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    • Matariki from a historical perspective
      • Photo Credit: Fred Locklear zAmb0ni Historically, te reo Māori was an oral language and Matariki (Māori New Year) was a time when knowledge was shared orally, as in reciting whakapapa (family trees). Matariki was also a time when legends were passed on orally. One such legend is about Tāne-mahuta – the guardian spirit of the forest and the god of light. He pushed Rangi-nui (Sky Father) and Papa-tū-ā-nuku (Earth Mother) apart, so that he and his brothers had more light and space. One of Tāne-mahuta’s many brothers was Tāwhiri-mātea, the god of wind and storms. Tāwhiri-mātea was angry about his parents being forcibly separated and cried seven tears that became the seven stars of Matariki. Māori were great storytellers. Matariki occurred when the harvest had been stored, so there was time for traditional knowledge to be passed down through the generations using stories. During Matariki, stories, myths, and legends were told to share common knowledge and also to explain natural phenomena. ‘Tamarereti creates the night sky’ is a story that explains Tamarereti’s Waka, also known as the Milky Way. Tamarereti was a young warrior who lived near Lake Taupo. A scary taniwha (water monster) lived in the lake, and Tamarereti knew the taniwha would eat him if he went fishing after dark. At the time, the sky was black with no stars but Tamarereti thought he had plenty of daylight to go fishing so he pushed his waka out onto the lake. He caught three fish and was heading to the shore to cook his kai (food), when his waka was becalmed. As he waited for the wind to push him back to shore, he slept. When he awoke he found his waka had drifted to the opposite side of Lake Taupo. He knew he was in big trouble ­­– it was dark, and he was far from his kāinga (village). He was hungry, so he cooked and ate the three fish. As he stood on the edge of the lake, he noticed the lake’s pebbles were reflecting the bright light of his fire, so he collected some of the pebbles and set off to his toi whenua (home), tossing the shiny pebbles into the sky. The pebbles lit his way and their light saved him from the taniwha. When he got home he slept, but woke to find Rangi-nui had visited him. Tamarereti was terrified that he would be punished for spoiling the perfect blackness of the sky, but Rangi-nui praised him for creating the night sky and tossed Tamarereti’s waka up into the sky as well. Tamarereti had created the Milky Way – the star formation of Tamarereti’s Waka can be seen especially well at Matariki. Matariki has always been part of Māori history, but was not widely celebrated. In the last 10 years it has become an integral part of the cultural calendar of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Historically at Matariki, local iwi would have harvested tuna (eels) to smoke or dry from the Kaiwharawhara Stream that runs through the ZEALANDIA valley. Written by Rosemary Cole. Edited by Audrey Rendle and Judi Miller.

    • Robin Party
      • This story depends on you knowing two things. First is that whenever you visit a Kaka nest box there is ‘local’ Robin who will come and check you out. Second is that at the end of the Kaka nesting season the boxes need their annual overhaul – consider it like the chambermaids going round the motel rooms after the guests have checked out each morning. So – the first thing to be done when approaching a used nest box is to get rid of the old nesting material. Now that we have mesh bases to the boxes and only wood chips as nesting material the simple way is to remove two pins and the let the whole base and soggy mess of nesting material fall to the forest floor. It is all organic and merely needs spreading around for the oncoming winter to do its work – not so fast! Before you consign this material to the wider forest floor there is a rich bounty of ‘wildlife’ to be harvested from the fertile grounds of what, to not put too fine a point on it, is ‘Kaka poo’. At this point the local Robin will swoop in and pick over the woodchips to find every last little bug that has been lurking in the base of the Kaka’s home – it’s like Christmas and Birthdays have all come at once. Having started the maintenance process quite early this year I have been treated to the sight of a Robin pair scavenging in the woodchips and feeding two ‘wing fluttering’ youngsters from the bounty. Attempts to capture this scene on photos have not met with success – all too dark and quick – but believe me it is one of the delights of what might otherwise be considered a fairly routine and menial task. By Chris Gee

      • This story depends on you knowing two things. First is that whenever you visit a Kaka nest box there is ‘local’ Robin who will come and check you out. Second is that at the end of the Kaka nesting season the boxes need their annual overhaul – consider it like the chambermaids going round the motel rooms after the guests have checked out each morning. So – the first thing to be done when approaching a used nest box is to get rid of the old nesting material. Now that we have mesh bases to the boxes and only wood chips as nesting material the simple way is to remove two pins and the let the whole base and soggy mess of nesting material fall to the forest floor. It is all organic and merely needs spreading around for the oncoming winter to do its work – not so fast! Before you consign this material to the wider forest floor there is a rich bounty of ‘wildlife’ to be harvested from the fertile grounds of what, to not put too fine a point on it, is ‘Kaka poo’. At this point the local Robin will swoop in and pick over the woodchips to find every last little bug that has been lurking in the base of the Kaka’s home – it’s like Christmas and Birthdays have all come at once. Having started the maintenance process quite early this year I have been treated to the sight of a Robin pair scavenging in the woodchips and feeding two ‘wing fluttering’ youngsters from the bounty. Attempts to capture this scene on photos have not met with success – all too dark and quick – but believe me it is one of the delights of what might otherwise be considered a fairly routine and menial task. By Chris Gee

