Follow the songs of Tui, Kākā and Korimako down the unpaved road from Coromandel Town to the endearing sanctuary that is Tuateawa. The warm embrace of native flora such as Harakeke, Nikau, and Rātā paint a moving picture of the wild and lively Aotearoa New Zealand that we yearn for.

Over the span of twenty years family, friends, and community members have proudly called the endemic locals back to their homeland - welcoming them with safety from introduced predators, and a glimpse back to the days when they were in charge.

Alan and Sue Saunders greet me at the driveway against a picturesque backdrop of the Hauraki Gulf - water glistening, waves crashing and kererū soaring. With open arms the people that breathe life into Habitat Tuateawa welcome me into their home, just as they have welcomed biodiversity through intergenerational conservation efforts. Here is their story.

Alan, Sue, and other dedicated members of the Habitat Tuateawa team sit down with me over a cup of tea and homemade baking, with countless stories of how their community has transformed their special place into a Biodiversity sanctuary to follow.

“His name is Bob” says Lorna. A Pīwakawaka that, without his tail, could pass for a feathered version of the golden snitch from Harry Potter. “He visits us every day”, perhaps seeking friendship but, more likely, eager for food. Is this what living in unison with our country’s endemic species looks like, I wonder.

Our conversation makes clear theirs isn’t an overnight success story, rather the result of countless volunteer hours, Bingo night fundraisers, trapline checks, and celebratory drinks.

“One of our organisation’s KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), was to have people complaining about the sound from too many birds”.

With a recent complaint of just the sorts it seems Habitat Tuateawa are well on their way to achieving their once-audacious goals.

It was a change in framing that invigorated the community to move beyond predator control and toward regeneration. We wanted “not just to kill, but to foster” Alan says with a metaphorical lightbulb enlightening the discussion once more.

During our conversation a conscious effort is required to not glance over every time a Tui or Kererū makes a fleeting visit to the local ‘singing post’. Alan contemplated cutting off the dead branch that partially obstructs their view of the Gulf, but decided against it when he realised it was the perfect spot for the birds to sing - after all maybe they wanted to enjoy the view too!

It’s not just the birds, impressive canopy, or views that are captivating here. The sense of community and connection that exists within the Habitat Tuateawa team has been foundational in allowing them to achieve their conservation goals.

Nicky has been on the journey since day one, and has helped their efforts evolve and take on a life of their own. She sits knitting woolen socks for the group’s members, an essential item when taking on the challenging terrain and unpredictable New Zealand weather.

“As more groups with conservation goals are established it is becoming clear that community-related goals may be as important to some people as ecological ones. It is a reminder that conservation is essentially a social endeavour.” Alan says.

With that in mind (and tea and homemade baking in our stomachs), we set off for a trapline just up the road to see the team’s work in action. Two of their most dedicated trappers, Libby McColl and Steve Garmey are our well-versed tour guides, and Alan Saunders is our personal encyclopedia.

On route to the trapline the team are eager to show us the community library appropriately located on the side of the road in an old buoy. Another example of conservation and community seamlessly interwoven.

Before immersing ourselves in the native bush, we are reminded of another issue plaguing one of our iconic endemic species, Kauri dieback. We stop at the track’s cleaning station to remove all soil from our footwear and spray disinfectant to ensure we aren’t spreading the microscopic soil-borne pathogen to the kauri trees Habitat Tuateawa are working to protect. The team takes additional precautions having a designated pair of trapline shoes - an example of the holistic thought that goes into their efforts.

It doesn’t take long to spot traps, bait-stations, and educational signs beautifully designed by Libby who works as a sign-designer and artist when she’s not on the traplines. She holds a tub of double-tap (Diphacinone + cholecalciferol) to refill the bait stations as recommended by the Department of Conservation. It breaks down quickly and lowers the risk of secondary poisoning. I ask the team about their feelings toward using bait as a few locals have spoken out against its use.

“No one likes using poison, but it’s absolutely necessary”.

