate wetland restoration for multiple benefits. It’s about water quality, biodiversity, and it’s a major carbon sink that is perhaps more resilient than standard pine forests,” says Dave. Together with colleagues at Manaaki Whenua Landcare research, Dave is looking at developing tools to help farmers and others restore peat wetland back to carbon-sequestering vegetation. Kopuatai is currently jointly managed by DOC and the local iwi, Ngati Hako. They, as well as Dave, believe a crucial first step in encouraging the government and landowners to look after and restore our precious peat bogs is to draw attention to the value of special places like Kopuatai and Kaimaumau. “If you don’t value an ecosystem, you’re not incentivised to look after it. It’s really important that people understand just how special these places are.” Autumn 2022

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COVER

WETLAND WONDERS

Mātātā North Island fernbird on mānuka with background of giant bamboo rush. Illustration Zoë Brown

Part of Kopuatai’s quiet appeal is that it is home to an array of unique wetland species. Endemic black mudfish inhabit the shallow water, while endangered birds nestle among the wetland’s flora, including rare native bamboo rushes. Globally endangered matukuhūrepo Australian bittern have been recorded on the mineralised fringes of the wetland, along with moho pererū banded rail and the highly secretive koitareke marsh crake. Kopuatai also supports one of Aotearoa’s largest populations of at-risk mātātā North Island fernbirds. Frequently heard but very rarely seen, these sparrowsized birds nest among tousles of densely packed jointed wire rush (Empodisma robustum). Empodisma is the true ecosystem engineer of raised bogs. Around half a metre tall and barely 2mm wide, the jointed wire rush modifies the chemical and physical composition of its environment to promote its own growth while out-competing other plants. As a result, it dominates the waterscape, infrequently interspersed by another endemic, the giant bamboo rush (Sporadanthus ferrugineus). Sporadanthus is the only known home for the most peculiar of all creatures found in Kopuatai – “Fred the Thread”, aka the world’s skinniest caterpillar, who was discovered in the wetland in 2004. At just 1mm wide, it can feed inside its host plant before escaping and morphing into a tiny native houdini moth (Houdinia flexilissima) that is largely restricted to Kopuatai. Once widespread, populations of the many species found at Kopuatai have declined significantly following drainage and conversion to pasture. Their future survival depends on the protection and restoration of this place and the rest of Aotearoa’s wetlands.

Fred the thread is the world’s skinniest caterpillar. Whenua Landcare Research

Striped sun orchid Thelymitra cyanea. Dave Campbell.

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

Jointed wire rush. Dave Campbell

Adult Houdini moth. Neil Fitzgerald

Manaaki

Congratulations to Josh Jones, who won Forest & Bird’s Wonderful Wetlands photo competition with this shot of a weweia dabchick family in Maungarei Springs wetland, Auckland. With a population of just 2000 birds, this species has suffered from the loss of its wetland habitat over the past century.

Every

WETLAND COUNTS

Included with your Autumn magazine is a copy of Forest & Bird’s report Every Wetland Counts He Puipuiaki Ia Rohe Kōreporepo. Caroline Wood

ur new report explains how wetlands help the climate, community, and biodiversity and sets out six actions the government needs to take to reduce the effects of global warming. First on the list is doubling the number of natural wetlands by 2050! Restoring and protecting wetlands are some of the most important things we can do for the climate and our own wellbeing. If you haven’t already, please sign our petition at https://bit.ly/3oEit7r. And we’d love you to talk about the wonder of wetlands with your friends, family, and colleagues. There are lots of good conversation starters in the Every Wetland Counts report. A digital version can be downloaded from our website, and you can request extra hard copies from editor@ forestandbird.org.nz. “Wetlands are one of the most important naturebased solutions to climate change,” says Forest & Bird’s freshwater advocate Annabeth Cohen. “We call on the government to take six actions, starting with pledging to double the extent of natural wetlands by 2050 and creating an Aotearoa Wetland Protection and Restoration Plan.” Our campaign is supported by 10 other organisations: the National Wetland Trust, Choose Clean Water, Greenpeace, Generation Zero, World Wildlife Fund NZ, Whitewater NZ, Fish & Game NZ,

Game Bird Habitat Trust, the Public Health Association of NZ, and Orataiao NZ Climate & Health Council. That’s a lot of wetland aroha, so please share the six wetland actions contained in this report for the benefit of the climate, biodiversity, and human health.

KĀPITI WETLAND WIN

Nature and the climate have been put first on the Kāpiti Coast after Wellington Regional Council decided to put a stop to grazing at Queen Elizabeth Park. Russell Bell, of Forest & Bird’s Kāpiti Branch, has been campaigning to stop farming on the regional park so the drained peat wetland can be rewetted and restored (see Autumn 2021). “I’m delighted the council has decided not to farm this part of the park any more. It means the whole 640ha is available to restore. It looks like this will take place next year after the council has got rid of the weeds,” he said. “It also means the public can access all of the park for the first time. So we are on the recovery journey now. Thanks for your support.” You can read more about this story at https://bit.ly/3oNSieN. Correction: The latest research shows there are 249,000ha2 of freshwater wetlands left in New Zealand, not 230,000ha² as stated in the Every Wetland Counts report. Autumn 2022

F B& I RBDB SR A N C H P R O J E C T Joan Dalton didn’t mind the little penguins nesting in her basement workshop.

HELP!

THERE ARE PENGUINS IN MY BASEMENT

is next to the basement workshop underneath the split-level home. She didn’t mind because she is a light sleeper, and when she got up around five or six in the morning she could still hear them “thumping around and carrying on”. Neil set up cameras outside the workshop and started capturing the pair on video, which Joan proudly sent to her friends. She didn’t mind that they pecked three holes in the Gib board wall and left poo inside. “I just took out the tools I needed and let them have it.” Joan has two cats. Initially, they would prick up their ears when they heard the noise of the penguins, but they soon lost interest. However, Joan wisely took no chances, keeping the felines indoors overnight once she knew who the new residents were.

Unexpected house guests prompted a Northland resident to call their local Forest & Bird branch for assistance. David Brooks Neil Sutherland

hey screeched during the night and pooed through holes, they pecked in the Gib board of her basement, but Joan Dalton came to love the kororā little penguins that nested at her house. Joan lives in Leigh, north of Auckland, and had been unaware of the presence of penguins in the area until a pair shacked up at her home in July last year. “I heard these weird noises. I couldn’t see anything. It was just this racket,” Joan says. Initially, she wondered if stoats were the culprits.

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Neighbours Neil Sutherland and Sheryl Corbett are long-time Forest & Bird Warkworth Branch members, and Neil is on the committee for Forest & Bird’s Kororā Little Penguin Project at Leigh. They suggested penguins might be her mysterious night-time residents. Joan was surprised because her house is about 100m from a cliff that separates her property from the sea (see right). “But they’re very intrepid. They must come up over the rocks.” When Joan went to bed at around 11pm, she could hear the penguins outside her bedroom wall, which

Above: Weighing about 1kg, kororā are the world’s smallest penguin. Jenny Enderby Below: Cheeky little penguins caught on camera sneaking into Joan’s basement. See the video at https://bit.ly/34WyNtP.

A DV E R TO R I A L

She realised chicks had hatched in October when she heard peeping noises. The noise reached a new intensity every evening when the parents returned from the sea with food. The peeping and squawking stopped on 20 November, when the chicks fledged and the last video footage showed two penguins waddling “flipper to flipper” towards the sea. “It was great having a family under there. It’s been such an awesome experience, and it really opens your eyes to what’s around

you,” adds Joan. Some people might welcome the return of peace, but Joan missed her former flippered friends and was happy when they returned in January to moult. The penguins need to stay onshore for around two weeks while all their old feathers fall out and are replaced by new ones. Neil said Joan’s support for the penguins was amazing. “She’s come from knowing nothing about the birds to being very involved and supportive as her love and fascination for them grew.”

LOOKING AFTER LEIGH’S PENGUINS

Forest & Bird volunteers have been working for years to protect kororā in Leigh, Northland.

heir efforts were recognised last December when they came runners-up in the Auckland Mayoral Conservation Awards. Project Co-ordinator Jenny Enderby says the project’s vision is for the kororā little penguin and other birds to thrive in a safe habitat that stretches along the coast from Ti Point to Goat Island. “We want the little penguin population to flourish now and into the future. To increase penguin numbers, we need safe nesting sites that are predator free. “We work with many people across a mix of sites that include conservation land, public land, and private land.” Volunteers spend many hours trapping predators such as rats, stoats, weasels, and possums. The traplines include more than 200 traps that are monitored regularly. The predator control programme also protects other native species such as kākā, tūī, kererū, ruru, riroriro, and pīwakawaka.

Support has come from Rodney Local Board and Department of Conservation community funding, and ITM Matakana donated timber for traps and penguin nesting boxes. More and more people are learning about the little penguin through this community-driven project. Project volunteers record penguin numbers, fledgling chicks, eggs, and nesting sites and add them to the New Zealand Penguin Initiative database. Jenny says the project would like to monitor more penguins and nesting sites, funding permitting. If you live in Leigh and would like to report penguin sightings, make a donation, or help with predator control and monitoring, email the Forest & Bird team at leighpenguins@gmail.com. Donations will be used to help buy more trail cameras and a night-vision scope.

Autumn 2022

PROFILE

DOC’S NEW CONSERVATIONISTIN-CHIEF Penny Nelson’s experiences living on Kāpiti Island helped shape her passion for protecting the environment.

The Department of Conservation’s director-general Penny Nelson talks turning points, priorities, and leadership. David Brooks

ust imagine how much we’ll get done with didn’t want to lose that.” women in charge,” Department of Conservation That led to the goal of working in the environmental Director-General Penny Nelson jokes after citing sphere and a Master’s degree in science and resource Conservation Minister Kiri Allan and Nicola Toki’s management. Her previous jobs have included roles at appointment to head Forest & Bird. the Ministry for the Environment, Manaaki Whenua More seriously, she says becoming Landcare Research, the Sustainable the first woman to lead DOC was a Business Council, and MPI. significant step for the department. Penny’s husband was a DOC Forest & Bird has In her previous role, she was also the ranger at Kāpiti Island, where they a strong voice on first female to head Biosecurity at the lived in the early years of their Ministry of Primary Industries. marriage. They had their first child a number of really “What I heard from a number of while they lived there. important issues. I our women staff there, and here at “I’ll never forget going home to the want your members DOC as well, is that my appointment island with all the dolphins around us. to know I’m really gives them a sense of ‘I could do that’, It’s a really special place, and because looking forward to and that’s quite enabling for people. I I’ve seen what good conservation working with you think that’s important,” she says. looks like I’m really passionate about because I think, Penny joined DOC last November. how we make that happen throughout if we join up and It’s the first time she has worked for the rest of the country.” work together, we’ll the department, but most of her jobs Today, Penny is at the helm of a achieve more. both inside and outside the public department that is kaitiaki for the service have had an environmental conservation estate – comprising a focus or aspect to them. third of New Zealand’s mainland – An important turning point in her with a budget of just $636 million. life came after spending years travelling overseas in her This is spent on looking after the country’s twenties after completing an arts degree. natural and historic heritage, including recreational “I saw places that were being trashed by tourists, opportunities on conservation land, conservation in the really overpopulated, and resources being impacted. community, pest management, policy advice, statutory I got a sense of how special New Zealand was and planning services, and search and rescue. “

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

Dealing with competing interests, different perspectives, and limited resources is always a challenge in conservation, and Penny says her experience has given her the ability to bring together diverse groups of people to set common goals and achieve them. “If you help them to hear each other and get a clear sense about what they want to do and get really practical about how to find solutions, you can really achieve a lot.” Her previous role in biosecurity required setting up processes to ensure speedy action to deal with threats. “That’s really useful for conservation because, if you’re going to make progress on many of the things that really matter, we’re going to have to be really organised to make it happen.” Former director-general Lou Sanson named climate change as the biggest challenge facing DOC, and his successor agrees. “We have to see how biodiversity and climate change interact and, as the climate changes, how that will affect ecosystems and species,” she says. She cites the impact of increasingly frequent droughts in the north on kiwi and the damage caused by more frequent and severe storms on recreation infrastructure, such as tracks, huts, and access roads. “Another challenge is how do we be a really honourable Treaty [of Waitangi] partner. There’s a difference between talking about it and bedding it into your processes. That’ll be a priority for me over the next year.” The department is beginning the process of reclassifying its stewardship land – 9% of New Zealand’s landmass – to determine whether it should be given higher-level protection or released for development or other uses. The assessment of stewardship areas has been on the agenda since DOC was established in 1987, but the great bulk of this land still remains in limbo. The government appointed panels with technical, scientific, and mana whenua expertise last year to undertake the first assessments and is proposing law changes this year to speed up the process. “I think what we’re going to get is some really good thinking on how to approach reclassification and what the options are. As we go through to our Minister to make decisions, she’s going to have some really excellent input,” Penny says. These major work programmes, along with others such as Jobs for Nature, Predator Free New Zealand 2050, and reforming some major conservation legislation, including the Wildlife Act 1953, come at a time when the Covid pandemic is expected to cause more major disruption. “We don’t know how things are going to play out with Covid over the next year, so what we’re really

focusing on is our business continuity planning, getting really clear on the critical things we have to keep going. We are just going to have to be agile, and adjust and work it out as we go along.” Penny has valued Forest & Bird as an important partner since she was at the Ministry for the Environment, when she worked with our chief executive Kevin Hague as part of a panel on climate change adaptation for New Zealand. “Forest & Bird had a really important input into that, saying, if you have really good biodiversity, New Zealand’s better off in terms of climate change adaptation. So I think Forest & Bird had a really important role of connecting that nature story into that climate change agenda.” She has also had a family connection with Forest & Bird when her children were members of the Kiwi Conservation Club (KCC) in Canterbury. “We got out into some amazing places with some of your volunteers. Our kids had a great experience with KCC. “Forest & Bird has a strong voice on a number of really important issues. I want your members to know I’m really looking forward to working with you because I think, if we join up and work together, we’ll achieve more.”

