April update

Whio release

Children from Orautoha School, Te Kura Kaupapa o Ngati Rangi and local land owners released 12 whio onto the Manganui o te Ao River at Ruatiti Domain in late March. About 40 people gathered to watch them being set free.

The birds were raised in captivity at Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre, Orana Wildlife Park and Peacock Springs Wildlife Park from eggs taken locally.

Trapping results

Between July 2013 and February 2014 DOC and Horizon Regional Council trappers have serviced 1436 traps.

Catch results

	Stoats	Rats	Ferrets	Weasels	Cats
Manganui o te Ao River	29	687	2	6	6
Retaruke River	70	1165	0	92	17

In addition, there are some extra traps in the Manganui o te Ao River, which were set up last year to try to widen the trap network. These were DOC 250 traps, used to target ferrets - they have not made any kills so far.

Whio monitoring

DOC staff conducted six surveys for whio in the core ‘Security Site’ rivers between August and February. On the Manganui o te Ao River 22 pairs and seven single birds were recorded and 15 pairs and ten single birds were recorded on the Retaruke River.

The large floods in October and smaller floods throughout late spring have meant that sadly, no ducklings have fledged in the core river stretches that we monitor. It is possible that some pairs may have retreated up side streams to try for a second brood. Up to seven ducklings were reported early in the season in the wider trapped area; however it is likely these birds did not survive flood waters as they were too young to survive.

Plans for 2014

• Roll out cat traps in the Manganui o te Ao to target another key whio predator
• Review trap locations to see if improvements can be made.
• Strategic thinking about trap locations and efficiency in the Retaruke has led to the removal of some peripheral trap lines. These are at locations which we do not believe are critical to protect whio in the ‘national Whio Security Site’. We understand that these traps are on private land and may benefit other wildlife or whio outside the Security Site. If landowners wish to contact us regarding the continuation of their private trapping system DOC and Horizons are happy to discuss this and look for ways to support it.
• Horizons are currently exploring the option of using bait stations on private land to help control predators. This is a trial scenario and will be evaluated for success at the completion of the trial period. We may decide to intensify trapping instead.

Increase in bird life

Local's who travel along the Whanganui Awa have told the Department of Conservation that they have noticed a huge increase in bird life and bird song over the last 5-6 years. This is fantastic news and is anecdotal evidence for the continued improvements in the health of the ecosystem. We have demonstrated that we are getting a good knock down of rats and a great suppression of mustelids through the Kia Wharite project. The birds should be getting at least 1 season of increased breeding success and maybe 2 out of every 3 years with the current 1080 cycle.

     Tui                                                Kereru                                            Bellbird

Protecting kiwi when setting possum traps

Possum trapping increases during winter and with the season fast approaching it is timely to remind people that possum traps can endanger kiwi if they are not used correctly. Our area has a prevalence of kiwi and we need to keep them safe.

These images below are of a local female kiwi bird that was caught in a ‘leg hold’ trap set on the ground and had to be euthanized.  She had been a very healthy specimen.

These types of injuries happen strictly when ‘leg hold’ traps are set on the ground. Most leg injuries will mean that the kiwi will have to be euthanized.

‘Leg hold’ traps are used by conservation organisations and private individuals for the ground control of possums or for the collection of possum fur. Conservation staff use simple methods that protect kiwi from the traps and strongly encourage private trappers to also follow these two simple methods:

1. Raise the trap above the ground

You can help protect kiwi in our region by raising the trap off the ground by 35cm. This will prevent kiwi from walking over a trap and being caught.  This will not impact on the efficiency of the trap as possums will still reach up and get caught in the trap. To raise the trap you can either use two nails to attach trap to a tree or use wooden boards to sit the trap on top of. In other regions where weka are present we advice raising traps to 70cm.

2. Use ONLY legal traps and check regularly

Some traps (including the commonly known ‘gin traps) are illegal following amendments to the Animal Welfare Act (1999). It is also an offence under the Act to set traps within 150 metres of any dwelling or to leave traps uninspected for more than 12 hours after sunrise on each day the trap remains set.

These traps are illegal to use

 

Lanes Ace (commonly known as Gin trap).                           Double-coil spring size 11\2 unpadded.



                                   

To protect kiwi from injury please ensure that you take these simple steps. For more information please contact your local Department of Conservation office.

