BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust

Trade Me members to help BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT

From today, Trade Me sellers can choose to “round up” their success fee to the nearest dollar and donate the difference to the Trust. Participating Trade Me listings will display the Trust’s logo.

BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust executive director, Michelle Impey says the Trade Me partnership is an outstanding opportunity to extend the Trust’s reach and offer people a really easy way to contribute to the efforts to save kiwi. “Our national icon needs our help. Funding is critical to ensure work such as predator control and BNZ Operation Nest Egg can continue.”

Ms Impey said a key goal was to increase the critically endangered rowi kiwi population on the South Island’s West Coast from just 357 kiwi to 600. “We are confident of reaching this milestone with the help of donations from the Trade Me community.”

Trade Me spokesman Paul Ford said providing a way for Trade Me members to support the Trust was a good fit. “The great work that the Trust does with kiwi is exactly the sort of thing our members would expect Trade Me to be aligned with. The Trust is a quintessential New Zealand organisation and we’re stoked to be working alongside Michelle and the team.”

Contacts

Penny Hartill for BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust, 09 445 7525, 021721424, phartill@xtra.co.nz
Trade Me, Ph 04 803 2611 or paul@trademe.co.nz

Northland Trappers Workshop

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:34:17 GMT

Where: St Johns Ambulance Station Training Room, Kerikeri

When: 3 May 2012

Who should attend: Trappers and kiwi project managers

For more info contact: Clea Gardiner

Email: cleaandglen@xnet.co.nz

Mobile: 027 4837 050

Design the Cover of Our Annual Report

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 02:47:13 GMT

Every year we prepare an annual review to say what we're about, what we aimed to do, and what we actually did. This year we ran a competition for school students, aged between 12 and 18, to design the review's cover.

Congratulations to Ashley Maher of Mahurangi College! Her design was chosen to grave the front cover.

Her school enjoyed a highly entertaining visit from the Bugman, plus she has received a basket full of kiwi goodies, including kiwi chocolates, books, a drink bottle and a gift certificate so she can shop online at Kiwi Shop.

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Junior Technician for the Centre for Wildlife Management and Conservation

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:20:58 GMT

The role will be supervised by the senior technician (CWMC) and involve:
• Animal husbandry at our captive animal research facility
• Assisting with logistics of field trials
• Participation in a number projects with researchers
• Maintaining equipment for field and laboratory use

The skills required:
• Knowledge of animal husbandry and animal handling techniques is desired
• An appreciation of animal ethics and humaneness
• Some experience with traps, poisons, radio-collars, field work, biodiversity monitoring
• Practical ability to help extend and maintain our captive animal research facility
• High level of physical fitness, and acumen for field work

The applicant should have:
• Degree in wildlife management, ecology or equivalent work experience in wildlife management
• A full NZ drivers license
• Experience driving off-road vehicles and quad bikes would be an advantage

The position will be full time and based at Lincoln University. Some travel around NZ is necessary.

Applications Marked 'Confidential' or enquiries to:

o Email CharlesEason@lincoln.ac.nz">CharlesEason@lincoln.ac.nz
o Phone 021 224 0028

Closing date for applications is 30th Nov 2011.

Far North kiwi massacred by dogs.

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:01:12 GMT

Three adult kiwi were found dead this week near the top of the Maungataniwha Track near Kaitaia; the result of probably a single attack by dogs. An adult male and female were found several metres apart on the side of the track after having been bitten and killed by dogs. Another male kiwi was found one kilometre away, also on the side of the track, having suffered a similar fate. This bird had been actively hunted.

BNZ Save the Kiwi National Mentor for Kiwi Advocacy, Wendy Sporle, says the fact that the birds were so close together suggests they were killed in one night.

“The loss of adult birds is especially devastating as these birds had survived the threat of stoats when they were younger and were old enough to be breeding,” says Wendy. “BNZ Save the Kiwi and the Department of Conservation has been putting a lot of work into a dog campaign to alert people to the fact that any dog can become a kiwi killer if not properly supervised and trained. The slaughtering of three healthy kiwi by uncontrolled dogs is a huge set back.”

Wendy goes on to express how hugely disappointing it is that despite several years of media campaigns and messages regarding dogs being the number one killer of adult kiwi in Northland, some irresponsible dog owners were still allowing kiwi killings to continue through their lack of control over their pets.

“They are also spoiling the reputations of good dog owners because when we, as a community,

Senior Technician for the Centre for Wildlife Management and Conservation

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:14:33 GMT

The role will involve:

• Managing our captive animal research facility

• Managing the planning and logistics of field trials

• Co-coordinating a number of projects and resources with researchers

• Providing input and guidance on the development of new pest control and animal monitoring tools

• Liaising industry collaborators, landowners and our key stakeholders

• Managing contractors who live-traps animals for the laboratory and assist with field trials

• Maintaining equipment for field and laboratory use

The skills required:

• Knowledge of pest control in New Zealand, animal husbandry, animal handling techniques and biodiversity monitoring

• An understanding of animal ethics and humaneness

• The ability to use traps, poisons, radio-collars and to plan and conduct animal monitoring and control studies

• Practical skills to undertake construction to extend and maintain our captive animal research facility

• The ability to undertake field work with a relatively high level of physical fitness

• Practical field experience in vertebrate pest control and animal monitoring

• The ability to assist researchers with work plan development

The applicant should have:
• Graduate or technical qualifications in ecology, zoology or practical experience in wildlife management or the vertebrate pest control industry

• A full NZ drivers license

• Experience driving off-road vehicles and quad bikes would be an advantage

• Good practical skills and initiative

The position will be full time and based at Lincoln University. Some travel around NZ is necessary.