    • Podocarps: Plants That Heal
      • Here is a profile of fascinating facts about three of ZEALANDIA’s podocarp or Southern Hemisphere conifer trees. You’ll spot them when you wander along ZEALANDIA’s many tracks. These three podocarps are: totāra (Podocarpus totara), rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum), and kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides). Totāra Fruiting. Photo Credit: Allison Buchan Totāra can be found in many New Zealand lowland and mountain forests and may grow up to 25 metres. It has very durable and straight-grained timber, so it was and still is highly prized for building. Pre-European Māori used totāra for all kinds of waka (canoe) and whare (houses), for example, enormous waka-taua (war canoes) and whare whakairo (guesthouses) with elaborate carving. The bark was used for roofing, and also to make kete (baskets) to store preserved hua rākau (fruit) and manu (birds). At ZEALANDIA, you can spot totāra on the Jim & Eve Lynch Track and from the top of the eastern end of the top dam. Totāra is a plant that helps heal grieving people with the condolence that: ‘Kua hinga te totāra i te wao nui-a-tāne (A totāra has fallen in the great forest of Tāne).’ Rimu. Photo Credit Alison Buchan Rimu can grow up to 50 metres. When Captain Cook discovered Aotearoa/New Zealand in 1769, he also found he could use rimu’s young, slender, drooping branches for spruce beer to prevent scurvy. Rimu is another ZEALANDIA’s plant that heals and a juvenile rimu about 3-4 metres high is growing on the Te Mahanga Track by the Nestbox Display. Kahikatea can grow up to 60 metres and is New Zealand’s tallest native tree. Kahikatea has small, bright red berries, which are invaluable as bird food for ZEALANDIA’s many native birds, such as tīeke (saddleback) and pōpokatea (whiteheads). Kahikatea is yet another of ZEALANDIA’s plants that heals, as its fruit was eaten raw by Māori and would have provided them with vitamins. A 3 metre high kahikatea can be seen on the right of the track leading up from the Takahē Lawn to the toilet block. Pinus Radiata. Photo Credit: Allison Buchan Removing exotics trees such as Pinus radiata and replacing them with native trees is part of the 500 year vision to restore our ecosystem and return birdsong to ZEALANDIA – it takes that long for these trees to reach maturity. These native trees attract and support native birds, such as toutouwai (North Island robins), kākā, and kākāriki. Although included in Wellington City Council’s Outer Green Belt, ZEALANDIA has its own management plan to be an attraction, a conservation entity and a generator of birds within the safety of ZEALANDIA’s pest-proof fence. One aim of being part of The Outer Green Belt is that there are opportunities for ZEALANDIA to work in close co-operation with the Wellington City Council “Over The Fence” with pest control. Pest weeds and plants that hurt are replaced by native plants that heal our endangered ecosystem. Written by Rosemary Cole, Sanctuary Storyteller, with thanks to and in collaboration with Chris Moore, ZEALANDIA Volunteer/ Guide. Reference: ‘The Cultivation of New Zealand Trees and Shrubs’ by L.J. Metcalf, A.H & A.W. Reed, 1975

    • Maud Island Frog Survey
      • Maud Island Frog – Photo by Chris Helliwell Recently we completed ten counts of all visible Maud Island frogs in their enclosures over five nights in February and five nights in March. The Maud Island frogs at ZEALANDIA are held in 3 enclosures, two off-display and one on the Te Mahanga track. The large adult females are able to be distinguished by size but as it is difficult to distinguish smaller adult males from young subadult females. For this reason only two groups can be counted – adult females and “the rest” (comprising juveniles and adult males). The counts confirmed that there has been good survival of adult females. Over 35 smaller frogs of all sizes were found in the off-display enclosure (where breeding was first detected in February 2008) while one tiny (c 12mm) frog was detected in the second off-display enclosure in March, the first confirmation of successful breeding here. Maud Island Frog – Photo by Chris Helliwell Only one young frog has ever been detected in the display enclosure on the Te Mahanga track since it was set up in 2011; a subadult was found during these surveys but no other juveniles suggesting that there has been no subsequent breeding since then. We plan to transfer some of the subadults (including potential adult males) from the enclosure with lots of smaller frogs to the other two enclosures. This will not only even up numbers and age spread in each enclosure but increase chances of introducing males where they may be missing or in low numbers, and reduce the risks of genetic inbreeding if the 3 populations remain isolated from each other.