Whio released onto Manganui o te Ao River

Last week local Whanganui and Ruapehu Department of Conservation staff released whio back into wild populations on the Manganui o te Ao River, the upper Whanganui River and Whakapapa River.

“There is always excitement when birds that have been part of the national captive breeding program are available for release. We are fortunate this time to receive eight birds locally for the Manganui o te Ao River,” says  DOC Whanganui Biodiversity Programme Manager Jim Campbell.


Whio ranger Bubs Smith checks over a whio before its release

The Manganui o te Ao River and the nearby Retaruke River (both flowing into the Whanganui River) are one of eight National Security Sites set up for the protection of whio. Considerable conservation effort is being put into the management of the site. The major threat to whio is predation by pests and to manage this threat extensive trapping systems are being established in strategic and accessible places along the Manganui o te Ao and Retaruke Rivers.

The protection provided to whio by trapping predators is the result of a collaborative effort. We can’t do it alone and our successes are the result of the commitment by other parties concerned about the survival of whio.

Jim says there is great work already taking place as part of the joint Horizon’s/DOC Kia Wharite biodiversity project. This collaboration includes local farmers with land adjoining the rivers, three iwi groups, Genesis Energy and DOC staff.  More than 65 km of the Manganui o te Ao and Retaruke Rivers has now been trapped with nearly 2,000 traps protecting around 50 breeding pairs.

Genesis Energy and DOC have partnered together in a five year programme to secure the future of this threatened native bird. Operating under the name of Whio Forever this partnership is implementing a national recovery plan to protect whio breeding areas and habitat.  The national support of Genesis Energy is enabling the Department to double the number of fully secure whio breeding sites throughout the country, boost pest control efforts and enhance productivity and survival for these rare native ducks.

Whanganui and Tongariro areas have been major contributors of birds into the captive breeding program. Birds bred in the program are most likely genetically related to the local birds. “This whio release really is a home-coming!” says Jim.



The eight whio heading off into the wild

How can you help to protect whio?

• Keep the waterways and the river environment clean.
• When camping or picnicking remember to take out what you bring in.
• Observe guidelines for keeping the waterways free from didymo and other freshwater weeds – Check, Clean, Dry
• Leave your dogs at home when visiting waterways where whio populations live or keep them on a leash.
• Support riparian planting and waterway protection in your area.

Abandoned cat numbers increase over the holiday season

Recent finds of deserted and unwanted cats and kittens down rural Taumarunui roads has raised concern among some locals, further endorsing the importance of being responsible pet owners. The holiday season has seen an increase in abandoned cat numbers, with bags of kittens and their mothers being dropped off in rubbish sacks and left to fend for themselves in the wild.

Taumarunui local Leon Stratford lives in the Retaruke Valley and for the last 5 years has been employed as part of Kia Wharite, controlling stoats, cats and other predators and protecting local whio (blue duck) populations.

Another abandoned cat

Leon has some real concerns about the impacts cats have on wildlife populations and feels it is our responsibility as kiwis to ensure that we consider the impacts that our pets have on their surroundings. He trapped 49 cats in December alone and thinks that this number will increase if we don’t take responsibility. “It gets depressing because you do all of this great work in conservation and then you spend more time sorting out cats because of lazy pet owners”

Cats are not the only predatory species threatening native wildlife and they are managed in conjunction with rats, ferrets, stoats and a multitude of other threats. The difference with cats is that we can have an impact on the way that they are managed just by being responsible pet owners.

Tips on being a responsible pet owner

• Having a pet is a big commitment that should be well considered before hand; think about it, do you really have to have one?
• When you purchase a flea collar, make sure it has a bell attached, the sound might help in deterring birds when the cat is hunting.
• Feed your pet well and keep it indoors whenever possible, a well cared for cat is likely to hunt less.
• Be a responsible cat owner and ensure your cats are well looked after and fed while you are on holiday.

Kia Whārite - Mangapurua, Rat & Stoat Control Operation

From 31/8/2012, the Department of Conservation, Whanganui Area Office, intend to apply baits containing sodium fluoroacetate (1080) over 31,000 ha of the Whanganui National Park and surrounding reserves to control possums for the protection of forest ecosystems. The operational area is between; the Heao Stream, ridge to the east of the Mangapurua Stream and Whakahoro the southern boundary is the Whanganui and Tangarākau Rivers.

