On the Thames Coast, around 20 years ago, vigilant locals knew that the local kiwi population was on the verge of collapse. Thames Coast Kiwi Care was formed in 2006 with the mission: “To protect and enhance kiwi populations on the Thames Coast”.
We wanted to ‘hear kiwi calling from backyards again’. This dream has become reality as Te Mātā and Tapu locals are reporting a significant increase in kiwi foot prints, calls and also sightings over the past few years.
We now have around 350 kiwi in our recovery area!
This is an incredible achievement by our community, with essentially ten times the 2006 kiwi population now present locally.
We’re thrilled to share a short trail camera compilation from the burrow of sires Taringamā and his family. It captures adorable moments from their lives but also worrying has some unwanted cameo appearances from you know who.
This hexmap represents real-time trapping data from our project area. The more red the colour, the higher the number of catches or density of traps.
You can mouse-over the hexagons for breakdowns on species catches. You can also use the top left red menu buttons to display subsets of data: by project, species or trap.
Massive thanks to the smart people at Groundtruth and Trap.NZ for this amazing resource!
Our scope has expanded from solely protecting kiwi to a “whole of habitat” approach. Our updated mission is:
To work with our community to restore the habitat so kiwi and other native species thrive.
Thanks to substantial funding provided by the Waikato Regional Council’s Natural Heritage Fund we have also been targeting rats and possums in the project area since 2023. These self-setting AT220 traps work continuously each night, extending the existing DOC200 trap lines that focus primarily on mustelid control and providing a buffer zone to public conservation land. Trap lines are checked and maintained each month by our Rat and Possum Project Leader, and also our dedicated team of volunteer trappers that undertake their fortnightly DOC200 checks.
The trap design and the servicing of the AT220 traps is leading to great successes. In early 2025 we have approximately 200 traps working and almost 4000 possums have been removed protecting our native flora and fauna. In the next year we plan to set another 90 self-setting traps
Running alongside the active pest trapping are bird surveys, to help gain an understanding of the existing biodiversity of NZ birds in our project area. We hope to collect data on how the control of rats and possums can help bring about an increase in both bird numbers and also the range of bird species recorded in the project area.
In early 2025 we installed three listening devices that all confirmed the presence of our precious pekapeka tou roa, native long tailed bats. They have the highest threat ranking of Nationally Critical and effective predator control is essential to their survival as well.
This is a new focus for us to raise awareness and add additional protection for New Zealand’s only native land mammal that is critically endangered.
Watch this space!
Want to know more about these fascinating creatures? Visit the great New Zealand Geographic for a brilliant article: ‘Bat Signals’ by Jonathan Carson. Photographed by Rob Suisted.
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Kiwi are on a journey, and we’re bringing you the latest on their return to the Hauraki-Coromandel.
Join our online webinar for an update from Motutapu Island and hear what’s next for kiwi recovery in the region.
Wednesday 30 April, 5:30–6:30 pm
Register here:
events.teams.microsoft.com/event/78198189-3a7c-4462-acdc-d76c2e57441b@e6aebef6-f87e-4c24-9593-a5f...
With the arrival of this stormy weather, Easter is the perfect time to target resident pests at your place. Rodent populations will have started to increase so act fast before rats move into houses and buildings for winter. They often seek shelter during bad weather. Now is a good time to pulse bait or service automatic self-setting traps for an autumn knock-down.
#predatorfreenz #communityconservation #backyardtrappers
Another date for your calendar! Sat 3rd May we will have a special boat trip and wild ginger weeding mission leaving from Ōamaru bay, Coromandel. Kahili ginger is an invasive weed that forms large clumps of tubers that smother out native plants. Help us knock it back and make a difference for native biodiversity! You must register for this one, so please email us info@meg.org.nz if you are keen. Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers 🙏 🙏
#invasiveweeds #weeding #conservationvolunteers
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Photos from Predator Free Hauraki Coromandel Community Trust's post
kiwicoast.org.nz/community/nine-kiwi-killed-in-six-weeks/?mc_cid=b0f90c5588&mc_eid=9018f04839
Bit of a sad story from Northland to share—but it's a reminder of how important it is to keep our dogs on leads in the bush, and to have them trained to avoid kiwi.
Thanks all for helping us celebrate our 20th yesterday! And thanks to everyone who has supported TCKC over the years!
Here’s to another 20 years of caring for the Ngāhere so the kiwi and all our indigenous species can thrive.
(Pics by Jonathan Elenor Lee )
Rain or shine, this Saturday we’re celebrating 20 years of Thames Coast Kiwi Care! 🎉
If the weather turns wet, we’ll still fire up the BBQ but move indoors for our picnic.
Enjoy live music from Anna Dunwoodie on the harp, followed by local group The Ukulettes. We’ll also have a fun quiz, games, spot prizes, and of course—birthday cake! 🎂
This is a BYO alcohol event, with soft drinks available for purchase. Plus, we’ll have raffles, so bring some cash!
📅 Saturday, 5th April
📍 Tapu Hall
🕞 3:30 PM – 7:00 PM
🔥 BBQ served from 5:00 PM
See you there! 🎶🍰🔥