Tiritiri Matangi Island

RECHARGE YOUR SOUL Take a guided walk through the bush, serenaded by the sound of our magnificent native birds. See New Zealand's oldest working lighthouse, or simply immerse yourself in the peace and solitude that is Tiritiri Matangi Island.

tiritirimatangi.co.nz I Ferry bookings: fullers.co.nz

Autumn 2022

BIODIVERSITY

FAR-FLYING DOTTEREL A global tracking effort is helping shed new light on where tūturiwhatu go after nesting on the foreshore of Wellington’s harbour. Zoë Brown

n July 2020, a bold little tūturiwhatu took to the quiet Covid-era skies and embarked on a 2400km flight from Wellington to the pebbled shores of New Caledonia. Nicknamed “PAP” after its leg tag, the banded dotterel was spotted on a beach in the Nakutakoin district by David Ugolini, a keen birdwatcher from the Société Calédonienne d’Ornithologie. The bird’s precise location was registered online Pasi Hyvonen using an application developed by Pasi Hyvonen, a Finnish Geographic Information Systems (GIS) expert, from the comfort of his home office in Edinburgh. Pasi is a volunteer for New Zealand-based charity GIS in

“PAP” photographed in New Caledonia in July 2020. David Ugolini

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

Conservation, an organisation set up by Parker Jones in 2012. “I feel very privileged to be able to help,” says Pasi. “While I can’t visit New Zealand to assist with the on-the-ground fieldwork, it’s great to be able to help remotely from Scotland.” Parker recruits volunteer GIS experts from all over the world to help New Zealand conservation groups. They create bespoke mapping software and apps that allow volunteers to monitor trapping, planting, weeding, or bird movements. He also volunteers for the Mainland Island Restoration Operation (MIRO), a conservation group dedicated to restoring the forest and lake ecosystems of East Harbour Regional Park, Wellington. Parker asked Pasi to help with the monitoring of the small tūturiwhatu population that nests there on the Eastbourne foreshore. Once widespread, habitat disturbance and introduced predators – particularly hedgehogs and cats – mean banded dotterels are now in a state of decline. With no national funding being provided to save the birds, Parker saw the need to step in. “I thought, what are we doing?” says Parker. “These dotterels have the same endangered species status as the roroa great-spotted kiwi and whio, but there is no funding for them.” MIRO applied for a five-year

New Caledonia

Wellington

The tiny tūturiwhatu flew from Wellington to New Caledonia, a distance of 2400km.

permit to catch, band, and monitor the tūturiwhatu. Pasi created an app that allows volunteers to record the dotterels’ nest, chick, and fledgling success. The birds are also banded so they can be tracked on leaving their summer breeding grounds. “We’ve learned that most chicks stay quite close to the place they were born,” says Parker. “But without us banding these birds, nobody would have known they sometimes fly these long distances.” In addition, thanks to the monitoring programme and intensive pesttrapping, the dotterels’ nesting success rate has increased from 3% to Parker Jones 50% in the last five years. Parker and Pasi are keen to see their tūturiwhatu tracking methodology used in other parts of New Zealand as well. The app could also be modified to monitor other bird species. Parker would love to help Forest & Bird branches with trapping, planting, and weeding projects. You can find out more at gisconservationnz@gmail.com.

OPINION

Writer Linda Buxton at the start of the Milford Track Great Walk.

WHY DO WE STILL ALLOW SMOKING

IN OUR NATIONAL PARKS? In the first of a new series about other charities’ work, the Cancer Society explains why it wants to see the conservation estate become smokefree and vapefree. Linda Buxton

he Cancer Society Te Kāhui Matepukupuku o Aotearoa encourages smokefree environments because we know they help people who are trying to quit to stay smokefree. Schools, kura, early childhood centres, and kōhanga reo have been smokefree since 2004. In fact, New Zealand was one of the first countries in the world to go smokefree in hospitality venues. Outdoor places such as parks, sports grounds, and playgrounds all around the motu are smokefree, with more than 50 councils adopting smokefree policies. It is increasingly ironic, therefore, that our conservation estate and DOC-run campsites remain unprotected from smoking. Our national parks are promoted as pristine natural environments, but there is currently no smokefree/vapefree signage at the beginning of the tracks. While huts are smokefree, you can light up right outside them. We recently asked the Department of Conservation about its current smoking and vaping policies. It confirmed that no smoking is allowed inside any of its huts but that there is no policy on smoking/vaping outdoors in the conservation estate, including national parks. Nor does it have a no-smoking policy covering its campsites, but it intends to review this “in the next year or two”. We would like to encourage Forest & Bird readers to join us in asking the Minister of Conservation Kiritapu Allan to support this kōrero to make national parks smokefree/vapefree right now. See the end of this article for how you can help us do this. Making our national parks smokefree will reduce fire risk to flora and fauna, and tobacco-related pollution. It

would also prevent visual impacts of cigarette butts in conservation areas, and the smell of smoking in areas valued for pristine nature. It’s estimated that 4–4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered globally each year, making them the most commonly littered item worldwide. Here in Aotearoa, about six million cigarette butts are discarded annually. Many end up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans. Filters are normally made of the plastic cellulose acetate and remain in our environment for decades. Although the plastic in filters can break down, it does not biodegrade fully. Ultimately, as they degrade, cigarette butts contribute to microplastic contamination and leach toxins, and are also easily ingested by wildlife. For too long, the tobacco industry has put profit before the wellbeing of New Zealanders and health of our environment. It’s time for that to change.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Send a favourite photo from a national park or DOC campsite to editor@forestandbird.org.nz and tell us why you think they should be smokefree/vapefree. These will be forwarded to our friends at the Cancer Society to help them advocate for the protection of New Zealanders and our environment from the negative impacts of smoking.

Linda Buxton works for the Otago and Southland division of the Cancer Society Te Kāhui Matepukupuku o Aoteroa. Autumn 2022

F O R C E O F N AT U R E

MUSIC MEETS NATURE A young Auckland composer has won Forest & Bird’s music scholarship and the chance to be part of an exciting new arts project celebrating 100 years of conservation.

lex Alford is the winner of the Force of Nature music scholarship with his original composition Kaitiaki, inspired by the nature surrounding his childhood home. The 23 year old spent his childhood volunteering alongside his parents for Forest & Bird’s Ark in the Park restoration project in the Waitākere Ranges, and this conservation experience inspired his entry.

Alex, aged 7, carries out rat baiting in Ark in the Park in 2005.

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Alex won $500 and the chance to have his composition performed live and recorded as part of the Force of Nature music project. Funded by Creative New Zealand, seven leading Aotearoa composers have created chamber music works inspired by Forest & Bird’s history and the conservation interests of the relevant composer. The Performing Arts Community Trust (PACT), which is leading the project, recorded the concert of music in partnership with Atoll Records in February. “We’re delighted that the Forest & Bird scholarship for a composition by a young composer has been won by Alex with his piece for solo alto flute,” said Jenni Murphy-Scanlon, PACT’s chief executive. “All three assessors independently chose his piece as the winner, describing it as musically sophisticated and beautifully crafted.” Alex’s work will feature alongside pieces created by composers Salina Fisher, of Wellington, Janet Jennings, of Hamilton, Andrew Perkins,

of Dunedin, Peter Scholes, of Auckland, Patrick Shepherd, of Christchurch, Rob Thorne, of Wellington, and Miriama Young, a dual-national New Zealand/ Australian composer now based in Melbourne. Digital and CD versions of all the eight works will be made available for sale. A live concert is also being planned during 2023 to mark Forest & Bird’s 100th birthday. Alex studied music composition at the University of Auckland and completed his Master’s with First Class Honours in 2021. His winning piece will be played by Auckland flautist Kathryn Moorhead. Growing up in the Waitākere Ranges, Alex developed an awareness and appreciation of nature from an early age. “Both my parents were involved in the Ark in the Park project, and helping look after the Waitākere Ranges was a normal part of my childhood life, including adventures like rat baiting, replenishing stoat lines, and a great deal of sliding in mud! “In 2004, I was part of the pōpokotea whitehead release into

the park to begin the repopulation of the Waitākere Ranges with birds that had previously been wiped out by predators on the mainland. “In a sense, the piece Kaitiaki was written as an acknowledgement of the hardworking Forest & Bird volunteers who have put in a great deal of time and energy to look after and restore biodiversity in the Waitākere Ranges. “It also acknowledges the conservation mahi that Forest & Bird has undertaken across Aotearoa over the last 100 years.” Other leading musicians playing for the CDs and most of the concerts include the NZTrio

(Amalia Hall, Ashley Brown, and Somi Kim), Peter Scholes, Yoshiko Tsuruta, and taonga puoro practitioner Rob Thorne. Forest & Bird’s chief executive Kevin Hague said: “This musicmeets-nature project is a wonderful way to celebrate 100 years of conservation in Aotearoa. “Alex’s inspiration was his experience volunteering at Ark in the Park, so his original composition is a fitting tribute to the five generations of Forest & Bird conservation volunteers who have been kaitiaki for nature in their local communities.” Top right: Alex Alford with flautist Kathryn Moorhead at February's Force of Nature recordings in Hamilton. Kerry Blakeney-Williams Bottom right: Composer and taonga puoro musician Rob Thorne rehearses with Amalia Hall. Kerry BlakeneyWilliams

Autumn 2022

P R E D AT O R - F R E E N Z

Northern rātā, native snail, and pekapeka long-tailed bats will also benefit from increased predator-control in the Ruahine Range.

RESTORING THE RUAHINE RANGE

A huge community effort is intent on returning kiwi, whio, and other endangered species in an ambitious landscape-scale restoration project. David Brooks

umerous groups are working on exciting landscape-scale restoration efforts in the northern and southern Ruahine Range. Together, they have a vision: that one day kiwi, whio, and other native species, including takahē, will thrive along the spine of the central North Island. Until now, a patchwork of iwi, community groups, and individuals – along with the periodic use of 1080 in parts of the northern Ruahine – has kept small populations of eastern brown kiwi and whio from disappearing altogether. These efforts have been boosted thanks to recent Jobs for Nature funding that is allowing the expansion of predator control work in the northern Ruahine, where a remnant population of eastern brown kiwi is still found. Additional predator control in the southern part of the range – where kiwi are locally extinct – will hopefully lead to their reintroduction. It’s early days, but in the future it is hoped the Ruahine Kiwi Habitat Restoration Project can be expanded to cover the whole range. Jenny Mauger, a trustee of the Aorangi Awarua

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

Trust, is credited with the vision of expanding protection throughout the Ruahine. The trust administers 7700ha of land on behalf of its Māori owners in the north-west Ruahine Range, with the flattopped Mt Aorangi at its heart. “Through my Māori ancestry, I’m related to people through all of those [Ruahine] mountains, and I don’t believe it can be divided into pieces,” she says. The trust’s motto is “E kore te Kaitiaki e moe”, a guardian never sleeps, which refers to Pohokura, the kaitiaki (guardian) of the Mōkai Pātea region, who was brought to this area by Tamatea Pōkai Whenua of the Takitimu waka. “In Māori whakapapa, humans come last. Plants, animals, and rocks are all our elders, and our job is to look after our elders,” Jenny adds. The prospect of kiwi returning to the southern Ruahine is exciting Manawatū conservationists, says one of the project’s founders, Heike Schiele. The new predator-control work in that area will be led by Ian Rasmussen, who as part of the Manawatū River Source to Sea biodiversity group has been collaborating with

Taihape

Northern Ruahine Project

Mangaweka

Ruahine Whio Protector’s Oroua and Pohangina Project area Apiti

This map shows the scale of the proposed restoration and how the different projects fit together. Takapau

Kimbolton

Totara Reserve

Norsewood

Proposed area for Kiwi reintroduction

Dannevirke Ashurst Te Apiti Woodville

Volunteers heading out to rebait traps along the Manaaki Ruahine Wananga Line, Makaretu Valley, in the south-eastern Ruahine. Anthony Behrens

Te Kāuru Eastern Manawatū River Hapū Collective on the restoration project. Jobs for Nature funding of $930,000 has allowed six people to be hired to trap 13,000ha of land next to the 7000ha of land where Ruahine Whio Protection Trust volunteers are already carrying predator control work. Half of the 13,000ha is on public conservation land, and the rest is farmland bordering the bush. Hopes are that sustained trapping will allow the reintroduction of kiwi into the area from 2026.

Ian Rasmussen checks a stoat trap.

“It will be amazing to have kiwi back here. If we can reintroduce a species into an area, look after that area well, and have the kiwi in a number of different habitats, their future will be secured for future generations,” Ian Rasmussen says. Paul “Scratch” Jansen, a Department of Conservation advisor, currently seconded as Save the Kiwi operations manager, says efforts to boost kiwi numbers in the Ruahine Range will be more effective and cost-efficient if the back country work is extended into the more accessible front country and adjacent farmland. “Kiwi do really well in pine forests, which are on some farms but also in gullies with a bit of bush, thick gorse, and scrub,” Paul says. The continuing presence of kiwi and whio in the Ruahine Range is testament to trapping done over the last decade or so by volunteers and iwi. The Aorangi Awarua Trust Ruahine restoration work began in the early 2000s, subsequently working with DOC, Cape Sanctuary, and many iwi and community volunteers in the northern Ruahine. Some of the first kiwi eggs used to establish a population at Cape Sanctuary, in Hawke’s Bay, came from trust land. Now the sanctuary owners plan to return the favour by sending kiwi reared at the sanctuary back to trust land.

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Lake Colenso, in the northern Ruahine.

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Chris Tuffley

The trust recently received just under $1 million from Jobs for Nature to create around 20 jobs over three years to expand its predator control work and its network of tracks and huts on its own land. Since 2008, Aorangi Awarua trustee Tama Wipaki has been leading predator-control work for the Potae o Awarua project on the trust’s land and adjacent DOC land. Tama is happy to see the expansion of predatorcontrol work and the vision of taking it throughout the Ruahine Range. “It seems like there’s a lot of groups coming in, so I think we’ll get there. It might take a while. I wouldn’t like to put a date on it.” Meanwhile, Wellington-based volunters Lisa and Geoff Whittle have been maintaining traplines in the northern Ruahine near the Aorangi Awarua land for nearly a decade (see right). They played a leading role in setting up the Manaaki Ruahine Trust that backs Mauri Oho, a $2.5m Jobs for Nature funded project. This will allow the employment of up to 12 people annually over three years to deploy around 1500 traps in the northern Ruahine and neighbouring farmland and to undertake riparian restoration. Mauri Oho project manager Arapera Paewai will

draw on extensive riparian restoration experience to lead that part of the project. Lisa says the people employed so far were previously unemployed, studying, or on short-term contract work. “One of the great things about this Jobs Janet Wilson for Nature programme is the vision and opportunities for Māori and connecting hapū back into the land and the forest,” she says. Further south, predator control work around the Oroua River in the southwestern Ruahine was picked up a decade ago by Janet Wilson. She heads the Ruahine Whio Protection Trust, which raises funds for an expanded network of about 800 traps serviced by about 30 volunteers in an area including the Oroua and Pohangina river catchments. The trust also raises funds for teams to be helicoptered into the Potae O Awarua project’s network of traps. Other groups also work on the eastern side of the range, including Forest & Bird’s Central Hawke’s Bay Branch, which has a trapline on the Makaroro River, another project led by Anthony Behrens, Fiona Burleigh, and Arapera Paewai, of Te Kāuru Hapū Collective, in the Mākāretu Valley, and the Wellington Tramping Club further north. The expansion of predator-control work in the Ruahine Range has created a wave of enthusiasm, and people are looking at what other conservation gains might be possible. “There’s a lot of takahē habitat in the tussocks, and I think that’s something to think about for the future if you’ve got good predator control going,” says Geoff Whittle.

Eastern brown kiwi need more protection if they are to survive and thrive. Neil Robert Hutton

THE “OVERLOOKED”

KIWI

Eastern brown kiwi are one of four genetically different populations of North Island brown kiwi and one of the least protected, says DOC advisor and Kiwis for Kiwi operations manager Paul “Scratch” Jansen. There were an estimated 7150 eastern brown kiwi

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remaining in 2015 – out of a total likely Paul Jansen brown kiwi population of 24,550. But the eastern population has only 21% of its population under active conservation management. Paul Jansen says the Ruahine project areas funded by Jobs for Nature should make a big difference for protecting eastern brown kiwi. “Adding the two areas from the northern and southern Ruahines would at least double the amount of land that’s being covered currently.” The back country is very rugged and difficult to access, and it is important to consider how to get the biggest bang for the conservation buck. “That’s why we think if we’re going to hold the line for eastern brown kiwi, we need to make it easier. So we’re saying let’s start looking at pine forests and farm land and places where you can drive around to your traps.”