    • Poisonous Plants of the Sanctuary
      • Do you know your tutu from your supplejack? You’d be wise not to eat any asparagus-like shoots in the bush if you’re not sure! In 2014 tramper Matthew Pike found this out the hard way after adding what he thought was a supplejack sapling to his boil-up, only to find – when he woke up in hospital – that he’d seasoned his dinner with the notorious tutu: a poisonous plant full of the neurotoxin tutin. Matthew’s reaction was so severe that his convulsions dislocated his shoulder; he was lucky to survive. Tutu is native to New Zealand, and some of our eight species are endemic (found nowhere else in the world). At ZEALANDIA, tree tutu (Coriaria arborea) can be seen in front of the Shag Lookout, on the banks alongside the mine, and near the pontoon gate to the Takahē Lawn. Tutu fruit is eaten by many of our bird species with no ill effects, but is unsafe for mammals unless the tiny seeds have been filtered out. ‘Toot’ poisoning was once a well-known cause of stock loss, in lowland areas where cattle were allowed to wander. Other historical casualties include two elephants in 1957, who browsed on tutu berries at the side of the road as the circus drove from town to town. Traditionally, Māori fermented tutu fruit to make wine, having strained out the seeds, and also mixed tutu juice with seaweed to make a sweet jelly. Following the recipe was a life or death matter when it came to tutu puddings – four French sailors died in the 1830s after making their own version of tutu berry surprise. Tutu was also used as a tattoo ink, and has medicinal uses in Rongoā Māori as a treatment for arthritis, skin rashes, and gout. While the birds and insects of New Zealand are pleasingly benign, we do have a surprisingly large number of poisonous plants. Tutu is not the only one found within ZEALANDIA’s fence, but it is the most notorious. If you’re curious to learn more, you can stop one of our friendly roaming guides for information, book a tour, or join a walk and talk. The last word goes to A. A. Gower, a Patea chemist, who made a patent medicine from the root of tutu in 1892. ‘Ma-uru’ was a cure for neuralgia, relieved eyestrain, and could cure ‘ear ache, headache, rheumatic pains, sprains. And all pain.’ A little something for your dislocated shoulder maybe? Written by Liz Hibbs. Photos by Janice McKenna.

    • A Musical Look and Listen
      • I love to go a-walking along Zealandia`s tracks, And as I go, I love to sing [ silently ] My backpack [ plus trusted muesli bar or 2 ] on my back. Val-deri { Puff up the steep Turbine Track ! } Val-dera { Puff, Puff up the steeper Faultline Track!! } Val-deri { Puff, Puff, Puff up the steepest ever Eastern Firebreak Track !!!} Val-dera {Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah. Made it up the “ grunt ” of the Western Firebreak Track. ☺ } Val-deri { Phew – made it to the summit of the Raingauge Spur Track. } Val-dera {Pant – reached the top of the Pylon Track – in the true spirit of ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’} My backpack [ chockablock with yummy scroggin ] on my back. I love to wander by the stream [ with tūna/eels ] That dances in the sun…. I wave my [ hand ] to all I see And they wave back to me, And [ tūī ] sing so loud and sweet From ev`ry [ kōwhai ] tree. High overhead the [ kākā squawk ], They never rest at home, But just like me, [ korimako/bellbirds ] love to sing, As o`er Zealandia we roam. By Rosemary Cole. Photos by Judi Lapsley-Miller. Acknowledgement to Florenz Friedrich Sigismund ( 1788-1857 ), who wrote the original text of ‘The Happy Wanderer’. Acknowledgement also to Oscar Hammerstein II’s ‘Climb Ev`ry Mountain,’ song in the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, ‘The Sound Of Music’.

