Remembering Maggie the kākāpō

Department of Conservation —  09/06/2014

DOC’s Bronwyn Aalders recently spent a week on Codfish Island helping the Kākāpō Recovery team and had the privilege of meeting Maggie the kākāpō, who was tragically killed in a landslide last week.

Bronwyn at the summit on Codfish Island.

Bronwyn at the summit on Codfish Island

Midway through my week volunteering on Codfish Island as a nest controller, I had the opportunity to accompany the kākāpō rangers to track Maggie the kākāpō.

After a brisk forty minute walk across the centre of the island we started to head off track and descend the soft, tangled slopes above the sea.

It was very important to avoid the numerous petrel nests dug into the peat soil while we gradually began to pinpoint Maggie’s location. The terrain became almost vertical and we began clambering and crawling our way through twisted trunks and branches as the telemetry beeps became louder.

With packs now discarded we knew we were close, with two people above and two people below, and Maggie cleverly camouflaged and ready to run somewhere in between.

Holding Maggie the kākāpō.

Maggie the kākāpō

Suddenly a ranger looked up and spotted her calmly roosting above us trying to keep still. She was swiftly and gently brought down ready for some quick measurements and health checks.

Maggie was gorgeous and the first kākāpō I had ever seen in the wild. It was thrilling to see her up close, to smell her musky feathers and to take in her sheer size and presence. All with the sounds of the waves crashing beneath us and the sight of Rakiura in the distance.

Maggie's wing feathers spread.

Maggie’s beautiful wings

Several tests, photos, flaps and bites later, I filmed Maggie waddling away back up the hill, head down – just as Douglas Adams described in ‘Last Chance to See’.

Farewell Maggie…

Maggie's feathers up close.

Maggie’s feathers up close

In Kākāpō , , , ,
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Jobs at DOC: David Agnew, Conservation Services Manager

Department of Conservation —  06/06/2014

Come behind the scenes and into the jobs, the challenges, the highlights, and the personalities of the people who work at the Department of Conservation (DOC).

Today we profile David Agnew, Conservation Services Manager, Dunedin.

David Agnew in the office.

In the office

At work

Some things I do in my job include:

Managing a large team, working on multiple issues at once, trying to keep my desk tidy, my phone clear of messages, and my inbox under control. Also engaging with a wide range of staff from all over the country, plus engaging with a large range of partners, stakeholders and community. And having fun while I’m doing it all!

This helps achieve DOC’s vision by:

Doing great conservation work, with others, and aiming to continually improve efficiency and effectiveness. Also I reckon it is really important that we portray a positive image of ourselves and our organisation. We’re lucky to have such interesting jobs.

The best bit about my job is:

Achieving some great conservation results, plus the mix of getting to a lot of different places and having quality time with a lot of different people (both DOC staff and associates). I have been able to live on Great Barrier Island for 3 years as well as Invercargill, and have worked in many amazing parts of this country from Northland, all of the New Zealand subantarctic islands (including the Australian island of Macquarie) as well as several trips out to the Chathams. Don’t ask me where my favourite place is because I’m not sure.

The strangest DOC moment I’ve had so far is:

Being on a boat getting transported off Kapiti Island with a whole lot of religious folk who were on a pilgrimage to bless the island. They stopped the motors at the southern and northern ends of the island and started to pray/bless and speak in tongues then when they started saying “the evil beast is amongst them and needs to be killed” I started to wonder if they were referring to me (that was the scary bit). I was relieved when the engines were fired up, everyone returned to a normal state, and we sped back to the mainland.

The DOC (or previous DOC) employee that inspires or enthuses me most is:

There are many. But Marian van der Goes springs to mind. She was an inspiring leader, strong principles, very good with people, and had a good sense of fashion and fairness. She is missed down here.

David Agnew weighing an albatross chick at Taiaroa Head.

Weighing an albatross chick at Taiaroa Head

On a personal note…

Most people don’t know that:

I write the occasional poem for special occasions and then recite it (kind of like a cross between Sam Hunt and Dr Seuss).

The song that always cheers me up is:

“Not Given Lightly” by Chris Knox, you can’t help but sing along to it. And it reminds me of a fun night in Queenstown, at one of his shows, after a day’s skiing with Te Anau DOC staff.

My stomping ground is:

Around the Dunedin coastline, and especially the surf breaks of national significance along the north coast (check out the Coastal Policy Statement).  If you are a surfer, then Dunedin is a great place to be – just need to invest in good wetsuits and accessories.

My best ever holiday was:

Sailing on a yacht from Singapore to Sri Lanka, then travelling overland through India for a couple of months. A memorable experience, to say the least. We experienced everything from pirates to water spouts.

My greatest sporting moment was when:

Perhaps when I was involved in giving some frisbee demonstrations at the world expo in Brisbane back in 1988. Either that or the wheelchair basketball games I was involved in for a while, great fun.

David Agnew on Auckland Island.

On South West Cape of Auckland Island

Deep and meaningful…

My favourite quote is:

“You only live once” not sure where it came from originally, or “Carpe Diem” (seize the day), taken from a poem written in the Odes in 23 BC by the Latin poet Horace.

But I also like “Nek Minute” by Levi Hawken.

The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is: 

“Try not to have any regrets” – make the most of your opportunities.