The goal of Predator Free 2050 is that killing introduced predators through trapping or bait will no longer be necessary. In the meantime they say it’s an important tool, having seen first-hand the impacts of baiting during a targeted time of the year in lowering possum and rat numbers, and ensuring native flora and fauna have time and safety to thrive.

We stop at a stoat trap and watch Libby unscrew its wooden bones to place an egg and pre-feed ‘blood’ lure to attract the species responsible for up to 60% of kiwi chick deaths across the country. In true small-town New Zealand style, the Department of Conservation provides the eggs to a local farm for conservation groups to pick up free of charge - a simple and effective aid to their trapping efforts. Requiring the equivalent of 12.5 fantail chicks everyday to survive, stoats wreak havoc on our endemic species. The team kills an average of 8-10 stoats a year, a seemingly small number with almost immeasurable benefits to their local flora and fauna.

So how do the team measure their impact, I wonder. This is an important aspect of predator management with many funders requiring impact metrics, and the team finds motivation in knowing how their efforts are making a tangible difference. Every 25 meters we see a monitoring tunnel where footprints of rats and stoats are recorded to give the team a record of population numbers. This is particularly useful around bird breeding seasons, and before and after their control operations.

Observations are also important as the team spend much of their time immersed in the places and alongside the species they are working to protect. Steve and Alan spot a plant they can’t identify - a rare phenomena that must be addressed. Snipping off a small branch, the team put it away for safekeeping until a trusty identification book off Alan’s shelf can come to their aid.

We started our walk in a young, regenerating forest that is beautiful but immature. Now we end in the encapsulating canopy of a mature, 1,000+ year old ecosystem. Our walk has been one into the past to inspire the future, a fitting metaphor for the journey this community conservation group has been on for the past twenty years. As the sunlight is absorbed by towering mataī, kohekohe, and columnar kauri, it feels like we have finally entered into the safety net of Tāne - God of the Forest.

So what’s next for the Habitat Tuateawa team? The sample species collected on our walk remains unidentified so no doubt Alan will continue searching for answers. Sue Saunders dreams of a night sky reserve to protect invertebrate friends too often forgotten, with Puriri moths making a regular appearance at their evening BBQ’s, and Ruru soon to follow. The traplines will continue to be maintained by dedicated volunteers such as Steve and Libby, and the Tuateawa community will be further strengthened by conservation efforts. The twenty year journey doesn’t end here, and neither does the plight for our endemic species.

Article by: Siobhan O’Connor

When looking at the exciting and diverse predator free action happening across the Hauraki Coromandel we are reminded that farming and conservation are not mutually exclusive.

Across our region, a vast number of farmers and landowners are protecting their backyards (which are a little bigger than most!) and the taonga species that live there. We chatted with Kapowai Kiwi Group (KKG), a community conservation group located just outside of Coroglen who have been doing just that.

This humble group has been going about their work without a fuss since 2002. Landowners, farmers, and community members continue to come together and roll up their sleeves to secure sanctuary for their nocturnal neighbours, the Coromandel Brown Kiwi. Here is their story.

We make our way to the home of Kapowai Kiwi Group’s Secretary, David Innes, maneuvering around the herd of cattle being escorted by a trusty four-wheeler via the main road to their next paddock. Surrounded by farmland the rural air is filled with a fusion of familiar moo’s, paradise duck calls, and the rush of the nearby Kapowai and Waiwawa rivers. There’s no time to stop and take it in because, in true rural New Zealand style, there are places to go and things to do.

David is a Coroglen local who, as a surgeon and Territorial New Zealand Army officer, travelled the world before settling in 2006 on a Coroglen lifestyle block with wife Anne. Situated amidst farmlands, the property is cradled by native trees and the call of Tui is in the air. They greet us with a cup of tea, fruit, and some biscuits for the road. After a glance over some maps, we jump into the four-wheel drives and set off to learn about their community conservation journey.

On the road David tells us about the group’s founders,

"You talk “about this ‘great project’ but we’re just building on the foundations these people have left”.

