Mt Manaia watched over as three more kiwi were released on Saturday

Philip King  welcomed everyone and thanked Melissa and Mick Leahy who hosted the release on their farm at McLeod Bay and over 300 people made a short walk up the hill to sit under a huge pohutukawa.

Todd’s Talk

Todd is an inspired speaker and people listened enraptured to his brief history of kiwi, their physiology and behaviour. Todd explained how we monitor the expanding population here, why they are surviving and what you can do to help the population continue to thrive.

The biggest threat to kiwi chicks are stoats and for adult kiwi – uncontrolled dogs. For those of us lucky enough to live alongside hundreds of wild kiwi it is vital that we manage our pet dogs. As Kiwi numbers swell more of us are seeing kiwi crossing the roads – so keep an eye out when driving at night.

After the ‘Todd Talk’ our 3 kiwi handlers Rolf Fuchs, Bernie Buhler and Todd Hamilton walked amongst the crowd and every one got to see kiwi up close.

Supporting the project WHLF

Maintaining a safe habitat with sufficient the food supply for kiwi (and other native species) is the focus for many of the Whangarei Heads Landcare projects.

People from near and far are actively involved in pest and weed control and monitoring. A dedicated core group of locals regularly check traps and bait lines and for special events people come from out of the area to participate too. Martin Hunt updated us on some of the other local Landcare activites – Manaia  and Reotahi (Mt Aubrey) pest control and Papakarahi –reforestation  and encouraged anyone interested in getting involved to contact  martinhunt@farmside.co.nz.

We were delighted to have Lynda Lloyd Whangarei Top 10 one of our Backyard Kiwi Proud Supporters attend the kiwi release. Our Proud Supporters enthusiasm, interest and financial support is important to Backyard Kiwi, if you would like to become a proud supporter please get in touch with Martin Hunt.

Thanks to:

• Kiwi Coast A fantastic resource and heaps of energy –very exciting to see the trapping network extending up the east coast especially as our kiwi are marching north and west out of the Whangarei Heads peninsula.
• Northland Regional Council  Provides ongoing support and encouragement.
• Kiwis for Kiwi  For supporting these kiwi releases.

WHLF Backyard Kiwi invite you to attend a kiwi release. Learn about kiwi at Whangarei Heads, see a wild kiwi up close and take part in the release of kiwi into the area.

4.30pm, Saturday February 13

At McLeod Bay

Gateway between 1939 and 1945 Whangarei Heads Road,

Please park on the road.

Short walk to the release site optional

(wear shoes for walking)

Backyard Kiwi Hats ($25) and Bumper Stickers ($5) will be available for purchase

For more information, call Todd on 021 1145 385 or info@backyardkiwi.org.

Special thanks to Kiwi Coast and Kiwis for Kiwi 

If it takes a village to raise a child what does it take to raise a kiwi?

An interested community – action on the ground – from pest control, monitoring, maintaining infrastructure, planning, publicizing and admin, to the plethora of red tape and bureaucracy necessary to allow safe and successful work on private and public land.
Local effort is the backbone of this project and many locals are active on the ground. Working together is rewarding and inspiring especially with such positive results

Action on the ground relies on a wide range of support;

Backyard Kiwi ‘Proud Supporters’ annual contributions help with traps, monitoring, kiwi releases, and community connection. Interest and enthusiasm from our Proud Supporters  give a boost to project and we welcome anyone interested in getting involved.

A number of regional and national agencies  assist Backyard Kiwi, sharing expertise and information giving consistent backing to all the local effort.

Backyard kiwi wish to wholeheartedly thank everyone involved for your ongoing support and we look forward to sharing more  experiences and stories with you over the coming year

2015 has been another great year for the kiwi of Whangarei Heads.  The population is growing and was estimated at close to 700 adults back in May and is being added to as you read this by kiwi dads on their second round of nesting for the spring/summer. Dallas hatched another chick this week by the road below Whangarei Heads School and plenty of others will be hatching in the next few weeks – no xmas holiday for the kiwi!  It has also been a great year for involvement of the human kiwi at the Heads. Thanks to all the trappers, weeders, application fillers, organisers, bait station checkers, track maintainers, supporters, kiwi listeners, responsible pet owners and careful night drivers. Above all thank you to you all for being champions for your kiwi!

Have a great summer and please politely remind any visitors to control their dogs!!

cheers

Todd Hamilton
Backyard Kiwi Project Manager
Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum

Free Range Kiwi , friend and ally of the Backyard Kiwi

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Backyard Kiwi Release – a memorable experience

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Come and see a kiwi in your backyard!

WHLF Backyard Kiwi invite you to attend a kiwi release. Learn about kiwi at Whangarei Heads, see a wild kiwi up close and take part in the release of kiwi into the area.

5.45pm, Wednesday November 11
At the Hunts’ property Taurikura.
102 Robinson Road (off Ody Road). It will be signposted from Taurikura Bay.
Short walk to the release site optional (wear shoes for walking)
For more information, call Todd on 021 1145 385 or info@backyardkiwi.org.nz

Support Backyard kiwi: On sale at the release
Backyard Kiwi bumper stickers ($5) and new Free Range Kiwi teatowel ($15) order direct online

“Staff working in biosecurity have the opportunity to look across the region at many different groups involved in protecting kiwi and in our view; none have been more successful than Whāngārei Heads.  Kiwi numbers are steadily growing at the Heads, which is hugely significant and something which bucks the alarming nationwide trend of declining kiwi populations.

A majority of people voted for the targeted rate at the Heads and the rate can only be used in that particular area for a specific  purpose.  We are not aware of any other community based rate like this in NZ aimed at protecting kiwi – this in itself is an amazing positive declaration of community achievement.

We will be guided by community advise and provide ongoing support where we are able- we also have to administer the rate and as a consequence we the NRC) are accountable and subject to audit, however the process also means greater and closer community decision making, something we believe is another positive outcome.

Community effort is very visible at the heads , and staff interact with very active weed and pest control groups – we also recognise that many people are involved behind the scenes helping to plan and organise events.  It seems to us that the programme is improving things beyond biodiversity, as we have witnessed the growth of community connections and the growing interest from people wanting to give their own time and energy and share their experiences.

I think this community led project has taken the Northland Regional Council on a steep learning curve and I know our staff who have been involved in it feel very much part of a wider team and we are proud to be working to support the initiatives taken to improve biodiversity and community interactions.”

Don Mckenzie

Biosecurity Manager

Northland Regional Council

“Ongoing efforts of the local community is a massive undertaking and underpins the success of the expanding kiwi population on and beyond the Whangarei Heads peninsula, the Pest Control Rate will assist efforts to sustain this amazing achievement” says Backyard Kiwi spokesperson Catherine McNamara

Continued pressure on kiwi predators and increased weed control is advanced through the recently approved Pest Control Rate.

Directed by a community based liaison committee, Northland Regional Council will manage the fund and ensure that it is directed into kiwi predator control and initiating work toward eradicating selected weeds at Parua Bay Whangarei Heads

“ This is such a worthwhile project and we welcome the opportunity to provide support” Northland Regional Council Chairman, Bill Shepherd,

Backyard Kiwi asked Don Mckenzie Biosecurity Manager Northland Regional Council to comment

“Community effort is very visible at the Whangarei Heads , and staff interact with very active weed and pest control groups – we also recognise that many people are involved behind the scenes helping to plan and organise events.  It seems to us that the programme is improving things beyond biodiversity, as we have witnessed the growth of community connections and the growing interest from people wanting to give their own time and energy and share their experiences.  read full interview