Method of control: Cereal baits containing the pesticide 1080 will be aerially sown throughout the block.  Poison baits are green cylindrical pellets about 3 cm long made from cereal.  Prior to the poison drop non-toxic prefeed baits will be aerially sown.

This pesticide is poisonous to humans and domestic animals.

ALWAYS REMEMBER:

• DO NOT touch bait                                                                        

 • WATCH CHILDREN at all times                                                

 • DO NOT EAT animals from this area                                           

 • DO NOT allow DOGS access to animal carcasses. Observe these rules whenever you see warning signs placed at the public access ways in the above areas.

See the Kia Whārite – Mangapurua Operational Area factsheet available on the DOC website for further information.

Kiwi aversion training day in Whanganui

Increasing kiwi numbers in and around Whanganui National Park is one of the many goals of Kia Wharite.

Department of Conservation staff are running an avian avoidance training day on Sunday July 22^nd 2012 at Gordon Park Scenic Reserve in Whanganui as part of their six monthly training days.

If you own a dog be it hunting, working or pet we encourage you to book them in. Particularly those dogs that are used in areas where kiwi are present.

Dog should be taught basic obedience techniques prior to the avian avoidance training. As part of the training each dog is walked through a short bush course where kiwi carcasses and props are set up.  The dog is walked through the course and if it shows interest in the props by approaching and making contact a quick static shock is delivered which teaches the dog to avoid the props.  The dog is then taken back past the props where it is observed and certified if avoidance behaviour is shown. The training takes approximately 15 minutes.

Points to remember

• Dogs can and do kill kiwi and other ground dwelling birds, it is natural instinctual behaviour
• Any breed of dog has the potential to kill kiwi, even the family pet
• Dog owners can help reduce the threat to kiwi by taking responsibility for their dogs and ensuring they are trained and obedient
• Dogs must return for retraining and testing annually for certification to remain current
• Avian aversion training is a good tool and reduces the risk to kiwi but there is no substitute for spending quality time training your dog.

More information on how to save kiwi can be found on the BNZ Save the Kiwi website.  Go into the draw to win a trip for you and a mate and four dogs by getting your dog avoidance trained before the 31^st August 2012 (full terms and conditions on website) 

www.savethekiwi.org.nz/dogsandkiwi

To book your dog in for the training day or for more information call the Whanganui Area Office 06 349 2100 or email whanganuiao@doc.govt.nz

Whio Release

Students from Orautoha School had an experience of a lifetime recently and two of the students, Neihana Hall (11 yrs) and Quintin Rapana (12 yrs) played a special part in releasing four whio (blue duck) into the Manganui o te Ao River on Monday.

The whio were released near Ruatiti Domain (Raetihi) after spending most of there young life in the South Island where the eggs were hatched as part of a captive breeding programme at Orana Wildlife Park in Christchurch and then reared at Peacock Springs Wildlife Park, also in Christchurch.

They arrived in the North Island on the 23rd April and spent their first week in Palmerton North Esplanade under the watchful eye of Peter Russell the Esplanade Avery keeper. On Monday 30th April local kaumatua Hokio Ngataierua-Tinirau blessed the birds near Ruatiti Domain along with iwi representatives, Orautoha school kids, DOC staff, Esplanade staff and a few locals. The students and staff gently released the four whio into the crystal clear waters of the Manganui o te Ao, now there permanent home.

The Manganui o te Ao is one of eight critical recovery sites for whio in New Zealand. Conservation of these populations is imperative if the whio is to be saved from extinction. DOC, Iwi, Horizons Regional Council and Central North Island Blue Duck Charitable Trust and local landowners are key partners under a project called Kia Wharite. Local landowners have continued to support the programme with access to their land and protection of bush blocks and river margins, and local schools Orautoha & Kaitieke each manage stoat traps near the school and support whio habitat by increasing riparian planting along their streams and being actively involved in wetland restoration.

The whio is a unique threatened species of waterfowl endemic to New Zealand and has no close relative anywhere else in the world. Around 50 pairs of whio are protected from stoats and cats along the Manganui o te Ao and Retaruke Rivers as part of Kia Wharite.

Photo From left; Belinda Phillips, Ellen Beattie, Quintin Rapana, Neihana Hall

Restoring the balance

Many of us take for granted the unique landscape and wildlife that characterises New Zealand. But organsations like DOC and Horizons Regional Council know first hand the challenges involved in maintaining the balance needed for our unique flora and fauna to flourish.