It all started when the group’s founders Murray Sim, Heather McPhee, Tony Harrison, and Jenny Polakov heard the calls of our national treasure in their backyard and knew it was their responsibility to protect them, simple as that. With rampant rat, possum and stoat numbers the calls would have fallen silent if it weren’t for the group’s consistent efforts. As work continues eighteen years later the Kiwi calls have been preserved, and are perhaps more frequent than ever.

Six active KKG members are currently protecting 3,000 hectares across the Coroglen Forest, farmland, and private bush blocks. Totara, Rimu, Celery Pine, and Mahoe line the tracks which guide us to baited traps. Farm owner and group Treasurer Anthony Hamilton joins us and is eagerly involved in checking traps for catches, and replacing egg lures and baits. With his sharp no.8 wire attitude, Anthony seems like the kind of person you’d seek out if you needed a problem promptly fixed.

KKG’s dedicated contract trapper Dave Howarth also joins us, and leads the charge with efficacy. He spends 28 hours a month scouring the traplines for catches, removing predators, and resetting traps with fresh lures. The Planner and Draughtsman was employed three years ago to ensure trapping is consistent and well-managed. Now he can escape the office, connect to the outdoors, and make a difference. The group’s Chairperson Justin Murphy and Committee member Benson Lockhart also balance their time between the group and full-time jobs, with Search and Rescue and Waikato Regional Council respectively.

Dave Howarth and the team catch around 60 stoats and 250 rats annually. Stoats have been labelled ‘public enemy number one’ for New Zealand birds by Te Papa Atawhai Department of Conservation, and with good reason. Originally introduced into New Zealand in the 1800s to control rabbit numbers, they remained a protected species until 1936. Time and perspectives changed with the recognition of their threat to many of our taonga species - including the Kiwi chicks KKG are working to protect. Such introduced predators create an array of problems the collective Predator Free 2050movement is working to overcome.

An uplifting element of KKG is their inclusion and fostering of future generations within this movement. Rebecca Ebbers is the group’s Fundraiser and enjoys including her four young children in the conservation effort. It’s their future the team is working for, so its only right the youngest walker, Issac, Ebbers leads the way as we trek down the traplines. We’re hearing the occasional “have you lost the track Isaac?”, but arrive in one piece to a breathtaking feat of nature - the local waterfall. It’s time for a snack and breather to take it all in.

The team gather around and David gets busy showing the children a washed-up Kauri log from recent flooding. As he snaps off a superficial piece the children’s eyes widen, immersed in the textures and colours before them. The connection within the group feels natural and uplifting, and the children seem right at home.

It’s not every day you get the chance to listen to Kiwi calls or join an illusive egg-lift, but these children are already connecting to our iconic national bird because they share a backyard. They join the annual Kiwi call surveys which run for five nights in the Winter breeding season and are contributing to the call data that spans ten years to date. Not only that but, as part of their collaboration with 'Operation Nest Egg', the children get to see Kiwi up close as their eggs are lifted out of nests for safe incubation off-site and re-release when they are big and strong enough to fight off stoats. This incredible breeding initiative takes place at three sites in the North Island and increases Kiwi chicks’ survival rates from 5-10% in the wild to 90%.

The children freely retrace our steps, dodging streams and seedlings until we find ourselves back at the four-wheel drives. We say our goodbyes and head back to the main road, leaving the familiar moo’s, paradise duck calls, and river rush behind us. For a few hours we got to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and immerse in the lively backyard of Kapowai that’s shared with our national treasure, the Kiwi. With the wide eyes of Rebecca’s children, keen determination to make a difference, and enduring connection between the KKG members I have no doubt their work will once again be handed down for continuity in the years to come.

Article by: Siobhan O’Connor

Wetlands surround us as we make our way to the birthplace of Mana Manu Trust, a conservation group with as much warmth as the seaside settlement of Whangapoua where it operates.

We shift the truck to its lowest gear for the climb up to a pocket of Coromandel Peninsula paradise. It’s worth the occasional skid as we are greeted by ecologist duo and co-founders of the Trust, Meg and Hamish, accompanied by a chorus of birds and breathtaking views of Whangapoua Harbour.