Geoff and Lisa Whittle travel from Wellington to Hawke’s Bay to check traps. Supplied

The traplines have expanded over the years, partly thanks to the addition of Goodnature A24 self-resetting traps, which only need servicing every six months. The couple love the bush and the satisfaction of knowing their work is getting results. Whio Chris Tuffley “On a trip just after New Year, we saw 25 nearly full-grown whio ducklings. We’re blown away by the productivity of the whio pairs on the Apias Stream this year,” Lisa says. Protecting the small numbers of whio and kiwi in the area was the primary aim, but other species have benefited too. “We hear and see more toutouwai North Island robins and miromiro tomtits,” says Lisa. “There’s tūī and korimako bellbirds and big lots of kererū, and even kākāriki, so generally the birdlife seems to be benefitting from the trapping.”

DECADE OF DEDICATION

Whio and kākāriki are benefiting from one couple’s incredible trapping efforts.

bout seven times a year, Lisa and Geoff Whittle pack their car, negotiate Wellington’s Friday rush hour traffic, and drive about 300km to service predator traplines deep in the northern Ruahine Range, west of Hastings. They check about half of the 500 traps they maintain on each trip, negotiating slips, rocky stream beds, and fallen trees in the extremely rugged terrain. They started this work about 10 years ago when Lisa was a manager at the Department of Conservation and learned DOC would no longer be looking after the traplines. Lisa and Geoff felt they had to do something. The challenge of tackling the wild terrain for 10 hours some days so they could be home in Wellington by Sunday evening was initially a shock, but they adjusted. These days, neither are working full-time so they are able to allow three days for each trip rather than two.

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Autumn 2022

RESEARCH Dr Dan Hikuroa’s research focuses on weaving together Earth systems science and mātauranga Māori.

PROTECTING THE

WHENUA

How can mātauranga Māori indigenous knowledge help us adapt to climate change? Jazmine Ropner

ndigenous cultures around the world have used New Zealand’s modern history and will have a role to place-based, seasonal, and ecologically attuned play moving forward. However, some areas aren’t as practices for centuries. For example, Native well suited for these practices. Americans learned that, if they regularly set small, “Instead of focusing primarily on making a profit, controlled burns to thin out the underbrush, they could we should shift to a framework where relationships, avoid the massive forest fires currently being seen in connections, food, shelter, wellbeing, water, and energy parts of California. could be the main drivers of climate change adjustment. Similarly, in Aotearoa, tīkanga traditional customs “Māori have a deep connection to the natural world and protocols, drawn from an interconnectedness and understand that balance is fundamental. The way with nature, have been passed down the generations in which Māori understand the connections between for hundreds of years. Today, conservationists and their land, waterways, and important species provides a scientists are examining these concepts and engaging unique perspective.” with Māori to better understand how mātauranga Māori The Māori worldview is holistic and recognises indigenous knowledge can help us adapt to a changing climate has an impact on all the important aspects climate. of life. Climate tohu indicators serve as guides for Researchers involved in National Science planting, fishing, harvesting, and travelling. Challenges are working to weave together current Mātauranga Māori recognises that, to protect scientific knowledge and traditional taonga and the wellbeing of nature, Māori indigenous knowledge. Using a it is vital to practice tīkanga. These Mātauranga framework called Vision Mātauranga, practices have been generated through Māori provides they are incorporating important Māori centuries of accumulated knowledge us with centuries concepts in their research. and observations of natural systems and Dr Dan Hikuroa, a senior lecturer human interactions. of environmental in Māori studies at the University of “These tīkanga were passed down indicators and Auckland, is involved with the National through generations through kōrero climate trends. Science Challenges and publishes his tuku iho [oral history] that often provide Incorporating this own research focusing on integrating guides on how we might behave as those climate knowledge Earth systems science and mātauranga privileged to be users of those fruits and how our Māori. of Papatūānuku Earth Mother and her ancestors adjusted to I ask him about the root causes of offspring,” explains Dan. changing conditions climate change according to a Māori “One expression of mātauranga would provide us worldview and how mātauranga Māori Māori that can help is kaitiakitanga, with a greater could help address its impacts. the principle of intergenerational understanding of “Climate change is mostly a result sustainability, and the practices, drawn where to go of poor practices, including the use of from indigenous knowledge, to achieve it. fossil fuels and nitrogen-rich fertilisers, “We have user privileges for the from here. combined with the principle of bounty from the environment that we capitalism to generate profit. This has have connection and kinship with. seen huge land-use change,” he says. Those privileges came with the condition to make sure “Agriculture, horticulture, and forestry are part of resources are used in a sustainable or regenerative way.

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

ancestors adjusted to changing conditions would provide us with a greater understanding of where to go from here. “Western science needs to begin to look at the concepts that Māori use for climate change decisions and how they fit into the climate change adaptation narrative. I am optimistic and believe that we can dig ourselves out of the hole we have created,” he adds.

JUST TRANSITIONS

I Some coastal marae are at risk of sea level rise. Takapūwāhia Marae, Porirua. Shannon Te Rangihaeata Clamp

“If these responsibilities weren’t upheld, our privileges were revoked.” Every species on the planet is impacted by climate change, and we must respond. I ask Dan what a climate change response from a Māori perspective might look like? “In these real challenges, it’s going to take a collective effort. Drawing from all the knowledge we have available to us makes more sense than drawing from a very narrow field of knowledge,” he says. “It’s not that science doesn’t have a role to play. It has an enormous role, but so do the other ways of knowing, being, and doing that have either been marginalised or misunderstood. “Mātauranga Māori provides us with centuries of environmental indicators and climate trends. Incorporating this climate knowledge and how our

Māori women weaving kete flax baskets at Rangiahua, 1918. Godber Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library.

t’s well documented how coastal areas face multiple climate change risks, including ocean acidification, rising sea levels, erosion, and flooding. Global warming is also altering ocean ecosystems, resulting in the loss or decline of many important harvest species. “Climate change affects everyone, but Māori suffer disproportionately both in terms of physical changes to their environment and how they are compensated to adapt to the warming planet,” says Dr Dan Hikuroa. “Māori people traditionally move according to the seasons. As a result of colonisation, they have had to define where they live, and now many communities find themselves at coastal margins. “Māori infrastructure, houses, marae, sacred places, burial grounds, and traditional fishing grounds are all at risk [from climate impacts].” Māori customs, including manaakitanga hospitality and the traditional harvest of taonga species such as pāua, are directly impacted by climate change. It also disrupts the ancient seasonal indicators that Māori use for growing and gathering kai, including species migration and plant flowering. “In the national climate change risk assessment, risk is correlated to things that have value. However, some of the things that Māori value weren’t weighted as heavily in the assessment, therefore weren’t regarded as at risk,” adds Dan. “There needs to be more support for Māori in New Zealand’s transition to a low-carbon economy. We are at a crossroads, where decisions made 100 years ago are now bearing out terrible ramifications for the current population and our children and our children’s children. “At some point, we must ask ourselves, do we continue with this? And that’s where Māori worldview and mātauranga approaches might come in.”

Dan Hikuroa.

Supplied Autumn 2022

F R E S H WAT E R

Rewilding

An adult giant kōkopu. Lesley Stone. Below: A young kōkopu 27 days after hatching. Stephen Moore

OUR RIVERS

Our streams, lakes, and rivers are degraded and depleted of native fish. Is it possible to restore them by reintroducing captive-bred species like īnanga whitebait and kōura freshwater crayfish? Alex Stone investigates.

t’s ironic that upokororo grayling, the only native freshwater fish that New Zealand has ever officially protected, is already extinct. The grayling went into a precipitous, and ultimately fatal, decline in New Zealand, starting in the 1870s. It was last seen in the late 1920s. Other native fish species are in big trouble, yet we allow the commercial wild harvest of migratory galaxiid species collectively known as whitebait. Four out of the five (īnanga, kōaro, shortjaw kōkopu, and giant kōkopu) are endangered, along with tuna longfin eels. All are marketed as Kiwi delicacies. We wouldn’t even begin to think of shooting and selling whio, who occupy the same freshwater habitat, to restaurants. So why do we allow the commercial exploitation of native fish? Perhaps we are not as

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

emotionally connected to coldblooded, less often seen species. Fish farmer Paul Decker has a problem. He has 60,000 adult giant kōkopu swimming in tanks at his facility in Warkworth. They are quite beautiful fish, and he’s not going to kill any of them. In 2006, together with Dr Tagried Kurwie and the team at Mahurangi Technical Institute, Paul was able to hatch and breed galaxiids for the first time ever, for the whitebait gourmet foods market. That became Manāki, his current, now thriving, business. But his breeding programme has been so successful, he has all these adult fish and no more tank space for the larvae, the precursor to whitebait. So he’ll have to move the operation to a bigger building and set up a whole lot more tanks. One interesting Paul Decker

statistic about Paul’s predicament is that this captive population could be the same or possibly greater than the entire wild population of giant kōkopu – estimated to be somewhere between just 20,000 and 100,000 individuals. Around 50,000 of Paul’s kōkopu stock are breeding females. As with the saltwater fish species I wrote about in the last issue, the driving imperative of Paul’s company is captive breeding these native fish to eat. It’s all about aquaculture rather than conservation. But Paul would love for his business to be sustained purely by the demand for reintroductions, as a conservation measure. But that isn’t currently the case. He has occasionally been paid for fish, for example by a civil engineering company doing stream restorative work after putting in a highway. Auckland Council is also paying Manāki to breed short-jaw kōkopu

for reintroduction into the Waitakere Ranges. He has also donated giant kōkopu to conservation causes, for the purpose of reintroductions. And we’ve seen them – on a night walk in Tāwharanui Regional Park recently (we were searching for kiwi – we found four). But we also saw giant kōkopu in a stream there, thanks to Paul Decker. But we didn’t know that, then. Paul is a self-taught savant in the world of ichthyology. He started as a boy in Queensland, Australia, breeding native fish to stock neighbouring farm dams. It was his first – and so far enduring – line of work. He came to New Zealand to establish an aquaculture operation based on Australian freshwater

Northland fish farmer Paul Decker and his team were the first in the world to hatch giant kōkopu and tuna eels in captivity.

crayfish. But, because of biosecurity concerns, it was curtailed. So Paul turned to native New Zealand species. For the purposes of marketing whitebait, Paul found that giant kōkopu, which usually make up only about 5% of whitebait, are the most viable in commercial terms. He achieves the remarkable input–

This Auckland stream was restored before being rewilded with giant kōkopu.

output conversion ratio of 1.2kg of feed resulting in 1kg of whitebait to sell to restaurants. Paul reckons he can improve further on this. What about the adult giant kōkopu, can we eat them? No, says Paul, they don’t taste so good. It’s “like eating cotton wool with needles in it”. So much for breeding whitebait for food. What about galaxiid reintroductions for conservation, much like we translocate bird species into new habitats? Victoria University’s freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy says we shouldn’t even be talking about native fish translocations. Instead, we should be dealing with the core problems facing our freshwater. “We don’t want more ambulances at bottom of cliffs. We need fences atop,” he says. But could we carry out native fish translocations to help restore our rivers and streams, while also dealing with core issues like habitat loss and degraded water quality? There’s debate about the viability, desirability, and ethics of fish reintroductions, with some scientists saying that maintaining distinct genetic lines is important. Paul points out the way young giant kōkopu choose which rivers to enter to become adults means a mixing of natural populations. They return to rivers where a fishsecreted pheromone (chemical) plume going out to sea indicates there are adult kōkopu living in that river, thus advertising it as suitable habitat.

“The genetic diversity of the population is constantly being maintained by this process. The species has evolved many strategies for survival,” he says. In Paul’s view, the best way to reestablish giant kōkopu populations is to simply “seed” rivers with a few adults. The returning whitebait will come back up those rivers – as long as we don’t capture them, block their movement, or degrade their habitat en route. So, are fish translocations already happening in parts of the country? Matt Bloxham, senior freshwater ecologist at Auckland Council, runs its native freshwater fish recovery programme, which is supported by Auckland Zoo and Manāki. This will see captive-bred giant kōkopu, short-jaw kōkopu, and black mudfish released into key freshwater habitat in Tāmaki Makaurau. “Some freshwater fish proponents argue there is no need to introduce captive-reared fish into former habitat,” says Paul.

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Manāki’s whitebait (the young fry of giant kōkopu) is exported around the world.

Autumn 2022

F R E S H WAT E R

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“They say all that is needed is for the habitat to be restored and optimised for certain species, and natural recruitment will happen without supplementing populations. “However, with so many source populations lost or dwindling in Auckland, the concern is that the oceanic larval pool is also becoming depleted, diminishing the prospect of natural recruitment occurring. “Our approach is to focus on reinstating viable clusters made up of geographically linked populations. Sometimes reintroducing captive-reared fish into former ranges may be necessary to achieve this. “However, we will never attempt

Kōura on Rakiura Stewart Island.

to reintroduce captive-reared fish into an environment without first rehabilitating that stream or wetland to the best of our ability. At some key sites, we have been identifying and neutralising sediment sources, lowering the predator biomass, and renaturalising riparian and instream environments.” Where does this leave us? Paul believes the simplest way to aid giant kōkopu and other threatened whitebait species’ recovery is to limit, or temporarily stop, whitebaiting. But Matt Bloxham points out this approach alone won’t restore whitebait populations in areas where fishing is limited, such as

Jake Osborne

KŌURA RESTORATION Could advances in freshwater kōura aquaculture have positive spin-offs for conservation?

t appears it is possible to captive breed some native fish species and reintroduce them to waterways. But can we also do the same with other freshwater inhabitants? In the case of kōura, the answer, potentially, is yes. Since the 1960s, there has been a growing interest in raising freshwater kōura for aquaculture in Aotearoa. There are currently operations in static breeding ponds operated by Keewai, Sweet Kōura

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

Enterprises, and Waikoura Springs. New Zealand Clearwater Crayfish is breeding freshwater crays in semi-closed parallel raceways. The Keewai project was initiated by Ernslaw One, a forestry company based in Mosgiel, Dunedin, to earn some money from the hundreds of ponds it already has in its plantations. They were built to provide a store of water for fire-fighting. The business won the Spirit

There’s no point in throwing countless fish fry into a stream if they are just going to perish. Tāmaki Makaurau. “One theory proposed for the demise of grayling is potentially relevant to other freshwater species that Matt Bloxham don’t return to their birthplace to reproduce,” he says. “It’s believed that ongoing reductions in sink populations – fish living in a degraded habitat that face local extinction without incoming individuals from a source

of New Zealand Award in the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards 2017, for its sustainable approach and conservation ideals. It has also neatly sidestepped the high upfront costs of first having to build the ponds for kōura aquaculture. “We are developing an export market. So far, samples have been sent to Canada, Hong Kong, and China,” says John Hollows, Ernslaw One’s aquaculture manager. Could advances in kōura aquaculture also have positive spin-offs for conservation? To find out more, I spoke with Dr Aisling Rayne, a recent PhD graduate from Canterbury University. She wants to find out what would make a freshwater kōura translocation successful. How many individual kōura does it take? Where should we source them from? This last question obviously engages with the debate around the benefits and risks of mixing different genetic populations. But Aisling points out that iwi and hapū have moved kōura for centuries.

population – can lead to a decline across a whole fishery. “Part of the solution is to remove pressures and create more habitat for threatened species in degraded environments. However, mainland Auckland’s giant kōkopu populations are down to single figures, including in some of its pristine, reference-state streams. We may therefore need to supplement recruitment where numbers have crashed. It makes further sense to focus efforts on geographical areas supporting contiguous populations, as they will contribute to, and be sustained by, a larger oceanic larval source.”