    • Introducing Professor David Bibby
      • ZEALANDIA has some new skills on the table following the announcement of a new Trustee… Karori Sanctuary Trust, which manages Zealandia, announced recently the appointment of Professor David Bibby (CNZM, PhD, DSc). David has over 40 years experience in science, management, and education including ten years as Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean of Science, Engineering, Architecture and Design at Victoria University. We thought we’d catch up with David to learn a little more about his background and what he can bring to our favourite urban ecosanctuary! What drew you to the role of Trustee at Zealandia? I am delighted at being given the opportunity to work as a Trustee at Zealandia as this resonates with so many of my long-standing and current interests and commitments to Science and Society, the global and New Zealand environment, and education for the next generation. What is your background? My science career began in the field of Chemistry and Energy, where I hold a PhD and DSc, but broadened to Science management both in a CRI (Industrial Research Limited) and then at Victoria University. Currently an Emeritus Professor at Victoria, based in the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Science, co-located in the Business School, I enjoy lecturing in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and in the Environmental Science programme. What skills will you be bringing to the Board? I am passionate about Science! And about Science and Society! Having said this, I believe my interests and scope of experiences are sufficiently wide and general, while being based on ‘hard science’ facts and evidence, that I can be adaptable and able to contribute to the huge range of issues that the Board has to address. I very much enjoy working as part of a team, and look forward to working in a team of the calibre of this Board, and within a strategic mission and vision of such importance to New Zealand. Do you visit the Sanctuary often? I have been fascinated by the concept of the Sanctuary from its inception, when it was being discussed at the Wellington Branch of the Royal Society, of which I was a member representing the Institute of Chemistry. I have watched its development from this dream and was particularly delighted to take our American visitors there this summer, where they were overwhelmed at the spirit of this ‘secret valley’. The attached photograph was their first ‘close-up’ of Tui, whom they had seen swooping busily about our section. What is your favourite NZ species? I am particularly fond of the New Zealand Fantail, Piwakawaka, as it was the first native bird to appear when I started making a garden, developing our gorse-clad section 40 years ago in Lower Hutt. As I dug in the clay, I would be accompanied in the afternoons and evenings by this busy fluttering and calling. There were few other native birds about at that time, although today we have numerous tuis and kereru, particularly in the spring. The change in our suburban environment has been a fascinating evolution and the return of the native wildlife mirrors in a minor way the wonderful successes of the Sanctuary.

    • On top of the world
      • Panoramic view over Zealandia and Wellington City from the top of the Fuchsia track (Photo by Judi Miller) Due to my own whānau/family commitments, I could only go on November’s fortnightly Monday Walk Group’s Fuchsia Trail/Discovery Centre outing. This made me suddenly realise that group has become my whānau/extended family too. Zealandia’s pest-excluding perimeter fence (Photo by Judi MIller) We always meet in Zealandia’s Visitors’ Centre Carpark and have a catch-up chat before starting our walk at 10am. This gives a chance to meet and greet new members, one American new chum today plus one potential member joined us later. We also mix and mingle listening to news updates on the health and wellbeing about those present and those absent. We not only look out for each other, but also there’s a designated leader, tail-ender and radio operator per walk looking after the walkers. During our briefing, a headcount is done while we listen to what the route will be and what options there are – depending on the time, weather and track conditions. Also we listen to what to look for and where to look for it enroute. After listening to our Zealandia members’ cards being zapped before entry, we stop at the double gates to look for unwelcome fellow travellers, such as rats, mice and cats in our own bags. Tui feeding on wharariki flax (Photo by Judi Miller) Then we are on our way looking at the tuatara, both inside and outside the research enclosure, and listening to birds: trilling tui, squawking kaka, croaking shags and cheerfully chirping fantails. Finally, we’re over the hills and far away for a steep climb up to The Fenceline. Zealandia never fails to amaze me, because there’s always something new and unknown.  