The rest of the MMT team venture short distances from their surrounding properties to tell us their story over tea and homemade fruitcake (thanks Joi!). As they reunite with one another after the Christmas break, the collective joy and embrace make it easy to see why they have been working on the project together for a solid fifteen years.

It’s not surprising that native birds join us, too. A juvenile Tui makes one of its frequent visits to the bath (bowl of water) perched on the corner of the deck. After its refreshing dip, the Tui ventures out to the surrounding native bush and leaves us to unpack the fruits of MMT’s labour. “The best thing about owning the land is being part of this group and larger purpose” Jill (the group's secretary) says while looking around the passionate community they share. For newer members Mary and Eric H, they say they’ve “found their place in heaven”.

The story of this area’s complex history is reflected in the staggering regenerating forest, with contrasting 400+-year-old Kauri, 30-70-year-old kānuka and tānekaha, and seedlings only just beginning their journey. It was the Regional Council’s suggestion in the late 1990s to convert the then-farmed land into large bush subdivisions. As people began to create homes and baches in the bush, the idea of combining efforts of pest control across the almost 320 hectares of privately owned properties lead to the formation of MMT in 2006.

Jill makes clear the group hasn’t just been removing predators and weeds, and has put a lot of thought time and effort into ensuring the right species are added back into the ecosystem. There is a wonderful spread of expertise in the Trust from ecologists, to lawyers and farmers, painting a picture of diverse thought and impressive teamwork.

We finish our fruitcake and venture out, winding around the wetlands and up the neighbouring hill to visit one of the group’s most cherished tracks. The elusive and highly-endangered Matuku (Australasian Bittern), Banded Rail, and Fernbirds have all been spotted by MMT members in this area, reminding us how important their work is. This is showcased during a walk with many examples of initiative to admire. My eyes, however, are drawn to the lowland coastal forest ahead that looks like it’s been plucked straight from a Jurassic Park movie. Breadcrumbs from estuarine to freshwater, wetland, and forest areas lead us here and are a reminder of how connected these ecosystems really are.

Baiting has been the mainstay of the project's pest control, with many landowners, such as trapping extraordinaires John and Glenda, contributing to trap testing and more. Recently Kiwi were heard in the area which prompted an audit to guide the next exciting stage of their work. Now a ‘Ring of Steel’ consisting of DOC200 and DOC250 traps is planned, and the group hope more Kiwi will call this protected part of Aotearoa home once more.

Collaboration is a key contributor to conservation success. MMT cites the hard work of other local environmental groups such as Project Kiwi, Ernslaw One's Kiwi block, Ring's Beach wetland, Habitat Tuateawa, and MEG, for enabling Kiwi to expand out from their safe havens to repopulate new areas like Whangapoua. They say they’ve been encouraged by support from Ngāti Huarere and interest from Whangapoua Community Association who are now setting up pest control around the village.

On a quest to understand more about the dynamics of this mixed group of landowners, we tour around some of their properties in awe of the efforts that reach right into each of their backyards. At Janice and Chris’ house, their backyard project consists of a ~1km wooden walkway that winds around the ancient Kauri and Rātā trees, a remnant tree fuchsia, and many other native species on their doorstep. The view from their wrap-around deck is almost indescribable, with a few rogue pines being eyed up by the team for removal - another ongoing component of their work.

With so much more to discuss, our stomach’s kindly remind us of the long morning chatting and walking, so we head over to Jill and Eric’s for a scenic lunch. Former farmland is not an ideal spot for these garden enthusiasts to have settled, but the couple bravely took up the challenge in 2003. An inconvenient block of compacted clay has since been transformed into a (not so) secret garden of native species. When asked how they managed such a feat, Eric told us with a smirk “I come down and talk to the plants, telling them they’d better keep growing fast or they’ll have me to answer to.”.

With a day full of Eric and the group's humour, teeming passion, and a delicious spread of homemade quiche, fresh salad, and cold beverages awaiting our arrival, it was hard not to fall in love with the people, work, and place of Mana Manu Trust. The group hope more volunteers will join their conservation journey and are grateful for grants provided to date from Waikato Regional Council, Department of Conservation, WWF, and QEII.