It’s believed the genetic mixing of kōura populations has frequently happened during these moves. “It’s important to understand the benefits and risks of bringing together genetically different populations,” she says. “We’ve co-developed a series of genetic rescue experiments with John Hollows, of Keewai, but we need more time to monitor the results.” Adding complication to this, kōura can do the genetic mixing themselves: “They certainly move up and down catchments and perhaps even cross over land,” adds Aisling. Current Department of Conservation policy tends to discourage genetic mixing. But this is being challenged in some landbased species, with research on Ponui Island kiwi that shows them to be especially resilient because of an – as yet unexplained – genetic mixing. There are two recognised freshwater kōura species in New Zealand – a (generally) North Island one and a South Island counterpart. In Te Waipounamu,

EELY AMAZING

This incredible image shows a tuna shortfin eel 38 hours after fertilisation.

n another world first, Paul Decker managed to hatch both longfin and shortfin eels in captivity. He has even been able to breed from the same tuna several times. “It’s just a matter of borrowing some eggs. And one female can give you five million eggs each time,” says Paul. “But their unusual life cycle means tuna eels are extremely difficult to breed in captivity, and, even then, rewilding adults into our rivers and streams wouldn’t contribute to their recovery.” Adult shortfin eels live in our streams for up to 30 years, while longfins hang out for 25 years (and sometimes up to 80 years) before migrating to the Pacific Ocean where they spawn only once in their lifetime and then die. The juveniles somehow find their way back to Aotearoa and migrate up streams to find suitable adult habitat. “Because of their unique life cycle, every adult eel caught will never have reproduced – and obviously won’t do so again,” adds Paul.

kōura are classified as “At Risk, Declining”. Aisling says that some local populations in Canterbury have disappeared entirely. In her research, Aisling looks at the potential of combining western science and mātauranga Māori. “A growing number of studies are applying genomic data to enhance conservation outcomes, but few have tapped into their full potential by weaving these data with Indigenous and local relationships of place,” she says. What are the main threats to kōura? Aisling explains that depends where you are. “There’s loss of habitat, predation by catfish and trout. There’s water quality affected by land use changes. There’s run-off from pesticides.” All of these factors will need to be taken into account when looking at possible reintroductions of kōura. In 2019, Aisling lead-authored a paper called Centring Indigenous Knowledge Systems to Re-imagine Conservation Translocations. In it, she draws a positive conclusion: “We envision the ... framework

presented here will provide a critical point of reference for the co-development of conservation translocations led or co-led by Indigenous peoples to build a more resilient biocultural heritage.” So, with the combination of current and long-standing Māori knowledge, it appears we might be able to succeed in future reintroductions of this taonga freshwater species.

Aisling Rayne, pictured here with Makarini Rupene. Corey Blackburn

Autumn 2022

SEABIRDS

Star OF THE SHOW

Johannes Fischer checks on the occupant of one of his Whenua Hou diving petrel nest boxes. Brooke Tucker

Australian archaeologist Brooke Tucker falls in love with a very special diving petrel while working with researchers on Whenua Hou Codfish Island.

heltering in the sand dunes, feeling the edge of a breeze straight off Antarctica, the velvet night, the freedom of a world without other people in it. Waiting for something predictable, reliable, yet uncontrollable and therefore tinged with uncertainty. When would they come? How many would there be? Had the previous year been kind to the Whenua Hou diving petrels? The colony is small, around 200 birds. That’s it, the only population in the world. Unlike the more numerous common and South Georgia diving petrels, Pelecanoides whenuahouensis breeds exclusively on Codfish Island. For this reason, the Whenua Hou diving petrel is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. This spring, I won’t be there to see them return to the dunes of Sealers Bay, Codfish Island, where the adult birds excavate burrows in the sand to nest and breed. But for three consecutive years from 2017 to 2019, I was part of a research team investigating the life cycle of this special seabird that was only discovered four years ago. Research on the Whenua Hou diving petrel is led by Johannes Fischer, who in 2018 formally described the birds that breed in this remote island colony as a distinct species, rather than merely a unique South Georgia diving petrel population. Once widespread on Rakiura Stewart Island, the Auckland Islands, and possibly mainland New Zealand, today the Whenua Hou diving petrel is reduced to a single breeding location. Understanding the challenges facing this population is critical to ensuring their survival.

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An enthusiastic and engaging Dutch citizen of German descent, Johannes is now based in New Zealand and has committed seven years (and counting) to developing conservation management strategies for this imperiled petrel. On my first night of fieldwork with Johannes, I watched him spotlight a bird, arresting its flight with the beam of a powerful torch, attracting it towards the light. It flew right into him. Now, after several field seasons, I appreciate his Brooke Tucker expertise and recognise the fluke, but the sight of the petrel, chest feathers translucent white against the darkness, drawn irresistibly down the shaft of light, is etched in my memory. I have also seen Johannes jump from the crest of a sand dune to pluck a bird from the air, vanishing temporarily into the darkness to emerge, gently cradling a resigned petrel. But I digress. Besides, at the time, I pretended to be unimpressed. Birds were not a life interest of mine. They were appreciated and admired peripherally. Every Australian loves the snake-eating kookaburra, fends off the seasonally aggressive magpie, and is secretly amused by our unofficial national bird, the flightless emu. Moving to New Zealand to study archaeology led me to a comparatively less deadly landscape, where I learned about the earliest settlers from Polynesia and their interactions with New Zealand’s avifauna (no terrestrial mammals here). They were sources of food, plumage, and bone.

Codfish Island/ Whenua Hou • Stewart Island/ Rakiura

As with other Pacific islands, the colonisation signature of these first people can be seen archaeologically in the range and quantity of species exploited. Extinctions. Reduced distributions. I am more familiar with skeletal remains than living individuals, even when it comes to extant bird life. Johannes’ decision to design, manufacture, and instal nest boxes for the Whenua Hou diving petrels was my entry into the world of birds. Their installation required a small amount of discreet excavation. For humans to disturb the dunes, archaeological supervision was required. This set me off on a grand adventure. Whenua Hou is a significant ancestral homeland for southern Māori, and a traditional urupā (burial ground) is located at the end of Sealers Bay. Now a protected nature reserve, the island is visited intermittently by conservation staff and researchers, and the dunes are off-limits without special permissions. Johannes and I traversed the length of the bay in darkness and daylight, monitoring both environmental and cultural heritage. Typically, archaeologists do not work after dark. On Whenua Hou, I found myself stepping carefully through the night, following the footprints of Johannes, a conservation biologist. I was in all-weather gear, carrying a plastic toolbox filled with vials and envelopes for fecal and feather samples, leg bands, scales, marker fluid, and catch bags. Here, my role was simple. Step carefully. Extinguish torch as necessary. Wait quietly. Pass equipment when required. Repeat banding labels. If fortunate, hold, ever so briefly, the neat, warm body of a Whenua Hou diving petrel between clasped hands. Blue feet, black and white plumage, compact form, small wings – Johannes calls them flying penguins.

Banding one of the colony’s 210 diving petrels. Fay Edwards

Somewhat awkward on land, they disappear in a silent blur of wings out to sea, always back to the ocean, where they spend as much time in the water as above it. When they return to their burrows in the dunes, the petrels touch down in occupied territory. The sands are heavy with cultural associations. Archaeological sites preserve remnants of Māori activity on Whenua Hou from both long before, and after, European contact. Burrowing with impunity, winged diggers go where I cannot. These birds are prodigious excavators. I examined their back dirt with interest, looking for charcoal, stone flakes, and other signs of human activity.

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Brooke Tucker makes an archaeological survey of the dunes at Sealers Bay. Johannes Fischer

Autumn 2022

SEABIRDS

The star of the show, the Whenua Hou diving petrel. Brooke Tucker

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As revealed by the burrowscope, a long, flexible apparatus relaying images back to a handheld screen, petrels can tunnel for several metres, twisting and turning along the way. Applying this tool regularly during the day to check egg lay and chick growth, Johannes can glimpse the birds that often evade his nocturnal visits. Crouching at night before a burrow entrance, faintly illuminated in red light, he mimics the crooning calls of returning petrels, one arm shoulder deep in the earth. A satisfied exhale, a slow withdrawal, and another individual is captured, banded, and returned home. Almost as common is a hiss of frustration or surprise at nipped fingertips and the murmured report of a bird just beyond reach. Johannes speaks to, and of, the petrels as I do my children: humorous affection, loving encouragement, and every so often the short, sharp burst of exasperation. His language is more colourful than my own. Ten nest boxes were installed at selected burrows in Sealers Bay to circumvent access difficulties and obtain the first detailed data on juvenile growth rates. Petrels consistently return to individual breeding sites, though tunnel entrances fill with drifting sand throughout the year and in some instances collapse as the dune face is eroded by storms and tides. But dreams of 10 easy-to-reach chicks were soon dashed. “They hate my nest boxes!” Johannes lamented over email. “Maybe it’s the smell of the wood? Could be they’re just plain contrary … This pair has dug out and nested BESIDE the box!” However, to our delight (and relief), a couple of boxes were utilised over the course of several years. It was something of a miracle to heft a sandbag aside, open the double-lidded compartment, and see the back of a nesting petrel, heart shaped with its puffed wings tapering to a slender tail. Over summer, my social media feed would fill with images of fluffy grey chicks sporting ridiculous hair-dos. The nature–culture divide has never really existed

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for me. Perhaps it was my father’s work in conservation management (soil, water, and vegetation). Maybe it was my childhood reading material. My parents were given a subscription to National Geographic as a wedding present and continued it for decades. Yellowspined issues filled the hallway bookshelves, supplying endlessly fascinating content and absorbing images. People and places, artefacts and animals, side by side. Intrepid explorers discovering civilisations and ecosystems alike. Beginning a second field season as the archaeologist for the Whenua Hou Diving Petrel project, I wished my father were still alive. “Look, Dad, I’m in a helicopter! Flying to a remote island! I’m working on a project funded by the National Geographic Society…” He would have been so proud. Having served their purpose, the nest boxes were removed after three years, and the dunes returned to their natural state. My work was done. Now, as I write, I picture the bay at night, remembering beauty and the impression of both strength and fragility in feathered form. With all my heart, I hope this breeding season has been a good one for the petrels. I was fortunate enough to gaze through the nest box into an avian world. Once the lid was lifted, I saw birds with new eyes. Now that I truly look, I find they are everywhere. Those diving petrels will be arriving soon. I should be writing my lit review. I should be organising dinner. There are a million things I should be doing ... but instead I’m imagining tiny birds winging their way towards the island of Whenua Hou, skimming above the ocean swell.

Approaching Whenua Hou via helicopter across the northwest coast of Rakiura. Brooke Tucker

Brooke Tucker came to Dunedin from Australia in 1996 to study at Otago University, where she completed a BA (Hons) and an MA in Anthropology. She has held several contracts with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and is currently a PhD candidate in the Archaeology Programme at the University of Otago, researching the indigenous archaeology of Foveaux Strait.

BIODIVERSITY

LET’S GET THIS DONE

orest & Bird is calling on the government to fast track its planned overhaul of antiquated conservation laws “before it’s too late”. Minister Kiri Allan has announced reviews of the Wildlife Act 1952, the Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989, legislation to protect the Hauraki Gulf, and a plan to update national park rules. She said better rules would help the Department of Conservation tackle the biodiversity and climate crises with tools fit for the 21st century. “More than 4000 native species are threatened or at risk of extinction. We are at a defining moment for nature, yet much of our legislation is decades old and not fit for purpose,” she said. Forest & Bird welcomed the plans but warned that it’s essential to keep Te Mana o te Taiao – Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy at the heart of all decisions. “Many of the existing systems we have are inconsistent, are mired by poor process, and have resulted in poor outcomes for native species,” said Forest & Bird’s chief executive Kevin Hague. “It’s also important that more urgent problems are dealt with now, rather than waiting on lengthy legislative reviews. “We want an immediate update to conservation laws to fulfil Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s 2017 promise to ban mining on public conservation land. For coal mining, this is especially urgent.” Forest & Bird also wants to see a complete ban on destructive bottom trawling in the Hauraki Gulf, as the area is already in a dire state and will get worse without immediate action. The review of the outdated Wildlife Act is particularly timely given recent cases highlighting its inability to

Pāpā Pacific gecko. Jake Osborne

properly protect indigenous penguins, bats, and sharks. “Updating the Trade in Endangered Species Act will ensure New Zealand acts in line with international obligations to prevent poaching and destruction of endangered species,” added Kevin. “Improvements are also needed to ensure obligations to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi are properly embedded throughout conservation laws and processes.” Forest & Bird is looking forward to working with the government to secure a better deal for nature with these legislative changes.

BILLBOARDS SPEAK VOLUMES Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern famously said climate change is her generation’s nuclear-free moment. Yet her government still allows new coal mines to be built, has failed to cut agricultural emissions, and is not doing enough to protect the country’s valuable terrestrial carbon sinks – our ancient native forests and peat wetlands. The images on Forest & Bird’s new billboards deliver an urgent message to the government that it must put nature first in the country’s soon-to-bereleased national climate adaptation plan. Keep an eye out for more billboards going up later this year.

Autumn 2022

BRANCH PROJECT

One of Te Rere's residents captured on one of the remote cameras in May 2021. Penguins return each year to breed at this remote Southland reserve that is owned and managed by Forest & Bird.

TE RERE TURNS 40! We look back at the highs and lows of Forest & Bird’s hoiho yellow-eyed penguin sanctuary in the Catlins. Chris Rance

ergus Sutherland’s passion for conservation is as ardent today as it was 40 years ago, when he first saw the bulldozers at Te Rere. In those early days, his job as a soil conservator for Southland Catchment Board took him to a remote farm on the edge of the Southern Ocean where the ground was being dug up around a yellow-eyed penguin colony. “This can’t be good for the birds” was his quiet impression, and since then he has worked tirelessly to help protect what was in those days one of the largest hoiho habitats on New Zealand’s mainland. Today, he is the caretaker of Te Rere and drives the two-hour round trip from his Papatowai home to check traps, monitor cameras, and look after the nesting chicks during the long breeding season. Back in 1981, Fergus used his gentle disposition, which belies a steely conservationist’s core, to save the colony. First, he talked to the farm’s owner, explaining

Fergus Sutherland and Brian Rance have been caring for Te Rere’s hoiho for 40 years.