Although I’m a Foundation Member, I’d never been on the long haul Fuchsia Track to the Fenceline via The Discovery Centre! Old wagon in the Discovery area at Zealandia (by Judi Miller) The Discovery Centre with its old equipment, displays and storyboards is a future treat to look forward to when I have time to linger. This time, however, I was looking for blue sky to hint at a welcome end to a track that was getting steeper and steeper! Nearing the top of the Fuchsia Track, looking across the Zealandia valley (Photo by Judi Miller) As a distraction from puffing, I was listening to the wind in the trees and chat around me, including stories about working bees at Trelissick Park and in Zealandia. Finally, I listened to the wind singing in the power lines and was rewarded with a fine city view from The Fenceline. It really is amazing what there is to look at and listen to at Zealandia!! Rosemary Cole, Storyteller Photos by Judi Miller

    • Tracking Tunnels
      • How much does your gym membership cost? Bronwen Shepherd’s is free! Every week this valued volunteer gets her dose of high-intensity interval training monitoring ZEALANDIA’s tracking tunnels – the key to keeping us pest-free. Brony shows off her red inky fingers You may have noticed the tracking tunnels on your walk; small wooden boxes spaced around the paths and fences. Every tracking tunnel is equipped with an inkpad in the centre, book-ended by two sheets of paper. When an animal comes in to check out the tasty bait in the middle of the inkpad, it walks right across the red ink and leaves its tell-tale tracks on the paper on the way back out. In ZEALANDIA’s Tuatara Research area, you will find Brony, rain or shine, checking the tunnels for evidence of mice. Brony inspects 26 tunnels once a week, replacing ink and bait and collecting any prints she finds for analysis by the biosecurity team. Usually these are from skinks and invertebrates, and sometimes even the tuatara come in for a nosy and leave their tracks. In this area transect lines mark out a grid, with a tracking tunnel on every intersection. This gives a detailed picture of the movements of any mice that might be present, and allows an effective and devastating response to any found. Because every tracking tunnel can be transformed, if needed, into a trap. Brony sets the papers either side of the ink pad and peanut-butter bait…   …then lays the track into the tunnel An annual pest audit is carried out across the entire sanctuary every February, to check for larger animals such as rats, stoats and weasels. It takes an army of staff and volunteers to manage this operation, checking tracking tunnels over 225 hectares and monitoring them over a three week period. If you’re looking for a conservation boot camp this could be the task for you! Experience gained from these audits has allowed staff and volunteers to carry out well-coordinated emergency-response trapping, resulting in a quick capture of pests on occasions when the fence has been breached. Onto the next tunnel, Brony checks out which critters ran through the tunnel in the previous week by looking at their footprints.   Each species leaves its own unique footprints, like this ornate skink. In New Zealand, the preservation of pest-free habitat for native species is key to their survival, and in Wellington we have a rare opportunity. Now that populations of endangered species such as kākā, tīeke (saddleback), toutouwai (North Island robin) and hihi (stitchbird) are thriving behind ZEALANDIA’s pest-proof fence, they are spreading out beyond it, into the surrounding halo of suburbs and local gardens. In areas such as Polhill Gully, residents are actively trapping rats and stoats to protect the native bird species that have moved in to their neighbourhood, with great success. Although detailed monitoring is not done outside the sanctuary, the number of pests trapped in this area shows there is no shortage of threat to our burgeoning bird populations, and they need help. Everyone can make a difference – get involved in a local volunteer group, and consider installing a pest trap in your garden. These are carefully designed to target pest species, and are safe around domestic animals and children. The number of rats and stoats you catch may surprise you! Blog by Liz Hibbs Photos by Judi Lapsley Miller

    • Alfie Kākā observes banding day