DOC, together with Horizons Regional Council, Whanganui iwi and private landowners, has been working in the remote forests around Whanganui National Park to manage biodiversity on a scale not previously attempted in New Zealand.

The Kia Wharite project, as it’s known to DOC and Horizons, spans over 180,000 hectares and includes a mixture of private land and parts of the Whanganui National Park, the second largest lowland forest in the North Island. This remote area is home to the largest population of North Island brown kiwi and plays host to a number of native bird and plant species.

The introduction of possums, goats and other predators has threatened the health of the forest and put the long-term future of its inhabitants in jeopardy. Recognising the importance of this area, Kia Wharite was established in 2008 to improve land, water and biodiversity health, and enhance community and economic well-being. The largest project of its kind in New Zealand in terms of scale and scope, it has already achieved national species protection targets.

“DOC, Horizons and AHB are undertaking extensive possum control operations, with over 150,000 hectares now being managed for possums. As a result the canopy is improving which is good news for the birds and plants we want to encourage,” says Craig Mitchell, Horizons’ group manager environmental management .

“There’s also been a lot of stoat and cat control carried out and we now have approximately 50 pairs of whio [native blue duck] within protected areas of the Manganui o te Ao and Retaruke Rivers.”

Department of Conservation area manager Dr Nic Peet says that although it’s early days the signs are looking promising for the kiwi population as well.

“We have just completed baseline monitoring of the kiwi population which will allow us to monitor changes in the population over the next three years but the number of reports of kiwi calling we are receiving from people in the area is very encouraging,” says Dr Peet.

Dr Peet said that kiwi aversion training has also been completed with over 200 dogs in the area to reduce kiwi kills by dogs and such training will become a requirement for any hunters using dogs in the area.

It’s not just the environment that’s benefiting from the project though. Horizons and DOC believe there are positive economic returns to be had from the project as well.

Horizons, DOC, the Ministry of Economic Development, Te Puni Kokiri and the Hinengakau Development Trust have supported the establishment of a training and business development unit, Te Amo Taiao which has seen 10 trainees develop their skills in pest control and biodiversity management.

Through the Kia Wharite project Te Amo Taiao has been able to establish itself as a stand alone business unit with 10 staff, allowing the employment of local people to carry out fieldwork alongside DOC and Horizons staff.

Mr Mitchell said that the improvements in the areas are also proving to be a draw card for visitors to the area through the Mountains to Sea Cycle Trail and Te Araroa Walkway.

“Healthy native forest and the chance to see blue duck or listen to kiwi are attracting tourists to the area which in turn helps provide economic return to the wider area.”

Chair of Horizons Environment Committee Jill White said she is pleased with the progress made to date. Cr White will be part of a delegation visiting the area later this month.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the achievements of Kia Wharite and what can be accomplished when organisations join forces and work collaboratively,” said Cr White.

Noisy birds in Kia Wharite project area

Contractors working in the Kia Wharite project area have been coming back with reports of increased bird numbers in recent years.

Independent contractor Jason Hart, manager of Back Country Contractors spends a lot of time in Whanganui National Park and surrounding reserves. Jason and his team have recently completed over 2000 hrs of goat hunting work in the northern part of the project area so have a good idea of the goings on in the back country.

Camping in pairs with tents they are flown into some of the most remote and rugged back country areas in NZ where they set up camp and base themselves for 10-12 days at a time.

“The work conditions can be extreme but the upside is you get to go into some very remote places and enjoy the great outdoors” says Jason.

Jason and his team have noticed an increase in birdlife throughout the Kia Wharite area. “We work all over New Zealand and feel that the bird life in here is better than or as good as anywhere else in New Zealand, it has really picked up in the time we have been completing our contract work and is similar to that of places like Pureora Forest Park which has been under pest control for many years showing the positive benefits of sustained pest management”

Other contractors are finding a different environment than that which they started working in many years ago. “The campsites are alive with kiwi screeching all night long, they’re keeping us up and that has never happened before” says Woody Reed, goat hunter.

This is great news for the future of Kia Wharite and these are just some of the positive results that the project is delivering.

Successful open day raising awareness for native whio

Raising awareness for New Zealand’s bluest duck is not the hardest thing to do. Throw together a whole lot of people and organisations who are passionate about whio and open the doors to the public. The result? Anyone who’s interested can learn all there is to know about saving the whio.