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the significance of the hoiho’s nesting grounds, and the farmer agreed to let the branch members fence off a small area to protect them. At the time, Fergus was chair of the Southland Branch of Forest and Bird. In this capacity, he talked to Forest & Bird’s national office. The then conservation director Gerry McSweeney travelled to the Catlins, and the pair successfully negotiated to buy the land. That beginning was the start of important restoration work that transformed the penguins’ nesting grounds – a mixture of fragmented forest and cleared land – back into healthy native bush. This work continues to this day and is carried out by Forest & Bird’s Southland Branch. Now, what do you do when your conservation project celebrates its 40th birthday? You ask a heap of volunteers to travel into the middle of nowhere to do some hands-on work planting new trees, of course! A working bee originally planned for August had to be postponed due to Covid-19, and a smaller group assembled in Invercargill for the 90-minute journey to the reserve last December. Despite this, they managed to get 500 locally eco-sourced plants into the ground in a single day! Many stories were told about the project’s early days. In the early 1980s, when branch volunteers first went onto the site to erect a fence, they set up their tents at dusk only to look up and find some penguins wandering up to their camp. The birds and human visitors ground to a halt and stood there, just looking at each other. Someone eventually worked out the large humans were in their way (hoiho use the same paths to and from the ocean to feed). The volunteers moved aside, and the

penguins hurried through to their nest sites, one even going into a tent and having to be rescued! Another bounced off the newly erected fence, thankfully unharmed. Only then did Fergus and the others realise that the penguin’s nests were located well beyond the fenced area, and a campaign to secure a much bigger reserve began. After many years of planting and habitat restoration, which led to a growing penguin population, a disastrous fire swept through the reserve in 1995, killing many penguins and destroying the habitat again. It was a very low period for everyone involved. Should we walk away or continue? But, in some ways, it made us stronger. Fundraising began in earnest, and the branch engaged Fergus as part-time caretaker. An advisory group was formed to get more outside assistance and scientific advice, and predator control was ramped up and planting began again. One memorable day saw Professor Alan Mark’s Otago University students visit the site to “blow up” previously planted flax and attempt to replant a whole headland in one day. It made a very exciting spectator sport for our volunteers too. It was a bit ironic really, when Te Rere has been known for all these years as a non-disturbance site for the penguins! Clearing the bush “Southland style” in the 1990s so the land could be replanted. Fergus Sutherland

The fence-building team at Te Rere in 1981. Merinda Sutherland and her mother Mary are dancing, watched by Don Lamont (former Southland Branch Chairman). Fergus Sutherland

Planting day volunteers at Te Rere in December 2021.

In recent years, the effects of climate change on sea temperatures, less food at sea, and disease seem to have replaced the traditional threats on land such as habitat destruction as the major issues for yellow-eyed penguins. These kinds of threats are much harder to address. At the start of the 20121/22 breeding season there were 18 penguins and nine nests. At the time of writing (February 2022), four nests and seven healthy chicks remained – an improvement on last year’s 100% nest failure. Local Forest & Bird volunteers continue to protect and restore the reserve’s habitat while also advocating for protection at sea, including calling for more marine reserves and the reduction of fishing impacts. Te Rere is still owned by Forest & Bird and is one of the longest ongoing restoration projects in Southland. It is home to one of the few coastal areas left between the Southern Catlins and Fiordland where native bush meets the sea. As well as hoiho, this important scientific reserve supports kororā little blue penguins, tītī sooty shearwater, mātātā fernbirds, seals, and whakahao New Zealand sealions. Although invertebrate surveys haven’t been carried out, a velvet worm, peripitus, was found at the reserve a few years ago, and Te Rere remains an ark for species yet to be discovered. It is not open to the public and access is via private farmland. During the recent planting day, we took groups of volunteers to both sides of the reserve where the penguins nest. We were able to see and hear hoiho on their nests (with chicks) and look over the landing areas where the penguins come ashore, walking through the restored native forest with its 25-year-old plantings.

A big Forest & Bird thank you to all the people who have been instrumental in the success of the reserve over the past four decades, including DOC, which undertakes nest searches and health monitoring, and provides volunteers. We also thank Southland Tramping Club; Southern Institute of Technology environment students; Pukerau Nursery, which has supplied all the locally sourced plants; the Yorke family, who sold the land to the Society; and especially the Forest & Bird volunteers who continue to donate their time and funds to the cause. Autumn 2022

FUNDRAISING

TRUST & HOPE

Last year, we sent out a survey to 12,000 members and donors, and asked why you support our conservation work to protect New Zealand’s natural heritage. We loved your answers so much, we decided to share some of them here! INTEGRITY & HONESTY “I’m passionate about New Zealand’s wildlife and trust the work you do.” “Forest & Bird has a long history of campaigning for nature. You are reliable, respectable, and make things happen. I trust you.”

“No other non-governmental organisation is making as much difference to conservation. I would like our unique biodiversity to continue to survive for thousands of years to come and for future generations to appreciate.”

“I like Forest & Bird’s no-nonsense and fact-based approach. Some other organisations are more emotive in their attempt to get headlines, but I feel that puts some people off.”

“Forest & Bird is a wholly New Zealand-focused organisation and a consistent and passionate advocate for the environment. It has a real impact and makes a difference.”

“Forest & Bird is the most effective organisation in New Zealand for protecting wildlife and habitats. It has great integrity as an organisation.”

“My ancestors mined coal, drained wetlands, and cleared forests. My efforts are reparation for the damage done to the environment in the past. I am making a positive difference – measurable and visual.”

“I joined Forest & Bird because it appears to be the only organisation with enough resources to take on large commercial interests that are doing the wrong thing. ”

“Forest & Bird has shown over and over again what a difference is made for nature when we give a helping hand to support it.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE “I am on a very limited income, made even smaller by Covid, and have cancelled all my other charitable giving. I do feel that Forest & Bird is the very best bang for my nature buck.” “Supporting Forest & Bird with its large supporter base, long history of positive outcomes, and nationwide coverage is one of the

Forest & Bird is by far the most credible voice for nature!”

“It is a great organisation to get behind and shows us (gift givers and others) what our money is going towards. You are the true and honest voice for nature of Aotearoa, and I love the work you are doing!”

“You fight the fights others just pay lip service to.”

most effective ways of using my charitable donation budget.”

Forest & Bird

Te Reo o te Taiao

INDEPENDENT & CREDIBLE “Forest & Bird holds true to its values and is fearless in saying how it is, no matter the organisation, company, or government department.”

“Forest & Bird is the biggest, best informed, most influential, and respected environmental protection organisation in the country.” “Forest & Bird is a wonderful organisation, always balanced and sensible, and one that I feel proud to part of.” “I’m really proud to be a supporter of Forest & Bird, and love and respect the work you do.” “As a long-standing environmental charity with a strong supporter base, Forest & Bird’s submissions cannot be ignored by decisionmakers.”

“You are an independent organisation, much needed and valued by me.”

CONNECTION & PARTICIPATION “I’ve been a member for over 20 years as I consider Forest & Bird a grassroots conservation organisation for people of all walks of life, not too driven by ideology and PR stunts.”

“After 100 years of Forest & Bird activity, much has been achieved. The next 100 years will require even more effort to avert species extinction and forest collapse.

“Forest & Bird gives me a way to contribute. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when so much is wrong with our environment. You do the organising, put campaigns

together, provide ways I can add my voice, provide learning opportunities, and offer a sense of connection.” “It helps me connect with likeminded people.” “Although other organisations are active in nature conservation, Forest & Bird is the one that best enables active citizen participation.” “I feel Forest & Bird gives the ‘quiet supporters’ in New Zealand an opportunity to add our voices to causes and issues that we wouldn’t otherwise speak up about.”

“My will includes a gift of $25,000 to Forest and Bird.” “My father was a conservationist, and as an adult I became passionate about continuing his legacy in my own small way. Forest & Bird best fits with my ideas and gives me the inspiration to carry it on.” “Supporting Forest & Bird is a legacy. My parents supported it, I do, and my children do.” “Thank you for all the hard work, past achievements, and future successes!”

“I like that Forest & Bird operates on many levels, including legal campaigns, public advocacy, lobbying, and local branch activities, with opportunities to participate in conservation activities.” INSPIRATION & LEGACY “I am inspired by the practical work Forest & Bird members do protecting the natural environment, planting trees, trapping predators, and writing submissions.” “Imagine our nation without you. You provide such an important voice!” “I am a third-generation supporter of your organisation. I hope my children will also join. You could say it is a family tradition!” “Our whole family supports Forest & Bird. Our kids were raised with this and want to work in conservation in the future.” “I have supported Forest & Bird since a child, have supported it for my tamariki, and now support it for my and others’ mokopuna.”

Karearea New Zealand falcon. Rēmi Schommers

Thank you to those of you who took the time to answer the survey. We welcome all feedback. Forest & Bird’s work is 100% funded by donations. If you are thinking about becoming a major donor or leaving a gift in your will, please contact our relationships manager Jo Prestwood at j.prestwood@ forestandbird.org.nz. She would be delighted to provide more information or answer any questions in complete confidence.

PROFILE

NATURE’S WARRIOR One of Forest & Bird’s longest-serving advocates reflects on a lifelong passion for environmental activism, social justice, and conservation. David Brooks

evin Hackwell stepped down as Forest & Bird’s chief conservation advisor last year after nearly two decades at the heart of our advocacy work but don’t expect him to quietly fade from the scene. “I come from a family of stirrers, and I’m proud of that fact,” he says. Throughout Kevin’s life, conservation and social justice have been focal points for his activism. “It’s never going to stop for me.” Kevin’s involvement with Forest & Bird stretches back well beyond his time on the staff to the 1970s. During his days as a young activist with the Native Forest Action Council (NFAC), he worked with local Forest & Bird branches to save our natural heritage. His love for the bush and wild places was sparked by family camping holidays and grew as a teenager living in Nelson, when he took up tramping with the encouragement of friends and teachers at high school. “Watching the lowland native forest being burned, logged, and turned into pine forests around Nelson, all this wonderful beech forest was being flattened,” he says. At Nayland College, he set up

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a branch of Ecology Action with a friend and prodded other Nelson high schools to do the same. He was a founding member of the NFAC’s Nelson branch and set his sights on studying ecology at Canterbury University. People like Gerry McSweeney, Kevin Smith, and Craig Potton, leading members of NFAC, were also students at Canterbury and later went on to play important roles in Forest & Bird.

There have been so many important advocacy campaigns since Kevin joined Forest & Bird’s staff in 2003 that it’s difficult to single out highlights. In that time, Forest & Bird campaigns have made significant contributions to climate change, freshwater, marine conservation, pest control, and the high country. That doesn’t mean the forests have become less important. The campaign in 2010 to prevent the

government from allowing mining in the most highly protected conservation areas is one that stands out for Kevin. Forest & Bird released a Cabinet paper outlining the government’s plans to remove the protection on so-called Schedule 4 protected areas, provoking an outpouring of public opposition. The government had to do a U-turn following protests around the country, including a march of up to 50,000 people in Auckland. “It showed the government the strength of conservation feeling in New Zealand. The public responded very quickly and clearly,” Kevin says. Climate change has come to the fore in Kevin’s time with Forest & Bird. Before he left, he completed work on a report showing the crucial role native forests play in storing carbon. It highlighted how browsing animals, including deer, goats, and possums, are reducing the ability of our native forests to absorb carbon by the equivalent of around 60% of all the fossil fuels burned in road transport every year. “I’m really pleased with that piece of work. We have grossly underestimated the impacts of browsing animals in relation to climate change. We have to deal with it.” Since leaving the staff, Kevin has continued to be involved with invasive species work with

Forest & Bird’s global partner, Birdlife International, and has been carrying out other work related to New Zealand conservation. He has always kept his eye on goals and maintained his optimism, even when the odds seemed stacked against conservation. He feels that optimism has not been misplaced. “When you look at the 1970s compared with today, there’s been great gains. We have a Department of Conservation, and on a wide range of levels things have greatly improved. But there’s still a huge amount of work to do.” An important part of Kevin’s philosophy has been to seek allies outside Forest & Bird to achieve goals. This includes working alongside organisations on specific issues, even where there are significant differences over other issues. A good example is joining forces with Federated Farmers to put the case for 1080 toxin to control pest animals, which destroy native forests and animals as well as spreading bovine tuberculosis in cattle. Social justice has been another important thread in Kevin’s activism over the years. Before joining Forest & Bird’s staff, he worked for the Downtown Community Ministry in Wellington for seven years. He helped set up new services, including community housing for people with mental health issues.

Kevin with Margaret Atwood at Zealandia in 2020. Also pictured are Karen Evans and Alex Fane. Caroline Wood

Kevin Hackwell in the early 1980s enjoying the beauty of Welsh Creek during the campaign that led to the creation of Paparoa National Park in 1987. Rob Taylor

He was also national campaign manager for the Electoral Reform Coalition (ERC), campaigning for the introduction of MMP during three crucial months leading up to the referendum in November 1993. When he took over managing the campaign, the ERC had $17,000, which Kevin estimated was what the well-heeled supporters of the existing First Past the Post system were spending every day on advertising. “We managed to raise about $250,000 in six weeks and arrange a huge amount of resources in kind. In the end, we pulled it off, but it was very close.” Kevin also acted as Treasurer for the successful 2011 campaign to retain MMP when another referendum was held. “MMP has been a definite check on extreme policies, and if you look at Parliament now you see the country fairly reflected, something you never saw under the old system,” he says. Forest & Bird has been the focus of Kevin’s working life for the last 20 years, and he has loved his job, the team of dedicated colleagues, and the organisation’s strengths of a broad committed membership base and effective advocacy. “When New Zealanders think of what makes them Kiwis, it’s identification with the land and nature. Forest & Bird has been a really important part of that, and I think it’s something to be really proud of.” Autumn 2022

BIODIVERSITY

GALAXIES OF LIFE In the second of our 26 Habitats NZ series, four writers focus on fragility and survival. Each writer/artist pair had to create a centena, essay, artwork, and pledge inspired by their chosen habitat.

TĪKAPA MOANA THE HAURAKI GULF WRITER Melanie

Cooper

ARTISTIC PARTNER Alice

t looks like a marauding horde of amphibian hedgehogs, executing a takeover of rocky ocean terrain. Closer observation reveals these spiky creatures are more rounded than their landbased doppelgängers. And they don’t have a face. This cluster of creatures is kina, our native sea urchin, and the vast numbers of them paired with the dearth of surrounding sea life is a sign that Tīkapa Moana – New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf – is in trouble. All things being equal, finding kina in the Gulf would be a happy event. Kina are useful grazers, underwater gardeners that keep the kelp in check. They’re tasty too: their strange blend of rich, earthy, salty, sweet flavours make an incredible pie. But all things are not equal. They’re wildly out of balance. Each year, New Zealand relies on the Hauraki Gulf – 1.2 million hectares of ocean – to support billions of dollars of economic activity: aquaculture, fishing, tourism,

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

Bell

shipping, and ferry transport. These constant demands on the Gulf’s resources have taken their toll. It’s not a new problem. It’s just that so far the solutions have been inadequate. In 2000, the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park was established to protect this national treasure. Yet only 0.3% of the marine park was fully protected and designated as “no-take”. Today, the commercial fish catch in the Gulf is 30% higher than it was two decades ago. The Hauraki Gulf washes against the coastlines of the wider Auckland region, the Hauraki Plains, Coromandel Peninsula, and 50 little and not-so-little islands. It should be home to an abundance of sea life, but more and more species are noticeably absent. Kūtai mussels that were once hard to miss are now increasingly hard to find, sightings of tohorā Bryde’s whales are a rarity, kōura crayfish numbers have declined by 20% since 1945, and tāmure snapper have seen an 83% decline on historic levels. And that’s where the kina come in. Without the snapper and crayfish to keep these marauding grazers in line, the kina mow through the kelp and seaweed on rocky reefs, leaving behind a barren wasteland that can’t support the many ocean species that rely on it for sustenance and habitat. Every weakened link in the Hauraki Gulf food chain threatens all the other species. From the mighty tohorā Bryde’s whales to the tara iti fairy terns – a species perilously close to extinction. New Zealand’s government has

TĪKAPA MOANA A gulf between my barren curves and the promise of my bountiful blue-green depths. Underneath I am a husk. And yet people play, swim, drink, feast from my abundance. My name is Tīkapa, the sound of mournful sobbing. The truth, it is a much softer sound. The sound of my mauri, my wairua, ebbing. You are lulled by my gentle rhythms, a steady pulse on the shore. Slap shush. Slap shush. The tide returns endlessly, but there is no promise my mauri will. A teaming ocean quivers on the horizon’s guillotine edge. But there is a gulf between.

announced a new strategy to help restore the health of the Gulf. It includes 18 new marine protection areas, active restoration of some of the Gulf’s most biodiverse regions, and a range of changes to fishing practices and catch settings. Is it enough? PERSONAL PLEDGE

Tihei mauri ora. I will be an advocate for more protection for Tīkapa Moana, Hauraki Gulf, and the coastal and marine species that rely on it.