      • Alfie Kākā here, enjoying a warm Sunday morning at Zealandia. We kākā have had millions of years to get used to this place, and the local saying “you can’t beat the valley on a good day” has never been more true. Gliding idly over the western scarp I see some activity near young Aroha Kākā’s nest so I fly down to a tree a little distance away where I can observe without being seen. I see Aroha perched in a tree nearby, Aroha Kākā observes the nest closely   GB-B is Aroha’s mate   and a little farther away, her mate GB-B. I can see two men and a woman standing close by the nest, and below them on the ground, a backpack, some tools, and a clipboard. I’ve seen this set-up before. Banding Day. Aroha’s three chicks are to be measured, feathers sampled, and legs banded. It is just starting for them. A man opens the door to the nest… A man opens the door to the nest box, reaches in and gently lifts out a young chick. The chick is transferred to a cloth bag The chick is very calm, with just a small wriggle as it is transferred to a cloth bag, held by the woman who then closes the top of the bag. I think I remember what’s going to happen next. Yes. A voice says “bag and chick, 560 grams”. Another voice repeats it and adds “and the bag was 45 grams, right?” The chick is then taken out of the bag, and held softly on the woman’s lap, while the man leans over with a pair of callipers, and voices call and respond like some old Nestorian chant as the other man writes them down. ‘Bill length 37.3’ ‘Bill length 37.3’ ‘Bill width 13.2’ ‘Yes, bill width 13.2’ Measuring tarsus length with a pair of calipers And so on through to wing length right (177), tail length (101), tarsus right (35.8), and then a slight pause… ‘Relative age based on plumage…youngest’ ‘Youngest’ Expert hands fold the bands over his legs…   …and clamp the bands closed Banding day for this nest. The youngest was first and is now sitting quietly as expert hands fold the coloured steel and aluminium rings around his legs, and clamp them closed. Black on the left leg, white over red on the right. K-WR. An informal portrait before returning to the nest (Photo by Bronwen Shepherd) Now he’s held while an informal portrait is taken and is gently put back in the nest. As he is returned to the nest, I remember what my old Birdism teacher, Heizenbird, told us about observers and uncertainty. It was confusing at the time, but I see it now. The humans measured the chick with skill and care, but the chick they put back in the warm dark nest is not the same as the one they took out. In twelve minutes K-WR was given a new identity, and took for himself a new view of his world. He was observed closely and precisely by three humans, and he made his own observations of them. For now he’s back in the nest. In two weeks time he’ll climb out never to return, and with Aroha’s help, learn to fly. Story and photos, except where indicated, by Alfred Kākā.

    • Dawn & Night Tours
      • One early morning the Member’s Walk Group met at dawn at the Visitors’ Centre to hear The Dawn Chorus’ along the tracks before a welcome, warm breakfast at Rata Cafe. The birds were just tuning up and the ducks were just quacking quietly. As the sun touched the hilltops, the bush colours sprang into focus and the birds sprang into action. Suddenly birds were leaving their roosts and flying around. Photo Credit: Brendan Doran Without the traffic noise of Karori, Wellington’s biggest suburb, the birdsong was clear and magical. It was much more preferable to hear such melodious sounds than the usual doom and gloom of Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report. There was no typical Wellington wind, so birdsongs sounded distinctly, such as the chatter of the kākāriki/little parrot (red-crowned parakeet) and the chirping of tauhou/waxeyes or silvereyes. We stopped at an open area and just listened. Lovely birdsong surrounded us and came from every direction. The pīwakawaka/fantails began their, “Zee, zee, zee” sounding like corks on wet bottles. The tūī exploded into musical waterfalls of sound. The further we walked up the valley, the more we heard, including, the shags grunting in guttural tones as they stole each other’s nest material. Photo Credit: Brendan Doran The more the sun rose, the more the bush became colourful and the more birdsong there was. Even though it was chilly and I was all rugged up in multi layers of polypropylene, I didn’t feel the cold. This was such a delightful way to start the day. I thoroughly recommend it, if you get the opportunity. Dawn Tours are only an occasional one-off member opportunity and are not usually open to the public, although summer sees early open hours for members! I also wholeheartedly recommend the Night Tour of Zealandia: Te Māra o Tāne/ The garden of Tane, the god of the forest and all life within it. (I was grateful for Tāne’s presence because later on the Night Tour, the noisy kākā sounded so close, I honestly thought they were going to divebomb us on the Suspension Bridge! They never actually approached us, but it was so quiet, they sounded nearby. On Saturday 3rd October I was privileged at being able to join a Night Tour as a volunteer Storyteller with Manuela as our guide. She welcomed us in te reo Māori and explained she’s had 2 years experience at guiding. First, she introduced us to Zealandia with a brief