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Wingin’ it for conservation

Sirocco the Spokesbird — 10/08/2010

Be on the look-out for some over-sized kākāpō heading your way. Since the International Day of Biodiversity last May, DOC’s two steel-mesh kākāpō have been travelling around gathering conservation messages from people all over New Zealand. That’s a good thing since they were both looking a little down on their luck until their feather messages started appearing. Now they are sporting plumage that any kākāpō would be proud of.

Kids at Miramar North School recently had a special visitor. Photo courtesy Citylife Newspapers.

I’m pretty stoked on the messages that are being put on the two kākāpō too. My favourite so far is “kiss a kākāpō”, but don’t worry people are looking out for all us native plants and animals…like the person who wrote “native bats need protection too”.

During Conservation Week all those special feathers are going to be collected by my friends at DOC and then sent to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan so that world leaders can hear how Kiwi feel about their environment.

Check out Words on a Wing to learn how you can have your say whether one of the over-sized green kākāpō comes to your town or not. DOC staff have been getting messages from people all over the country and they’re putting every one of those feathers on the two kākāpō.

What’s in a name?

A lot if you’re a big kākāpō. So, if you’re in Wellington in the next couple of weeks go visit one of the kākāpō at Te Papa’s Nature Space. Add a feather message and enter the kākāpō naming competition to help the poor bugger get a proper name.

Some pretty cool bird experts like my mate Deidre from DOC’s kākāpō recovery programme will be choosing the winner of the naming competition. The competition winner receives an annual pass for them and their family to ZEALANDIA. Not only that, but I’ll be announcing the winning name!

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Natural Attractions

hchristophersdoc — 16/06/2010

An isolated island archipelago in mid ocean with a relict population of plants and animals found nowhere else and under threat from invasive species. Does that sound familiar? Nahh! Not New Zealand this time!

What’s natural?

The Azores are a group of volcanic islands in mid Atlantic and have small remnants of forest types that once covered much of the land around the Mediterranean Sea. These remnants are fragmented and scattered over the 9 main islands of this Portuguese autonomous region. The native plants and animals have taken a huge hit over the last 600 years of human occupation and live on the verge of oblivion with many already extinct from human induced activities. You know the story… Clear the land, bring in domesticated beasties to enable farming. Oh, and don’t forget a few unwanted hitch-hikers!

Indigenous Azorian forest remnant

What spins your wheels?

Still, the attractions in the Azores are stunning! The overlay of historic, cultural and natural attractions has put it among my favourite places on Earth – OK I haven’t been to Kazakhstan!

And weeds! Whoa! I was staggered to find so many of the weeds there are our dire enemies here too. The cliffs are strewn with ginger, woolly tobacco weed and bamboo. The exotic forests are asserting themselves in the spread and conquer process and hydrangers are the adopted regional flower in spite of being a noxious weed.

Grapes, bananas and bamboo going wild

Homesick?

An interesting feature of the landscape was the use of New Zealand pohutukawa in main amenity areas. The islands are at the same latitude as Auckland and my guess is that the pohutukawa found their way back to the Azores with whalers in the 1800s. And, the former flax industry has left New Zealand’s harakeke all over the main island.

Pohutukawa planted in a park on Sao Jorge

On the beaches, there is New Zealand spinach and on the shore line there are karaka trees and cabbage trees.

New Zealand spinach on the rocky shore

In spite of any degradation in the original natural state of the region there is a fierce pride in retention of the remaining natural values and there are the same tensions we have here. You can imagine that power supplies on an island archipelago are difficult. Wind power is going full tilt ahead on the islands to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Dairy farming has intensified (the cheese is magnificent!) but cows dot the upland landscape to fill out the postcard quotas. The grapes eek out an existence in harsh conditions and produce good rich wines from rough volcanic soils. Quality water is at a premium.

So next time you are thinking that New Zealand is the only island archipelago with major invasive pest problems, give a though for the Azores and pop in to mid Atlantic to say Hola! They would love to see you.

Links

In International, Native plants, Weeds

Words on a Wing – International Day of Biodiversity

— 31/05/2010

Hannah Sinclair, painted by BodyFX as a kakapo for the event.

Words on a Wing was launched at the Wellington Zoo and Auckland Museum on 22 May 2010 (International Day of Biodiversity). Words on a Wing is something we thought up here at DOC, featuring two giant steel and mesh kakapo and 20,000 cardboard feathers. Over the coming months as the birds go on tour, students all around the country will have the opportunity to write messages on the feathers which will be used to cover the kakapo from beak to toe. The messages will then be collected and taken to Japan in October, for the Convention on Biological Diversity’s 10th Conference of the Parties (COP) meeting.

Children attach cardboard feathers to the giant kakapo.

At the Wellington event an estimated 200 people celebrated the launch, which featured music by drum troupe Nimba, face painting by Body FX and comedy by the Improvisors. Felicity Lawrence, General Manager – People and Organisation Development, launched Words on a Wing with a speech during the event. Also, we didn’t pull this together by ourselves. WWF-New Zealand, Forest & Bird, and Wellington Zoo were our partners in this event. Thanks guys!

Dance troupe Nimba play their drums at Words on a Wing.

Links

In International, Wellington/Kapiti International Year of Biodiversity

DOC investigating Norwegian kereru killers

Reuben Williams — 09/04/2010

Many of you will have been saddened to hear about the kereru hunting incident at the hands of tourist hunters in the South Island, which was subsequently posted on YouTube.

NZ woodpigeon or kereru. Photo: Sam O'Leary

Lots of understandably angry people have been calling and emailing DOC and the Minister about the incident and everyone should be assured that the authorities are following it up.

The Department of Conservation’s compliance team has launched a full investigation into the incident and we have identified the alleged offenders.

The hunters claim that they did not know kereru were protected, but I’m afraid ignorance is no defence under the Wildlife Act. The NZ Police have confirmed that the firearms used by the shooters were legally imported to New Zealand through the correct process and then taken by the hunters back to Norway.

DOC is currently putting together a detailed investigation report. Pending which a decision will be made on what course of action will be taken here in New Zealand.

The penalty for hunting or killing Absolutely Protected Species like kereru is a $100,000 fine and/or 1 year in prison. For a gamebird offence like hunting paradise shell duck the penalty is $5000 fine and $100 per head of game.

All information has been available to the Norwegian authorities who are also investigating the alleged offence, in line with their legislation.

Youtube footage of the shooters

Story from TVNZ

About kereru on the DOC website

In International, Recreation

Archives For 30/11/1999

Wingin’ it for conservation

What’s in a name?

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