WHANGANUI RIVER ESTUARY Nicola Hartfield ARTISTIC PARTNER Roz Paterson WRITER

hirty-five years ago, I swam in a meadow of seagrass. It was a most surprising and wonderful experience. I came upon it by chance scuba diving in the Pacific Ocean. I never knew that grass grew in the sea, nor did I know that it grew in estuaries. Seagrass is a flowering plant adapted over millions of years to allow it to live under water and in different conditions. There are around 72 species of seagrass in the world. Seagrass can be eaten, so it is a vital part of the food chain. Unlike land plants that receive oxygen from the soil around their roots, underwater grass exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide through its thin leaves. Seagrass is the greatest contributor of carbon reduction, able to bury carbon 40 times faster than tropical forests can bury carbon in their soil. For this project, Roz Paterson and I researched the Whanganui Estuary. It is large (353ha) and shallow, and it has a tidal influence that extends 12km inland. Estuaries are nurseries of the sea, providing a feeding and breeding ground for many fish, migratory and wading birds, freshwater and estuarine species of snail, cockles, worms, and small crustaceans and crabs. They are a partially enclosed body of water with connection to the open sea, situated at the mouth of rivers and streams. Estuaries are designed to filter out underwater soil (sediment) and pollutants from rivers and streams before they flow into the ocean.

A vital feature of the health of an estuary is its seagrass. Seagrass is sometimes referred to as an ecological engineer due to its ability to use its strong roots and long leaves to calm the water and reduce nutrient levels and sediment particles floating in the water. The still water can absorb the sunshine needed to reach the grass, allowing it to flower. When flowering occurs once a year, the crustaceans (bees of the sea) pollinate it. Historically, the Whanganui River Estuary has received little attention, but since 2009 the Department of Conservation has provided broad scale habitat mapping of the area, providing information about sediment and eutrophication risk (the build-up of minerals and nutrients), habitat features, and recommendations to the regional council. Humans pose the greatest danger to estuaries due to overfishing, flood and erosion protection structures, pollution, reclamation of land close to estuary, the introduction of weeds by foot and vehicle, farm and industrial run-off. The Whanganui River Estuary has very little salt marsh and no sea grass. Its sediment, mainly soft and mud dominated, is rated as poor. There is no trace of excessive organic matter or eutrophication. Although it is species poor, with only two varieties of sea snail, there are high volumes of them. The estuary will be monitored every five years at two separate sites, and with the possibility of a third monitored site created.

SEA GRASS Galaxies of life Co-existing in balance, bountiful splendour Bees of the sea sow my seed. Fine fingers of green filter the saline tides Quietening their urgency as they greet river’s mood. Invited guests gather to feast In calm communion. On the horizon dark shadows loom The scales of nature are tipping. A fog of dread descends like ash Upon our last supper. I gasp for sun’s sparking rays through muddied waters Clinging to starved sediment that can no longer hold me. My existence, now owned by others, lies beyond my reach. Homesick, I cry for my past Galaxies of life.

PERSONAL PLEDGE

I gift myself 5 percent more courage. I will Stand up Speak up Show up To protect our waterways and the life they nurture and protect. References for this essay can be found at https://26project.org. uk/26habitats/. Autumn 2022

BIODIVERSITY

WILD WETLAND | TE HENGA WRITER Lee

Ryan

ARTISTIC PARTNER

e are sitting in the spacious shed at Matuku Link, near Bethells Beach, admiring its fine craftsmanship, twisting iron work, piles of tools and gear, handwritten labels, smells of wood and wet earth – signs everywhere of the work of many hands and a unifying love of birds. Our guide is John Sumich, part of the group who originally dreamed of restoring the wetland and chair of the current Habitat Te Henga conservation project. He patiently describes the history of Te Henga, treating us as if we are his first visitors. It’s a story of ingenuity, vision, and persistence, where a committed group of people successfully sought crowd-funding – and got stuck in themselves – so New Zealanders could enjoy this wetland into the future. What remains with us from that conversation? Not just that Te Henga is alive, but that she is always adapting. Coastal sand blew in from the Tasman Sea, forming the lake. Farms moved in and cut down the hardy bush that once circled it, replacing mānuka and harakeke with pasture. The thirsty city dammed the Waitakere river, and the change to the water flow all but emptied the lake. Yet Te Henga remains a wild land always in motion. With years of patient

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

Rebekah Forman

planting and weed removal, she is a rich and restorative place once again. The magic of Te Henga’s wetland is well hidden. Here, colours and sounds are muted. The winter raupō is brown against the green reeds and bush. Pāteke glide above slow-moving waters in this wild sanctuary, while pairs of black swans beat wings and rise together. The mānuka trees with their weather-beaten arms wave to greet the sky. A second visit, we are on our own with written instructions. Our city-wired bodies miss signs, literally stumble over things. We are in the shadow of the bush inside the wetland. It takes time to attune. Te Henga holds a more ancient history within her borders. A place where time stands still, where we can wind backwards, breathe forward. We capture images of harakeke and the river. We talk on our route home as day moves into night, about how in these darker times art provides a way of conversing about our fears for the natural world and for ourselves; what we’ve done, what lies beyond, what endures. John Sumich and Te Henga inspire us to the slow restorative work on the lands we are connected to and to words that move people obliquely.

TE HENGA WHISPERS On the edge, where city meets sea, find the nearly lost symphony inbetween Find below Bethells road Te Henga wetland, where behind the ridge beats the Tasman Sea. But here lies a primordial hush, where rustling leaves of tī kōuka and harakeke those ancient and elemental sentinels, offer shelter and food. Listen… There in the wintry waters: the booming lament of the matuku and the pāteke speaking softly once more. Te Henga asks us to pay attention and breathe together, not alone. She invites us into her quiet restoration, where land meets river past meets future just on the edge.

PERSONAL PLEDGE

Attend to Lao Tzu’s words: “And so the wise shape without cutting, square without sawing, true without forcing. They are the light that does not shine.”

FOREST VOICES | EAVES BUSH WRITER AND ARTIST

Lindsey Dawson

lived for 20 years near Orewa, north of Auckland, and would often walk in my local forest. I say “my”, but it is everyone’s – a lovely sanctuary that cloaks the hill at the northern end of the beach. It contains a special tree, a rugged 800-year-old giant that has survived storms, lightning strike, and fire. Back in the day, few knew that kauri roots could be damaged by careless feet, and people like me could blithely wander inside the cave-like hollow at the base of the tree, and peer out through the face-sized “window” once chopped through a buttress of its trunk by some cheeky vandal. Taking an axe to an kauri? Unthinkable now! Today, there’s a raised wooden walkway with seating built in so visitors can rest and admire the scarred tree’s grandeur. It’s just one of an estimated 1000 kauri, along with many other native trees, in that 16ha slice of forest. Whenever I enter its green shade, it has the power to calm and refresh me. The Alice Eaves Scenic Reserve, known colloquially as “Eaves Bush”, endures because of the farsightedness of Alice Eaves, who used to love that hillside and its birds. In the 1920s, she ran a guesthouse beside the nearby Nukumea Stream, which skirts the foot of the forest. After Alice died in 1955, the family fulfilled her wish to gift the land to the nation.

The Orewa Lions Club did much early track and bridge building, though much of the pathway has been shut recently to prevent kauri die-back disease. While the scenic reserve is Auckland Council-administered, those who love it most are probably the beach residents who call themselves EBAG, the Eaves Bush Appreciation Group. Volunteers lay poison bait and set traps to suppress predators that prey on birds and nests. Other members meet monthly to deal to weeds and exotic plants. The Forest & Bird Society includes Eaves Bush as part of its East–West Wildlink project – creating a wildlife corridor from coast to coast north of the city. It’s clear that Alice’s hillside has multiple loving guardians. On my last visit, I hoped to be blessed by the sounds I’d known through the years I walked there – the tūī’s squawk and gargle, the slow wing-beats of kererū. They were still there, though in smaller numbers than I remember from decades ago. Long may the keepers of this habitat keep doing their work. They are probably more needed now than ever.

ALICE EAVES’ BEQUEST A good woman. That Alice. Guest house proprietor. People would come by sea, ferried into the golden beach. They could punt on her clear stream, scoff hearty country food, and dance gaily on her wooden floors to 1920s tunes. A sheltering hill rose behind the house, dense with ancient kauri, the forest floor asway with palms and ferns. Alice loved it, wanted it preserved – all the shimmering leaves, mossy limbs and hollering birds. The deep, woody scent of it. Now the kererū, tūī and pīwakawaka flap, swoop and flutter on the hill she gave away. That Alice. A good woman.

PERSONAL PLEDGE

I no longer live near Alice’s hillside and enjoy new leafy spaces now. Here, I’ll keep nurturing saplings so that, one day, birds can call them home.

These four New Zealand works form part of the global 26 Habitats project that is highlighting the link between climate change, habitat loss, and biodiversity. Thank you to everyone who donated their time and talents to highlight New Zealand’s unique landscapes, and to our UK partners, at 26 and the Wildlife Trusts, for their support and for publishing all the New Zealand works online at https://26project.org.uk/26habitats/. You can read the other writers’ works in upcoming issues.

Autumn 2022

COMMUNITY: LETTERS SPECIAL

DOGS ON BEACHES Ann Graeme’s call for stronger dog controls on some beaches to protect local wildlife, published in the last issue, hit a chord with members from Northland to Southland. Here is a selection of your letters. DISTRESSED DOTTERELS

MONITORING NEEDED

I dae r htiw tse r ni eht elcitra ni eht Surem .eusi I’m d e l a p t a e h t s e r t i ds l e r t o d t a y m l a c o h c a e b e rudn eud o t sgod no eht ,hcaeb yl aiceps .dehsa lnu I ylgno rt s e v ileb sgod dluohs ylno eb de w ol a ni de t angis d ae r l a hguo r t eht rae y ro den ab . rehtgo laIt sneda em ot es eht thgilp fo esht elba rnuv sd rib desuac y b namuh .ecna rogi The hcaeb e rhw I e vil si mk9 .gnol How nac ti eb tah sgod e v ah e rf nie r elihw es ht de r gna e sd rib e v ah o t elt ab os d rah ot esia r rieht ?skcih

Juts thoug I ouldw etak this oprtuniy ot ysa es,y emor beachs should be dog .efr Motlys orf the ection pr of .ewildf It neds ot be edormnit thoug, as yman peol antw ot be efr ot etak their dogs ot yan beach ythe antw .ot Thank ouy orf our y onderfulw Fotesr & Bidr tion.publca

Christine Sloan Waih Beach

I asw edtsrin ot eadr the article about dogs on beachs and eagr with ou y fuly tha some beachs should be dog efr eary ound.Ā r I eliv in an Auckland seaid subr ewhr wnerso can ciser x their dogs oŌ leash, eptc x omfr 10am ot 5pm omfr 1 Deembrc ot 31 Mach.r The dog ban in the sumer months used ot be much , longer but elytorunaf the dog ylob is equit ong,trs so it asw educr ot ethr months. Ther ear those tha eignor this ban . yawn I ouldw evlo ot se beachs and other easr ewhr peol can go and not be edtinma yb dogs and ewhr ewildf can’t be edtinma yb dogs .Ā eithr Thye do this ersa.Ā vo Un, elytorunaf ethr has ben a tionaerlfp of dogs in the Auckland ear in the tlas ear y or .otw

RESPECT DOG-FREE AREAS I asw ery v pleasd ot eadr Ann Graem’s .article I am in suport of the ned orf emor dog-efr beachs. My loca Moatuek sandpit is thabi orf orytamig ds,bir with emor than 1000 godwits, New Zealnd el,rdot wrybil, el,whimbr bande el,rdot and yman emor speci. The end of the spit is a no-dog ,onez and tmos dog wnerso espctr the clusion. x e Ho, er v w the tesr of the spit is also used yb dsbir edingf and ting.esr At wlo ,tide dogs ear enoft sen chasing ds.bir Owners I speak ot e vha not eadr the sign tha ysa dogs tmus be under olntrc or ythe claim tha their dog is under olntrc becaus it espondr ot its wnero’s cal eraft it has chased ds.bir The sign ear taledins yb the Departmen of Cotion.aserv I e vha edontac DOC yb phone and email about the suei but ed ivcr no eplyr up until . wno I don’t e vbli the authories wil ban dogs omfr the whole spit; 9% of the peol alkingw e vha dogs. Christine Grove Moatuek

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

J Pearce Dunedi

DOG LOBBY WINS

Clare Brown Auckland

WHAT ABOUT WILDLIFE? We tnaw ot tropus yna Ō e stro y b Fotse r & Bid r ot e v ah e rom sehca b edam god e rf o t tce o rp , e fild w ylaiceps rof elba rnuv -e rohs gnitse .sd rib I e vah de y a iloh r f e rom naht 0 5 srae y ta Wh,tamgn dna dah o t hc t a w dna( )tno rf c god srenw o esohw slamin e v ah desahc dna de nuob hguo r t gnit se

areas of r rut ahwi anut d rea. t enwO rs alol w eht ri od gs ot roam even ni eht areas ehw re od gs are rp ohetib ahW.d gn amat eB ach si an opmi rtatn rb eedgni area of r rut ahwi ,ut tub od gs and eht ri owen rs ah ev suep rior rigsth over our enad gn ered gidn enosu efild w . oD gs are alol ew d eb ewt en mp7 and a9 m rf om aL ob ru eW ekedn s( lit ni eht rb eedgni ep riod of r eht rib sd ) ot aE ster, and at any emit oust edi siht ep rio.d ehT od gs are suop sed ot eb ednu“ r oc rtn ol.” sihT si a oc elpm et af rce and si on t enof rce,d as eht od gs od on t respodn ot oc am sdn rf om eht ri owen r, rugni ramap tn over eht enrit e eb ach and enud area, ahc sign rib sd ehT. gih h ebmun r of od gs on eht eb ach rud gni eht suem r, eb of re a9 ,m si exrt aordani ry and ah s rcni eased sigacin yltn ni eht ap st 02 years. ,I and oteh rs, ah ev am ed susimb siosn several emit s over eht years ot ahT em s-oC romaedn l siD rt tci oC s’licnu od g yb al w rp ocess, aw gnit eht opmi rtaecn and enluv rabytil of eht rib sd ot eb recognsi ed and rp ovedi d of r, tub ot on avali – eht y onyl oc sn edi r amuh sn . Barry Loe & Mary Fitzgerald Chrischurt ch

years ago

TIME OT ALK T DOG BANS I am responding to the article about dogs on beaches and the u q estion of whether we should make more beaches dog free. I absolutely support this idea, 100%. The article was a bit of a revelation to me. The fact that a busy beach like the Mount has birds happily nesting, simply because it is dog free! I had no idea that this one thing could make such a difierence. I wonder if this article could be submitted to newspapers around the country as an opinion piece. It seems like a very relevant and interesting thing that should be more out there for public debate. Scott Stocker Nelson