orientation, a 5 minute movie, then Health and Safety issues and we checked our special, orange night vision torches on lanyards. After nodding to The Exhibition Space moa and instinctively ducking from the predatory Haast eagle, off we strode to the compulsory self-check of our bags for any unwanted pests. We peeked into the Weta Hotels to spot tree wetas, pored over the fence at tuatara and peered at a teeny ruru/morepork. Although I often hear morepork, this was the first time I’d ever seen one. This small owl can be found throughout New Zealand. It has soft, brown feathers, which make no noise when it hunts at night by stealth for small animals. This morepork was roosting in a tree. It is rare to see one roosting by day, but eagle-eyed Zealandia visitors are sometimes fortunate to see them in the day too. Photo Credit: Brendan Doran We heard tūī, with its two voiceboxes, both of which it can use to produce a melody and a descant! We also heard tīeke/saddlebacks, riroriro/grey warblers and “skrarking” kākā, but we were too early in Spring for shining cuckoos to have flown in from the Solomons. We saw a kōtare/kingfisher – predator of juvenile tuatara, small mice and lizards, kererū/wood pigeon – so essential for spreading seeds – and pāteke/ nocturnal brown teal, but were too late at night to see a korimako/bellbird. Photo Credit: Brendan Doran However we did see the karuhiruhi/pied shags or cormorants, the 2 takehē (“Puffin” and “T2”) and puratoke/glow worms with their intricate, sticky lines to catch small insects. We hoped to spot tiny, thumb-sized Maud Island frogs, but they were too well camouflaged. We could not even catch a glimpse of their black eyes with our torches. We spotted 3 large, brown tuna/long fin eels, some of which might be 60 years old before they breed, and some unwelcome, greedy mallard ducks! In the Tuatara Nursery, we also spotted some cute, baby tuatara with their soft back spines. Photo Credit: Brendan Doran Along the way, Manuela showed us mamaku tree ferns with very broad leaves catching all available sun. She also shone her torch on the silver underside of ponga/ silver tree fern leaves, which is another New Zealand icon. Later, Manuela urged us to pad as silently as possible along the tracks and work as a team to spot a kiwi. Many New Zealanders have never seen or heard a kiwi, but it is New Zealand’s endemic icon. Seeing a kiwi is a highlight of Night Tours. We could hear the high whistle of the male kiwi and listened hard, but in vain, for the low whistle of the female responding. Imagine our delight to marvel at not one, but two separate sightings of Little-spotted Kiwi foraging for worms and insects. They completely ignored us standing so close to them. It was incredible for me to finally meet my near neighbours, as I live nearby and often hear them! It was a Real Bucket List experience x 2 for me!! Many thanks to Manuela for such an interesting, informative and instructive Night Tour and a Big thank you to ZEALANDIA for running these amazing, safe, 2 ½ hour Night Tours. Rosemary Cole, Storyteller

    • A Moonlight Sonata with Bronwen & Alfie Kākā
      • Bronwen working with pāteke & little spotted kiwi. Photos by Helen Taylor (kiwi) & Katie Sheridan (pāteke) A big full moon the other night, and I took the opportunity to catch up with some of my pals for a few sugar waters at the dam feeders. It was a great occasion, with plenty of skraarking, whistling and merriment after what has seemed a late start to spring. When it came time to roost, the night was still clear and flooded with moonlight, and feeling a little light-headed, I took the long way home to Valley View, following the moonbeams up to the western scarp, then wheeling left along the ridges to the upper valley so I could glide slowly home and just soak up the view. Night sounds rose up, the whistle of kiwi, a ruru in the distance, and the last calls of the other kākā as they said their goodbyes to each other. Then far below me I saw a person, racing swiftly downhill from a clearing and disappearing under the canopy far from any of the paths. An unusual sight this late, so curious, I dropped into a tight turn, aiming for a perch on a māhoe tree nearby. For some reason I misjudged it a little and landed rather heavily, which attracted the young woman’s attention. I recognised her at once as Bronwen who I’d first seen when she was monitoring kākā nests. She laughed cheerily as she recognised me. Bronwen: Hey Alfie! Alfie: Hey Bronwen! Bronwen: What’s with the crash landing – enjoyed too many sugar waters perhaps? Alfie: “What a great night to be out Bronwen. There’s something special about a night tour around the valley don’t you think? There’s so much more to see. But I don’t see many other humans around. What are you doing here – not monitoring kākā nests surely?” Bronwen: Isn’t it beautiful Alfie, and you’re right. The valley is just amazing