Whio Open day was held at the Tongariro National Trout Centre in Turangi on March 19th, where over 500 people attended. Major sponsors of the day, Genesis Energy, were there in full force with Department of Conservation staff, Forest & Bird supporters and Central North Island Blue Duck Trustees working in the community to raise awareness and funds that would help whio recovery in the region. An auction was held using donated prizes raising over $2000. Dan Steele from Blue Duck Lodges in Whakahoro was the auctioneer using his talents to get top dollar for the donated goods which included a beautiful whio painting by artist Ellie Watson and accommodation packages put together by Forest & Bird and Blue Duck Lodges.

A bouncy castle and face painting kept the kids amused and displays and talks took place over the course of the day, informing everyone on the whio projects taking place in the region. A highlight was DOC’s Andy Glaser with his whio dog ‘Neo’ and Alison Beath with her radio tracking display and whio obstacle course.

March has been “Whio Awareness Month” for two years now and the major sponsors and supporters are hoping many more people will get involved next year. Richard Gordon, Genesis Energy’s Public Affairs Manager, attended the Whio Open Day and noted how successful it was. “It is fantastic to work alongside the Department of Conservation, Forest and Bird, the Central North Island Blue Duck Trust and other community groups to raise the awareness of whio. We are impressed at the work being done in the central North Island to help this important and endangered New Zealand species,” he said. Kia Wharite was also a focus for DOC & Horizons staff who enjoyed sharing information with the public and spending a day with their colleagues’ who came from as far and wide as Whanganui to Whakatane, to spend a day supporting the whio.

March the month to tell New Zealand about the Star of the $10 bill

While the importance of protecting kiwi from extinction is well known throughout New Zealand, the fate of another iconic bird hangs in the balance.

Numbers of Whio, or native blue duck are dangerously low. With less than 3000 of the species left, the Department of Conservation, New Zealand Forest and Bird, Genesis Energy and the Central North Island Blue Duck Charitable Trust have joined forces to raise awareness of the native whio.

The highly endangered whio is not only unique to New Zealand but also unique among the waterfowl. It is unrelated to any duck elsewhere in the world and many of its habits are peculiar to the species. The whio is also an important indicator of the health of our fresh waterways.

March is Whio Awareness Month, please join Genesis Energy, DOC, Central North Island Blue Duck Charitable Trust and Forest & Bird and help us to raise awareness of the whio. See the Genesis Energy website for more details www.genesisenergy.co.nz/whio or email claire.rennie@genesisenergy.co.nz

If we help out now, the ten dollar note won’t be the only place we’ll be seeing whio in the future.

Meeting project objectives

Kia Wharite is an integrated approach to managing 180,000 hectares of the Whanganui River catchment. The project has a number of outcomes that focus on improving the status of several threatened species, improving habitat condition and in the longer term water quality in sections of the Whanganui catchment. Essentially the project is about integrated management of a large section of the catchment. The key to the success of the project is

• integrating the work of the Department of Conservation and Horizons Regional Council to most efficiently and effectively tackle the threats to species, habitats and water quality


• the two agencies are working in partnership with iwi and landowners to maximise the effectiveness of programme delivery

In a practical sense this means a commitment to shared outcomes by DOC and Horizons and a consequent sharing of technical knowledge, skills and resources. Importantly this is being done across both public and private land as the threats to the catchment and its ecosystems are across land tenures. This means DOC, regional council and landowners operating as 'good neighbours', for example, through combined efforts in controlling possums, goats and fencing waterways.

Critical to the natural values of the catchment are

• managing areas of forest to reduce forest degradation and erosion through pest control and fencing and


• combining that with whole farm plans (delivered through regional council) which also look to reduce erosion, manage nutrient inputs and protect forest habitats.

Similarly threatened species programmes rely on managing pests across land tenures.

For example, in forested habitats DOC and Horizons are working on a combined approach that means goats are controlled by DOC on public land and on neighbouring areas of private land through Horizons. This has seen the area of the catchment under goat control increase substantially. This benefits both forest condition and reduces erosion. It also provides value to farmers where they have significant problems with large feral goat populations on their land.

The project has also sought to provide local training and skill development so that local people are contracted to carry out much of the practical work. There are economic gains through tourism based around wildlife, scenery, fishing and on farm experiences.In addition, the project is contributing to the maintenance of the ecosystem services provided by the catchment.

