Teachers and parents from Tauhoa School and supporters from Puatahi Marae took part in a March ceremony held to return the remains of three Mataia Restoration Project kiwi to Ngati Manuhiri at Omaha Marae. Strong indications are that these birds were killed by a ferret, which was tracked down and killed and is now, thanks to a taxidermist, doing the rounds of the educational Forest Bridge Trust’s Pest Control Workshops as part of their plan to foster the establishment of a bridge of pest controlled habitat from one coast to the other.
The remaining birds at Mataia have had health and transmitter checks. Plans are underway to take part in the nationwide project ‘kiwi listening time’ where kiwi calls are recorded by frequency and location to roughly determine kiwi populations. As well as using acoustic recorders the Mataia Project this year will also give helpers the opportunity to do some live listening on the property.
Mataia Restoration Project participants are delighted to have received funding for this year’s planting season from the Rodney Local Board and the new Auckland Council’s Regional Environmental and Natural Heritage Fund. People interested in taking part in the conservation planting, which is aimed at restoring the area’s ecology, can contact Kevin and Gill Adshead at kgadshead@xtra.co.nz