THE SOCIETY NEEDS MEMBERS Will you assist conservation in New Zealand by helping your Branch or Section with the membership campaign? Our new pocket badge, which is available from head office for $1, is reproduced on the cover of this issue. The badge highlights the urgent need to make progress with the membership campaign. Many members have enrolled their two new members for the Society. If you haven’t, will you please try to do so soon. Two more if possible. We do need your help. Forest & Bird, Issue 183, February 1972

Autumn 2022

O U R PA R T N E R S

THEN AND NOW The founder of Active Components, Rob Mackley, explains why his company is supporting Forest & Bird’s marine protection work in the Hauraki Gulf.

was born and raised in Takapuna. As a kid, my backyard was Lake Pupuke on one side of the road and the beautiful Waitematā Harbour on the other. It was the ultimate boys playground, and I’m forever grateful for the experience. I have vivid memories of catching sprats and piper on a simple handline and watching the huge boil-ups of kahawai with hundreds of birds hovering above. Eels would slither through neighbouring properties, making their way from the lake to the sea, and I remember little blue penguins nesting underneath an old house by the beach. In 1983, I founded Active Components. We deliver wholesale electronic products to hundreds of customers in the electronic/electrical industry throughout Australasia. Active has grown hugely over the past 39 years, but its headquarters is still Rob Mackley as a child located not far from where I grew up on Auckland’s North Shore. It’s a special part of New Zealand where most of our staff and families live and many customers too. As part of the company’s culture, we have always attempted to tread lightly when it comes to the environment. Our new head office and warehouse has a large roof, so it made perfect sense to cover it in solar panels. We also collect all our water off the same roof. Last year, we decided to take another bold step and give more to the community we live in. We signed an agreement with Forest & Bird to help support its fight to restore the health of the Hauraki Gulf. The Gulf is much larger than many people realise, so it’s a big task. It extends from the Mokohinau Islands in the north right down the length of the Coromandel Peninsula in the south.

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

So what’s the problem? Species, such as the sprats and piper I used to catch as a kid, are no longer there, and, without them, other larger species cannot survive. Crayfish that were plentiful not that long ago are now functionally extinct in the Gulf. The absence of kōura and lower numbers of fish, such as snapper, has allowed kina sea urchins to eat their way through vast areas of kelp forest. Without the kelp, these areas become barren of life. Then there are the more visible threats, such as the recreational boating, shipping, and ferries that endanger seabirds and marine mammals like Bryde’s whale. During my lifetime, I would like to see a ban on the taking of any marine species along the Hauraki Gulf’s heavily populated east coast, particularly between Long Bay and Maraitai. Today, even periwinkles are becoming hard to find, and if we don’t collectively take action soon it will take a long time to reverse the damage. The government proposes to increase the number of marine reserves in the Gulf from 6.6% to 17.6%, but this isn’t enough to allow marine life to return to anywhere close to previous health. There is a lot more that needs to be done, and the team at Active Components is proud to be part of the solution.

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Himalayan quail

Siau scops-owl

Negros fruit-dove

Jerdon’s courser

Itwombwe nightjar

Cuban kite

Santa Marta sabrewing

Dusky tetraka

Vilacamba brush-finch

South Island kōkako

THE WORLD’S LOST BIRDS New Zealanders are being asked to join the global search for 10 bird species lost to science, including our very own South Island kōkako.

rganisers of the Search for Lost Birds campaign are hoping to harness the collective power of the birdwatching community in a global hunt for 10 bird species. Spanning five continents, from hummingbirds to raptors, none of the 10 “most wanted” avians have been seen in the wild for at least a decade, but they are not classified as extinct on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Search for Lost Birds campaign is a collaboration between Re:wild, American Bird Conservancy, and Birdlife International, with data support from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and its eBird platform, used by birders around the world. “If we can find these lost birds, conservationists can better protect them from the threats they face,” said Barney Long, spokesperson for Re:wild. Coming in at number 2, the South Island kōkako has been the focus of an ongoing community search effort since 2011, most recently using e-DNA and other cutting-edge technologies (see Spring 2021). Nigel Babbage, chairman of the South Island Kōkako Charitable Trust, said he was delighted that kōkako feature in the global campaign. “The listing lifts and validates our cause. We hope that our search expeditions in New Zealand’s southern forests will benefit from practical and financial assistance as a result.” The Search for Lost Birds’ partnership is funding two expeditions this year, with experts preparing to head

into the field to look for the Siau scops-owl, last seen in Indonesia in 1886, and the dusky tetraka, missing in Madagascar since 1999. Recent rediscoveries have fuelled hope that these expeditions will be successful. For example, the black-browed babbler, a bird that had had only one documented sighting, was rediscovered after 170 years in Indonesia, in February 2021. The blue-eyed ground-dove, in Brazil, and the Madagascar pochard, in Madagascar, were once lost species but are now increasing in population thanks to conservation efforts following their rediscoveries. “We hope these rediscoveries will capture people’s imaginations and catalyse conservation,” said Birdlife International’s Roger Safford. For more information, see https://www.rewild.org. THE TOP 10 MOST WANTED LOST BIRDS ARE: n n n n n n n n n n

Cuban kite, last seen in 2010 in Cuba Santa Marta sabrewing, last seen in 2010 in Colombia Jerdon’s courser, last seen in 2009 in India Dusky tetraka, last seen in 1999 in Madagascar Vilcabamba brush finch, last seen in 1968 in Peru South Island kōkako, last seen in 1967 in New Zealand Itwombwe nightjar, last seen in 1955 in Democratic Republic of Congo Negros fruit dove, last seen in 1953 in the Philippines Himalayan quail, last seen 1877 in India Siau scops-owl, last seen in 1866 in Indonesia. Autumn 2022

IN THE FIELD

GREENING GREY SUBURBS

Trees are missing in action in many new housing subdivisions, leaving a sea of grey roofs and nowhere for nature to live.

Planting trees on the streets of new housing subdivisions will help residents keep in touch with the natural world, argues Ann Graeme.

e need houses. Like the caves of our early tree is many degrees cooler than out in the sunshine ancestors, houses shelter us and protect us because the leaves and interlacing branches intercept from the dangers and discomforts of the the sun’s rays and the moisture evaporating from the natural world. But living in a cave (as well as being less foliage cools the air. Out in this year’s long, hot summer comfortable) is very different to living in a house. When – likely to become the norm in our warming world – our ancestors woke up in their caves and went outside, walkers hasten along the blistering pavements to the they were among nature. Today, many of us wake to a shade of the trees. And in overseas cities those same man-made world. pavements, tar seal roads, and concrete buildings are For good and compelling reasons, new housing creating heat islands, making street walking almost is becoming more intensive in a drive to protect unbearable – and perversely encouraging people productive land and minimise infrastructure costs, into cars! roading, car dependence, and energy use. Houses Shade is a tangible value. Beauty is not, but it is not are getting squeezed closer together, nested cheekto be sneered at. It is very important for our well-being. by-cheek along ribbons of roads. And, Trees, especially big trees, are beautiful. perversely, as sections become smaller, Perhaps it is their form, the movement of houses become larger, so close together their branches, the colour of their leaves A tree in the you can share your neighbours’ squabbles. that reminds us that we depend on a street is a There is no room in the urban section for green world, that green is the pigment of link to nature, trees and certainly not for a big tree. photosynthesis to which we owe our life on a calm and So let us have trees along the verges or Earth. stable antidote down the middle of our streets. A tree in So let’s plant trees in our new to our busy, the street is a link to nature, a calm and subdivisions. Tree-lined streets enhance noisy lives. stable antidote to our busy, noisy, mobile property values, so you might imagine lives. Detractors will say that trees belong residents would welcome them, but that is in forests and parks, and so they do. They not always the case. Trees are messy, argue are nature’s factories. They store carbon in the nay-sayers, they drop leaves, block their wood, absorb carbon dioxide, and release oxygen drains, obscure views, and often our councils, trying in their leaves. We need them to mitigate the imbalance to accommodate their more vocal citizens, find trees we are causing by burning fossil fuel. By this measure, a headache. They rarely defend a tree accused of view the contribution made by a street tree is small – but it stealing, light blocking, leaf dropping, or pavement has other values too. cracking – and one by one the big trees disappear. Well-placed street trees shade the pavement. Shade In my city, a compromise has been adopted. There doesn’t just look cool, it is cool. The shade beneath a are street plantings but not of big, bold trees. The new

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

street tree is scarcely more than a shrub. Pōhutukawa is a case in point. In the old parts of town at Christmas, the great pōhutukawa with their overarching branches still cast puddles of blood-red stamens on the black tar seal. The new tame pōhutukawa are beautiful, and their crimson columns brighten the streets in December. They have been bred to grow as short single trunks so they cast little shade and cause no offence. True, a pōhutukawa does have limbs that seem to defy gravity, but they can be shaped – like any big, spreading tree – to become a landmark in the neighbourhood. Because this is Aotearoa, not England or Australia, let us favour native trees in our streets. Hamilton encouraged the planting of kōwhai in gardens and along streets as a strategy to bring back the native birds. And it worked. The city has seen a resurgence of tūī and sometimes bellbirds and kererū. Titoki with its glossy leaves and karaka with its bright orange fruit make fine street trees. Titoki is widely planted overseas, where it is called New Zealand oak. Lemonwood is a pretty tree, and Pseudopanax species – the five-finger family – provide both nectar and fruit for birds. Street trees need to be well chosen for their situation. Some may have to cope with dry, sandy soil in windswept coastal suburbs. Others will lead a more sheltered life in fertile soil inland. While hardiness and suitability to site are essential, there are other criteria. Deciduous trees have an advantage – their leaves

Older neighbourhood trees like these Wellington pōhutukawa bring birds, beauty, shade, and mental health benefits. Caroline Wood

provide shade in summer and colour in autumn, and they let in welcome sunshine when the leaves fall in winter. Evergreen native species encourage wildlife and so do many Australian species with nectar-rich flowers. Arborists look for good form and shape to minimise maintenance, as well as colour and vibrancy. Whatever the choice, we need trees in our towns and the bigger the better. Trees in the street bring a softness to a city, mitigating straight lines and harsh angles, shading the pavements, softening the skyline, and helping to keep us in touch with the natural world.

PLAGUE OF PALM TREES Because this is Aotearoa, let us plant native trees and not ape California. In some of our newer suburbs, everywhere you look there are introduced exotic palms. They are fast growing, tolerant of dry sandy soil, and large specimens are popular with developers because they give instant effect. But palms are unfriendly trees, like etiolated windsocks they give little shade with their naked trunks and rustling leaves. It is hard to warm to a palm tree. Some of the most popular, such as the phoenix, Chinese fan, and bangalow palms, are now banned in many pest management plans because they seed so readily and have become invasive. Others, such as the queen palms in the picture below, are not yet recognised as pests, but they are banned in Queensland and should be pre-emptively outlawed here before they become a problem.

Newly planted trees line a street in Tauranga, bringing welcome shade. Ann Graeme

Autumn 2022

HISTORY

FOSSICKING FOR FOSSILS How did a replica of plesiosaur fossil famously discovered in 1830 by Mary Anning end up in Auckland Museum? Brian Gill does some sleuthing.

friend handed me some British newspapers last year, and I noticed an article about Mary Anning, the Victorian fossil-hunter from Lyme Regis, Dorset, whose story was recently told in the movie Ammonite, starring Kate Winslet. I knew of Mary Anning, but the article had a photograph of a fossil plesiosaur she collected in her home patch. This fossil’s distinctive shape caused a penny to drop, and I realised that Auckland Museum has held a plaster cast of it for over a century. After some online research, I was certain. Auckland Museum’s wood-framed cast, registration number LH1047 and measuring 900 x 770mm, is a copy of the fossil Mary found in December 1830. Like Britain, New Zealand was once home to some large

Mary Anning’s plesiosaur fossil plaster cast was sent to New Zealand in 1881. Auckland Museum

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

and spectacular plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, and mosasaurs – marine reptiles from the time of the dinosaurs. A century ago, Auckland Museum’s curator Thomas Cheeseman (1845–1923) had to fill his exhibition galleries with objects to educate and delight the Auckland public. One of Cheeseman’s correspondents was Henry Ward (1834–1906), who ran Ward’s Natural Science Establishment in Rochester, New York State. Auckland Museum had little money to purchase specimens outright, so instead Cheeseman arranged exchanges with Ward. He sent bird specimens, Māori and Pacific ethnographic items, kauri gum, lizards, a seal skull, and a whale skull. In return, the first big consignment from Ward arrived in Auckland from New York on the barque Beatrice Havener in summer 1881/82. There were specimens to the value of £55 (US$268), including plaster casts of “celebrated fossils”, many of which were wood-framed flat slabs that could be wall mounted. In the late 1860s, Ward had been allowed to make moulds from wellknown fossils in many of the great European and American museums. Back at his establishment in Rochester, his preparators churned out plaster casts of the fossils to be sold to museums around the world. Auckland Museum, with its financially straitened

Portrait of Mary Anning with her dog Tray. Natural History Museum, London

circumstances, got just a small partial set. Nevertheless, the imminent arrival of the Ward specimens was eagerly awaited. The New Zealand Herald reported in March 1881: “The specimens and casts that are to be obtained from Professor Ward are expected to cover a large portion of the available wall space in the Museum Hall, and thus add very much to the attractiveness of the Museum.” Many of the fossil casts have been displayed continuously in Auckland Museum galleries ever since, first at Princes Street and after 1929 in the current museum building. Museums prefer to exhibit real things, but fossils are unique and a cast is the next best thing. In time, casts can develop their own intriguing history, changing in status from cheap props to treasured artefacts in their own right. The Mary Anning fossil, represented by Auckland Museum’s cast LH1047, was described in an 1838 volume of Transactions of the Geological Society of London

by the great British comparative anatomist Sir Richard Owen. The species was called Plesiosaurus macrocephalus, the “large-headed plesiosaur”. Recent researchers have suggested that the animal in this fossil was immature and belongs in a different genus, as yet undetermined. The plesiosaur lies flat on its belly with three of its paddles extended (the right rear paddle is missing) and its head and neck bent to the left “so as to describe, with the rest of the vertebral column, almost a semicircle”. The animal died and sank to the seafloor about 195 million years ago. Undisturbed by scavengers or fast-flowing currents, it remained in an attractive life-like pose as it was covered by fine sediment. Time and pressure then turned the sediments to stone, which were uplifted into the cliffs at Lyme Regis. Eventually, the plesiosaur eroded out in a landslide caused by winter storms and was discovered by Mary Anning. In 1831, Mary sold her spectacular fossil for the princely sum of 200 guineas to William Willoughby, Lord Cole. Mary’s discovery of new and interesting fossils, and the public interest that followed their description by scientists, played an important part in the science and philosophy of the time. The antiquity of fossils and the presence of creatures like plesiosaurs that had no living counterparts began to cast doubt on the widely held belief in God’s relatively recent act of creation.