Applications Marked 'Confidential' or enquiries to:

o Email Charles Eason
o Phone 021 224 0028

Closing date for applications is 30th Nov 2011.

Death of a Rainbow

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:44:40 GMT

Rainbow was first found as an adult bird in 1996, and was recently found dead not far from his usual territory, near Purua. He appears to have died from natural causes, probably old age. He was part of the Whangarei Kiwi Sanctuary monitored kiwi population for the intervening 16 years.

Rainbow contributed many eggs to BNZ Operation Nest Egg and many chicks to the wild Whangarei Kiwi Sanctuary population. He was known to have had at least 30 nests since 1996, and many of these produced two chicks.

“It is always sad to lose such a productive member of the population, but heartening that he survived for so long, and that he was not killed by a dog. It is a positive sign that people in the Purua area where he lived are controlling their dogs and protecting kiwi” says DOC kiwi ranger Miriam Ritchie.

“Most kiwi have a few burrows within their territories that they use. Rainbow was different in that he had just one burrow that he used when he wasn’t on a nest. We referred to it as his fortress – it was under a huge totara tree and it was impossible to see or reach him when he was in it” says Ms Ritchie.

Rainbow had a brush with fame; he featured in ‘The Zoo’ television series, and produced the 150th kiwi chick for Auckland Zoo.

He got his name from the reflective tape on his leg

Win Your Airfares Back

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 02:18:05 GMT

Competition

Win Your Airfares Back

Closes: April 2011

NZ Holiday Card, supporting sponsor of BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust, is offering you the chance to win back your airfares to New Zealand!

All you have to do to enter is upload photos of yourself somewhere in New Zealand holding your NZ Holidaycard, you can upload up to 5 photos below. The best photo will win. Easy!!

See details on their website at www.nzholidaycard.co.nz/user/snap

Tiny new arrival at Rainbow Springs

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:41:00 GMT

Kiwi Encounter Kiwi Husbandry Manager Claire Travers says, "Chicks usually average at least 340g so this one is quite small. The chick needed help to break out of its shell, which is quite an exhausting and long task, but apart from that it's fit and healthy."

Claire adds that the chick's weight has dropped to only 187g since it hatched, but this isn't of concern.

"It's quite normal for the weight of newborn chicks to decrease, this is due to the chick getting its nourishment from the yolk which it internalises in the egg during development. The chick has just begun eating on its own and will soon start piling on weight.

"The chick is doing really well and is a favourite with everyone."

And it was a real family affair incubating the egg. It's dad Tika's first egg and after mum Ahi laid it, he refused to sit on it so granddad incubated the egg until it hatched.

The new chick is part of the captive breeding programme at Rainbow Springs and will remain at the park for public viewing.

Kiwi Encounter would like to acknowledge, as always, the ongoing support of BNZ Save the Kiwi trust. All Kiwi Chicks big and small need a “ kick start” in life and thanks to the BNZ and Kiwi Encounter chicks are able to get that.

Rainbow Springs, Fairy Springs Road, Rotorua.

For further information or to arrange an interview contact:

Student kiwi project puts more great-spots into the Nina valley

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:57:43 GMT

Tim Kelly, the Hurunui College teacher responsible for the project, says about 40 students have been carrying out extensive predator control work in the area for the last four years.

“Initially we were preparing the valley for the introduction of kiwi in 2010,” says Kelly.

“Since then we’ve had birds to protect, so our work has become even more rewarding and urgent. Our focus has been to get rid of the main kiwi killers – stoats.”

“The stoat control also has a positive impact on the valley’s other vulnerable species such as blue duck/whio, kākā and kea.”

Hurunui College started the project in the Nina valley after DOC biodiversity ranger, Malcolm Wylie, visited the school. The students and community then set up the Nina Valley Restoration Group involving students, parents and teachers from Hurunui College.

Support from BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust and Kids Restore New Zealand, a programme under the Air New Zealand Environment Trust, as well as generous local businesses, has been crucial for the project.

Kids Restore New Zealand spokesperson, Ruud Kleinpaste, says the Nina valley restoration project shows exactly what young New Zealanders can do to help restore our biodiversity.

“They've got the tools, the know-how and a fabulous commitment to improve their environment," he says.

Executive Director of the BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust, Michelle Impey, is impressed by how much the students have achieved.

“These students have achieved an extraordinary amount. If other schools did a fraction of Hurunui College’s pest control work, what a different environment we would have for the protection