Some key numbers from last years project report:

1. Area of forest under possum management - 103,538 ha


2. Area of forest under aerial rat and stoat control - 60,000 ha


3. Area of river under stoat control for whio - 55 kilometres (additional to 2. above)


4. Area under goat control - 24,580 ha (increasing to over 30,000 hectares in 10/11


5. Protection of bush on private land area retired - 334.5 ha with 18.1 km of fencing


6. Area of wetlands protected 11.5 ha with 5.9 kms of fencing


7. Riparian fencing to protect waterways - 17 km


8. Number of pairs of whio under active protection - 55 pairs


9. Number of pairs of kiwi under protection - 1,500 pairs

Local schools support pest control initiatives

Two rural schools are big supporters of Kia Wharite and are actively involved in pest management.

Kaitieke School in the Kaitieke Valley has a current role of 10, the students have their own trap line in a little bush reserve that backs onto the school.

Orautoha School is a rural school of 14 based in the Ruatiti Valley near the Orautoha stream, a tributary of the Manganui o te Ao River. The Orautoha School students also run their own trap line consisting of ten ‘DOC 200’s’ that they check monthly.

Each school is keen to be actively involved in pest control that will enable whio, kiwi and many other native species in the area a better chance of making it to adulthood to breed and increase in numbers.

Both schools are big supporters of Kia Wharite and help to keep their communities informed and up to date on the projects progress through newsletters and involvement in project events. Recently the schools were given some whiteboards for the front of the school highlighting their support to the project so that they could keep a running tally of the pests that they catch and keep their information in a place where parents and friends of the community can see it.

“The boards are a great way for the kids to publicise their efforts in pest control but also to keep the school community informed on what is happening at school” say’s Kaitieke School Principal Debbie Couper.

Top photo; Kaitieke School kids in front of their newly erected boards - Photo Peter Lock

Orautoha school kids checking their traps with Ranger Rufus Bristol - Photo Connie Norgate

Never count your ducklings until you have photo evidence

A brood of 11 whio ducklings had been spotted on a tributary of the Retaruke river this weekend, local landowners have been watching the brood and had a little trouble counting them as they darted in and out of the bubbling stream.

At first glance it was thought that there were only 7 ducklings, but further investigations revealed at least 11 with a clearer photo taken later showing a whopping brood of 12.

This is the time of year that broods are hatching and being introduced to the great outdoors. Born to surf the rapids these ducklings will likely spend the next 8 to 10 weeks in training with their very protective parents gaining survival skills that will see them successfully fledge some time in January.

‘The average number of ducklings in a brood is anything between four and nine. To get a brood of 11 or more is just fantastic” say’s Jim Campbell, DOC Biodiversity Programme Manager
“The test will be seeing how many actually fledge”

The ducklings will go through a gauntlet of dangerous and life threatening events over the next 70 days. Stoats, ferrets, weasels, cats & dogs will be looking to pluck off the weary, floods and freshes will claim a few, and limited food sources and general habitat issues will make reaching the goal of adulthood a difficult task.

Landowners in the area help to protect the whio populations from pests through trapping regimes supported by Kia Wharite. This will hopefully increase the survival rate of the ducklings and in turn the overall whio population.


Photos courtesy of Louisa Frayne

Four whio ducklings hatch at Pukaha Mount Bruce

Four whio eggs were lifted from a nest recently on the Manganui o te Ao River as part of operation nest egg. The four ducklings will become part of the captive breeding programme to ensure the long-term survival of the species.

After roughly three weeks indoors in a brooder the ducklings will be slowly introduced to an outdoor area with rocks and flowing water similar to the rapids and white water they would normally encounter out in the wild so that they can develop their natural abilities.

Captive Management Ranger at Pukaha Mount Bruce, Raelene Berry say’s “We don’t yet know if they are male or female but are hoping for some females to pair up over the next year or so”

Found only in New Zealand, whio are classified as ‘Nationally Endangered’ because of their unique features. Unlike many other bird species whio cannot be transferred to off shore islands to ensure their viability as they require pristine fast flowing riverine habitat which is generally not found in those environments.

The ongoing survival of whio depends on the work taking place through projects like Kia Wharite for which whio are a focal species.

Welcome!

Welcome to our new blog for the Kia Wharite Project. Follow our progress here!