Fossils provided one of many lines of argument that Charles Darwin used in his theory that the great diversity of plants and animals evolved by natural selection, spontaneously and over many millions of years. As a working-class, poorly educated amateur, a religious nonconformist, and a woman, Mary Anning encountered, at every turn, barriers to her involvement in the intellectual circles of the time. However, when Mary became seriously ill in 1846, Geological Society members raised money to help her. After her early death at 47, the Society arranged a stained glass window to commemorate her in her local church. We can be pleased that Mary Anning’s beautiful 1830 plesiosaur fossil passed from private ownership to a public collection (the Natural History Museum, London), where millions of visitors from all countries can see it as part of our collective world heritage. There is also pleasure in seeing a full-sized plaster likeness of this fossil – in the current Origins exhibition in Auckland Museum’s Cheeseman Hall – with its own history of a journey from New York to Auckland by sailing ship in 1881. It’s high up on the wall, not far from the bronze plaque commemorating the life of Thomas Cheeseman, and it reminds us today of the great contribution by women to natural history.

The plaster cast of Mary Anning’s plesiosaur fossil on display in Auckland Museum’s Origins exhibition. Brian Gill

Brian Gill is a former Curator of Land Vertebrates at Auckland War Memorial Museum. For more of his natural science stories, see The Owl that Fell from the Sky: Stories of a Museum Curator and The Unburnt Egg: More Stories of a Museum Curator at www.awapress.com.

Aotearoa was once home to some large and spectacular marine reptiles like this Kaiwhekea katiki, an unusual plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous period. Wikipedia

Autumn 2022

GOING PLACES

T ARTIST ON THE HIGH

SEAS

Southland artist Hannah Shand heads into a world where seabirds rule during a Heritage Expeditions voyage to the sub-Antarctic islands.

This Antipodean albatross inspired Hannah’s latest artwork (see right). Jordan Shand

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

here’s a place unlike anywhere else on the planet – a location so remote, wild, and unique that you feel like you’re transported to a mythical landscape conjured up by legendary directors James Cameron or Peter Jackson. Here, you will find other-worldly plants shaped like giant pink broccoli growing among similarly alienesque mega-herb flora. Along the coast, colossal waves crash against mist-shrouded cliffs, where thousands of giant birds perch high over the ocean, getting ready to spend months at sea. But you won’t find this place on the silver screen. Rather it’s located hundreds of kilometres south of New Zealand, in the sub-Antarctic islands. This uninhabited island group, where birds, seals, and sea lions rule, is made up of the Snares, Bounty Islands, Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, and Campbell Island. When I was invited by Heritage Expeditions as a guest artist to join them on their “Galapagos of the Southern Ocean” journey, I have to admit I was quite scared. The idea of spending 13 days sailing in the Southern Ocean – notorious for its ferocious seas and 7m swells – was very far out of my usual comfort zone. Knowing that this was a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Jordan and Hannah Shand this UNESCO World Heritage site, there was no way I was going to let fear hold me back. Also, my brother Jordan would be accompanying me, and so this would be a special trip to experience together. We loved seeing how different the islands were, with each having their own unique landscapes, animals, and plants. Some islands we explored by inflatable Zodiac boats, cruising around the shoreline with inquisitive fur seals in tow, bobbing up through the seaweed to check us out, and penguins porpoising alongside us too. One memorable moment saw us entering a cave at Antipodes Island, where the water was a magical, bright sapphire blue. Antarctic terns fluttered around as we were treated to a goosebump-inducing impromptu opera performance by one of the passengers – with the natural amphitheatre of the cave echoing her beautiful voice. Other islands we explored on foot, walking through ancient rātā forests and open landscapes with massive fields of megaherbs and other intriguing plants I never knew existed. We had close encounters (at a respectful distance) with hoiho yellow-eyed penguin, erect-crested penguin, kākāriki, Auckland Island teal, miromiro tomtit, tūturiwhatu banded dotterel, rāpoka New Zealand sea lions, and many other special creatures unique to the islands. We saw hundreds of

(Dr Gary) also doubled as some of the entertainment, with the occasional sing-along to his ukulele playing. There was the perfect balance of adventure, fun, learning, and camaraderie. During this trip, I learned that some of the best experiences in life will lie well outside your comfort zone, and you just have to take a deep breath and dive in head first. Or even feet-first, for the polar plunge!

Campbell Island carrot (Anisotome latifolia).

Hannah Shand

Snares crested penguins hopping up a steep and sheer rock face, practically mountaineering to their breeding grounds at the top of one of the Snares Islands. The unique ecosystems of the sub-Ants are a haven for seabirds, who use the islands as a nesting location and home base for their flights around the world. We saw many species of toroa, including Buller’s and Salvin’s albatross, and other seabirds effortlessly gliding past the ship, hundreds of kilometres out to sea. Visiting in January, we were fortunate to witness the southern royal albatross sitting on their nests high up on the top of Campbell Island, and also to see toroa pango light-mantled sooty albatross chicks in the nest, with their fluffy-marshmallow-looking jackets. Witnessing in person the scale of an albatross stretching its wings is something I’ll never forget; photos just don’t do them justice. Other highlights of the voyage were the onboard social activities, making new friends with like-minded nature enthusiasts, and hearing daily lectures from experts on conservation and the history of the islands. Heritage Expeditions is a family-owned and run business, with biologists, ornithologists, naturalists, and botanists on their staff, so it was amazing to spend this time with people with such a combined wealth of conservation knowledge. For the brave few, we even took a ritualistic “polar plunge” off the side of the ship into the freezing ocean, to great cheers and laughter. The on-board doctor

To find out more about Heritage Expeditions, see @ heritageexpeditions on Instagram and Facebook, and www.heritage-expeditions.com. To connect with Hannah, see @hannahshandart on Instagram and Facebook, or www.hannahshandart.com.

Miromiro tomtit, Enderby Island. Jordan Shand

Albatross colony, Campbell Island.

Kākāriki, Enderby Island. Hannah Shand

Jordan Shand

SAVE OUR SEABIRDS Hannah Shand is generously gifting 50% of print sales from her new Subantarctic Soaring artwork to support Forest & Bird’s seabird conservation work (see page 7).

Erect-crested penguins, Antipodes Island.

Jordan Shand

This offer is only open for two weeks, so head to our online shop to secure one of these incredible limited edition prints, at https://shop.forestandbird.org.nz/.

Autumn 2022

BIODIVERSITY

FASCINATING

FANTAILS

Greg Billington with one of his friendly fantails.

Successful trapping efforts delivered some surprising pīwakawaka behaviour in Greg Billington’s backyard.

magine my surprise one morning, on hearing a single peep of a pīwakawaka high in the canopy of a tall tree, I looked up to see it swoop to “buzz” me. It came so close, I expected it to land on my head! This encounter seemed so purposeful. I held out a short stick, and without hesitation the bird perched and started warbling enthusiastically for perhaps half a minute. Then it followed me into the nearby trees, where it paused less than an arm’s length away to watch me re-bait a rat trap. A year earlier, I had decided to get rid of the rats and possums in the scrubby bush next to my Waikawa home. I set a dozen Sentinel possum traps and some 30 rat traps, in an area of about 5ha, which I clear daily. The bush – largely mahoe, whauwhaupaku fivefinger, ponga, and mānuka – used to be silent, but it was not empty. More than 120 possums and many more rats have been dispatched from this small area, and the trees are recovering. At that time, around 15 pīwakawaka and numbers of other species such as tauhou, riroriro, weka, and Californian quail began appearing each day. But it was the behaviours of the friendly fantails that caught my attention. “One of the endearing characteristics of pīwakawaka is that they seem to seek out human company,” wrote David Mudge in “Silence of the Fantails”, New Zealand Geographic. “But the more prosaic truth is ...they will ‘befriend’ anything which disturbs or attracts the insects on which they feed.” I would have agreed entirely with his words until I observed the following behaviours.

Rfimi Schommers

Forest & Bird

Te Reo o te Taiao

Over a two-month period, several different pīwakawaka perched on a short stick in my hand, every second day on average. In total, I had some 60+ close interactions. On two occasions, a bird flew directly from approximately 50m away to perch on the stick. Some came within centimetres of my face, and on one occasion one perched on my hand. Perching time on the stick was mostly around 10–15 seconds, but on several occasions it was as long as two to three minutes. At these times, it was common for a perching bird to preen and/or to sing. On two successive days, one pīwakawaka hovered several times directly in front of my face as I spoke, sufficiently close that I could feel its wingbeats, and sang continuously. With the onset of winter, most of the resident birds, except the riroriro, moved away. In spring, they returned, although I couldn’t determine whether it was the same or a new population. The surprising fantail behaviour from last spring has occasionally been repeated, but mostly we simply exchange greetings before going about our respective business. There are no longer any possums in the block and very few rats, but cats have become a problem, with a resulting drop in birdlife. Were they following me for the food I was kicking up? I believe they were interacting with me over that two-month period in a different way. Certainly, as researchers discover more about the intelligence of birds, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised by anything they do. Have you had any interesting encounters with pīwakawaka or any other native birds? Email editor@forestandbird.org.nz.

OUR PEOPLE

LOCAL LEGENDS T

orest & Bird Youth leader Kaya Freeman is in the running for 2022 Kiwibank New Zealand Environmental Hero of the Year. She is one 10 semi-finalists in Te Toa Taiao o te Tau category. Over the past two years, Kaya has made a huge contribution to Forest & Bird Youth, our nationwide network of young people committed to protecting and restoring Aotearoa’s wildlife and wild places. From the age of six, Kaya knew her life’s purpose was to protect the planet and its inhabitants. Her dedication helped Youth run successful conservation projects, including the ongoing restoration of Hosking’s Reserve, an 80ha nature sanctuary north of Auckland. Kaya is also known for her support and interest in growing new leaders. Her efforts to upskill her team through one-on-one mentorship and leadership training have created a burgeoning network of new young conservation leaders. Forest & Bird Youth has grown significantly, with an additional four regional hubs springing up and making positive change in their local communities. Kaya, who lives in Christchurch, was national codirector of Forest & Bird Youth from 2019 to 2021. She currently serves on Forest & Bird’s Board. The winner will be announced on 31 March 2022.

wo stalwarts of Forest & Bird’s North Taranaki Branch have been recognised as local heroes for their conservation work. Tony and Anne Collins were named as two of 100 medallists for the 2022 Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Award Te Pou Toko o te Tau. Sadly, Tony died during last year’s lockdown and never knew he had been nominated, says Anne. “I didn’t know we’d been put forward for this award. I was delighted and humbled to find out we had won. “It’s a fitting tribute for Tony, who spent his retirement working to protect nature in Taranaki and loved what he did. “Tony was a bit of a character, and would have been absolutely thrilled to have received his award.” As Chair and Secretary respectively of North Taranaki Branch, Tony and Anne worked hard to restore nature at at the Society’s Te Wairoa reserve and have been branch representatives on various groups, including Wild for Taranaki. Tony, a retired plumber was a long-standing conservation volunteer in north Taranaki. As well as being branch chair, he also donated his time to Rotokare Scenic Reserve, a fenced predator-free haven for many birds including kiwi, hihi, tīeke, tītipounamu toutouwai, pāteke, and pōpokotea. His trapping efforts, including checking 14 predator traps a week, were rewarded by a steep increase in birdlife in the area and the proliferation of more native plants and flowers. Last year, the couple also won an honour for their conservation work from New Plymouth District Council.

Anne and Tony Collins.

Autumn 2022

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Autumn 2022

LAST WORD

Nature in

STITCHES

Cathy Brickhill in her studio.

Award-winning Auckland artist Cathy Brickhill creates intricate 3D sculptural embroidery inspired by New Zealand’s wildlife.

he stunning flora and fauna of Aotearoa brings creative inspiration to many people. For Cathy Brickhill, it feels natural to celebrate our wildlife in eyecatching hand-stitched artworks inspired by her experiences as a conservation volunteer. As a child, Cathy would bushwalk to a nearby mountain, and her father would teach her about the birds they encountered. She loved learning about the different species, studying their nests and discarded feathers. Tūī, with their magnificent plumage of iridescent feathers and puff-ball neck pom-pom, are one of her favourite birds. In full sunlight, the colour of their feathers is outstanding, and something Cathy has managed to capture in her 3D embroidery tūī creations (right). Cathy planted out hundreds of native trees and flowers to attract tūī into her garden, and while working in her Tāmaki Makaurau

Forest & Bird Te Reo o te Taiao

sewing studio she happily watches their crazy antics around other birds. “What’s there not to love about our endemic birds?” she says. “I’ve done a lot of pest eradication on my lifestyle block, and now I can see them nesting in my pōhutukawa trees.” Cathy has also volunteered on Tiritiri Matangi Island, taking passengers from the ferry to the lighthouse and teaching them about the island’s wildlife. “I remember exploring at night, hearing kiwis call and seeing them running about without a care in the world. “Black petrels were dive-bombing us on the top of the ridge, as we made loud calls to attract them to land so we could do health checks and band them. The morning chorus at 5am was deafening, so beautiful.” Cathy also volunteered at a local bird rescue, learning about how to feed and care for native and introduced species. She is a keen long-distance runner and tramper, having trekked in many remote areas of the country. It’s only natural that this love of nature has transferred into her art. Cathy creates one-off and commissioned artworks of the plants, fungi, birdlife, sealife, and insects she sees around her.

Cathy has discovered new embroidery techniques and perfected the art of freehand machine embroidery, using a domestic sewing machine. This gives her the freedom to stitch whatever she has sketched, taking it to the next level by incorporating hand embroidery into the finished pieces. The technique creates sculptural lace-like textiles that are carefully pinned to a board and framed behind museum-grade glass or Perspex boxes, creating a “floating in space effect” and shadows that enhance the 3D effect of the embroideries. To find out more, go to www.cathyjanedesigns.com.

Parting shot

Tom Gunn & Marieke Lettink

This photo of a moko pirirākau forest gecko (Mokopirirakau granulatus) was taken in the hills above our bach at Blackball, a former mining town at the base of the southern Paparoas. The gecko’s lichen patterning can change colour and is unique to each individual. Its large feet allow it to climb trees and grip steep rock surfaces. The photo was a combined effort, with Tom capturing the shot while I managed the gecko (part of my normal job as a herpetologist). We are novice photographers who have recently bought a mirrorless camera and have been practising on all sorts of life forms found in the bush and hills.

WILD ABOUT NATURE PHOTO COMPETITION How to enter: Share your images of native birds, trees, flowers, insects, lizards, marine animals, or natural landscapes, and be in to win. Send your high-res digital file and brief details about your photo to Caroline Wood at editor@forestandbird. org.nz. The best entry will be published in the next issue of Forest & Bird magazine.

The prize: The winner will receive their choice of a beautifully crafted Metalbird artwork (to the value of $110). These metal bird silhouettes are winging their way all over the world, such is their popularity. The pīwakawaka is a customer favourite or check out the newest design, a tarāpuka black-billed gull, created especially to support Forest & Bird’s conservation work – see www.metalbird.co.nz.

we ARE tramping

Adelaide Tarn Kahurangi National Park Photo: Mark Watson

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