In work and life I am motivated by:

Striving to do the best I can, being loyal to the above quote, and also ensuring there’s plenty of variety and that I appreciate and enjoy the experience.

My conservation advice to New Zealanders is:

“Think global, and act local” – everyone should be trying to make a difference in their own place.

David Agnew with mountains in the background.

Heliskiing near Mt Aspiring/Tititea

Question of the week…

What funny story does your family always tell about you?

About the time that I was “seriously” stuck for words – they reckon it doesn’t happened that often, but this was “one of those moments when you wish you could disappear” and a valuable lesson.

At a garage sale we were having when leaving Christchurch for Wellington (one of our many DOC moves) a lady (wearing a see through skirt) had brought something and was paying me.  I was sitting in a very low camping chair and was trying to decide if she was pregnant.  I was certain that she was, so asked the inevitable question – “when is your baby due?”

The answer was, “I had my baby 20 years ago” – whoops.

Then she jumped in her car and disappeared up a driveway straight across the road – at least we were leaving town!

Needless to say, I’ll never ask that question again.

In Jobs at DOC, Otago , , , , , , ,
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Mt Holdsworth.

Mt Holdsworth Jumbo Circuit

Nina Mercer —  05/06/2014

Nina and Andrew Mercer tramp the Mt Holdsworth Jumbo Circuit, one of the most popular tracks in the Tararua Ranges.

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In Huts, Wairarapa, Walking/hiking/tramping , , , ,
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Photo of the week: Tīeke/saddleback

Department of Conservation —  04/06/2014

The tīeke/saddleback belongs to New Zealand’s unique wattlebird family, an ancient group which includes the endangered kōkako and the extinct huia. An adult tīeke can be recognised by a distinctive chestnut saddle of colour.

According to Māori mythology the chestnut saddle was put there by the demi-god Maui. Following Maui’s battle with the sun the tīeke refused to bring water to a thirsty Maui, becoming angry he seized the bird with his still fiery hand, leaving a brown scorch mark across its back.

North Island Tieke. Photo: Andy McDowall | CC BY-NC 2.0

Last Saturday 40 tīeke were released in Taranaki to join a recently released founding population. The birds were released at Taranaki’s pest-free Lake Rotokare Reserve.

These are the fist tīeke to live in the Taranaki region for more than 150 years.

Photo by Andy McDowall | CC BY-NC 2.0.

In Native animals, Photo of the week, Taranaki , , , , , ,
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DOC helps Gough Island eradicate mice

Department of Conservation —  03/06/2014

Keith Broome is part of DOC’s Island Eradication Advisory Group (IEAG), which provides expert knowledge to help rid pests on islands both in New Zealand and across the world.

Today, Keith tells us about his trip to Gough Island in the South Atlantic Ocean, to help plan the removal of mice. 

Keith Broome. Photo: Chris Bell.

Keith Broome on Gough Island

Last September, at the request of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), I travelled to Cape Town to join a voyage to Gough Island to help develop the project to eradicate mice from the 6500 ha island.

The wild coast of Gough Island the most significant seabird island in the Atlantic.

The wild coast of Gough Island the most significant seabird island in the Atlantic

DOC has been long involved in the Gough mouse eradication project, following an offer in 2005 by the then Minister of Conservation to support the project with technical advice.

Accompanying me on this voyage was Peter Garden, a very experienced helicopter pilot based in Wanaka, who has flown several aerially applied rodent eradication projects in New Zealand and around the world.

Peter Garden on the deck of Agulhas II. Gough Island in the background.

Peter Garden on the deck of Agulhas II. Gough Island in the background

The brief was to gather some first-hand knowledge of the island and to work with Peter to update the current draft operational plan.

The project has many parallels with our Antipodes mouse eradication project, so the experience was valuable in thinking through the planning issues and eradication design, as well as the logistical issues and options to address them.

Gough bunting—endemic to Gough Island.

Gough bunting—endemic to Gough Island

The impacts of mice on the Gough ecosystem is substantial, and their impact on the endemic endangered Tristan albatross is catastrophic, with some study sites losing 9 of every 10 nests to mice.

Mouse predation is widespread among other seabird species as well, with records of attacks on yellow-nosed albatross, Sooty albatross and Atlantic petrel.

Yellow-nosed albatross on its nest.

Yellow-nosed albatross on its nest

I found that the island biosecurity system operating for Gough was good and I picked up a few tips.

Tristan albatross chick. Mouse attacks on younger birds kill about 70% per year

Tristan albatross chick. Mouse attacks on younger birds kill about 70% per year

For example, they use sticky traps with ultraviolet lights to attract flying insects. These are throughout the cargo store and on board the ship that sails to the island. The ship also has a policy of no food consumed outside the dining and lounge areas.

Spending time with Peter was extremely helpful in learning more about how helicopters operate in eradication operations and how pilots view various issues.

Seeing the aerial weather station resupply really brought home to me the incredible skill and efficiency with which Kiwi pilots work and how so much of this comes from our unique situation of having a large agricultural aviation industry, which supports the sort of flying skills we need in DOC work.

Keith at Tarn Moss, Gough Island.

Keith at Tarn Moss, Gough Island

On the whole, it was a great experience and great project to contribute to. I made a number of new contacts and grew my knowledge of island management and pest eradication.

In Animal pests, Islands , ,
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