At this time of year, in Whāingaroa, seabirds like the Ōi / Grey Faced Petrel are hatching out of their eggs. From now until the chick fledges in December, the parents work in pairs visiting the burrow site every week or so to feed their chick.
Similar to the Ōi, our community has been working together to restore biodiversity with incredible volunteer and local neighbourhood support. It’s amazing to see everyone coming together to bring back populations of seabirds and forest birds. In the past decade, volunteers from the Karioi Project have trapped over 18,500 introduced predators using over 2,000 traps.
This work has resulted in some significant conservation gains, with at least 30 Ōi chicks and several Little Blue Penguin chicks fledging in the last four years. We’ve also got Kererū / NZ Pigeons swooping along the coastline and Korimako / Bellbird singing in Manu Bay. And endangered species such as Pekapeka / Long-Tailed Bats and Moho Pererū / Banded Rail are living right in town.
Despite a huge community effort, we still need to reduce rat and possum populations to achieve better conservation outcomes. Last year, we intensified our networks by installing bait stations and using toxic baits. Intensive predator control will greatly enhance biodiversity, improve forest health and specifically benefit resident forest bird populations of bellbird, tomtits, tūī, kererū, pekapeka and ruru.
To expand ground based predator control, we are also employing more people, including students from the Manaaki Ao education programme we run together with Raglan Area School. We’re excited to see the next generation of kaitiaki come on board!
As a result of the ongoing work, together with the Department of Conservation and Waikato Regional Council, we have reduced the need for an aerial 1080 operation on Karioi – an aspirational goal for many community members.
BUT …
We can only continue this journey with your support!
Eliminating predators using ground control requires significant funding. We have been incredibly blessed with donations from numerous local businesses, trusts, families and individuals that have contributed more than $1.5 million in the last decade.
To maintain our current work we need to raise $300,000 each year.
Today we are asking you to add your support and commitment to the ongoing work on Karioi. Everyone has the ability to help!
It costs $30 a year to service a trap, $120 to buy one. You might have a business that wants to adopt a trapline. Others might like to pitch in with donations of food, gear, or other consumables needed to keep the team running.
Or, you might want to help at one of our stalls on Raglan Creative Market day. Everyone can help, even if it’s just following us on Instagram and Facebook and letting your family and friends know about us!
But the biggest support -would be all three, share our story, volunteer AND support us with your donation to look after this wild place we all love! Get in touch with us at karioiproject@arocha.org or call Kristel on 0274276242
To learn more about the project you can watch the ‘Karioi’ film at www.karioiproject.co.nz. You can also see the film this Sunday at the Old School Arts Centre as part of the RAFFA Awards.
We hope the film will inspire other communities to take a stand for nature and protect the places they love.
Nicola Wylie and Bexie Towle from Karioi Project pictured with an ōi on Karioi