at night. Right now I’m tracking ducks, helping Katie Sheridan with her research on their habitat behaviour. You remember, Katie, you interviewed her last year. Forest ducks, brown teal, or to put it simply, pāteke. Alfie: Of course. What are you up to with them now? Bronwen: Katie’s project is exploring how far they move during the day and the night, what their ideal habitat is, and whether they consistently roost and forage in the same locations. Alfie: How do you do that? Katie Sheridan tracking pāteke using telemetry gear. Photo by Bronwen Shepherd Bronwen: We have about 10 pāteke wearing small transmitter backpacks. We can locate the birds using this hand-held receiver. I know it looks like an old TV aerial but you would call it a Yagi-Uda tracking antenna. When the receiver picks up a signals from a duck with a transmitter it beeps. The closer you get to a duck wearing a transmitter, the louder the beeps. Alfie: Yagi-Uda. Those old things. But why not just use binoculars like you use for us kākā? Or even…the closer you get to the duck, the louder the quack? Bronwen: Ha! Because pāteke are most active at night Alfie, they like to hide in dense vegetation, and they don’t quack all the time.   Alfie: OK. So what have you found out about them so far? Bronwen: They really are forest ducks. And they can climb quite high up the hills to roost in warm dry areas during the day. Not where you would expect to see a duck at all. We track them coming down to feed in the creeks and along the lakes at night. They can travel big distances. The fun part of my job is clambering through bush, up and down steep slopes, off-track, and in the dark, and at times up to my knees in mud. Alfie: That sounds very intrepid Bronwen. But is it really fun? Bronwen: Well you get better at getting around in the dark with practice. You get a feel as to where you are without being able to see. It’s great fun, the wilder the better. Alfie: And what will the research tell us? Bronwen: Most of what we know about pāteke has been by found by observing them where there are bigger populations, like Northland, Great Barrier Island, and Coromandel. Because the birds are so rare, DoC and others are working to help them recover and establish new areas where they can be safe. By studying them in Zealandia, we are seeing how they behave in a forested environment. That helps us choose new habitats where they will thrive. Katie Sheridan holding a pāteke. Photo by Bronwen Shepherd Alfie: And enjoy their lives too! That’s awesome Bronwen. How did you get involved as a volunteer? Bronwen: The first volunteering I did at Zealandia was guiding, then I started monitoring kākāriki and kākā… Alfie: Excellent! Bronwen: … up here in the upper valley mostly, plus pest audits and winter planting. I also helped with kiwi tracking and catching and holding kiwi while DNA samples were taken for a project Dr Helen Taylor was doing to study kiwi genetics and breeding success. That got me started on night work in the valley as well as going to Long Island in the Marlborough Sounds. Alfie: It must be tricky working at night here. Bronwen: I love it Alfie. When you first visit Zealandia at night it’s a different world. At first, particularly off-track, I felt like an interloper in an environment where wildlife is so at home, it’s as different… Alfie: …as night from day? Native leaf-veined slug. Photo by Bronwen Shepherd Bronwen: Right Alfie! It’s such an amazing experience. I think we humans forget sometimes that the valley doesn’t shut down at 6pm. Everything comes alive, in a whole new way. For a start, there are creatures that might hardly ever be seen otherwise. Kiwi, pāteke, and ruru are the obvious ones people think of, but there are heaps of others too. And even the animals that you can see in daylight behave differently at night. Tuatara can be very active. I’ve seen them on tracks every few metres after a warm day. And after a while it’s the whole nocturnal ecosystem you start to notice. I love the little things that come alive at night, like koura (crayfish) and freshwater fish. They come out in the creeks where you wouldn’t generally see them during the day. And the tree wētā come crawling out of wherever they’ve been hiding. There are also lots of geckos, skinks, and beautiful green leaf-veined slugs. Then there are the special times when the valley can appear like an enchanted forest. There have been magical experiences. Glow worms surrounding a waterfall in starlight. Galaxies everywhere… Just then, the moon went behind a solitary cloud, the light faded, deepening the shadows around us and making the stars appear brighter. We were both quiet for a while as we took it all in. Then I heard a strange beeping from the direction of the Yagi-Uda. Bronwen: Hey, that’s a pāteke I need to track. Nice to see you old buddy, but I’ve got to fly. She skipped off quickly and disappeared down a steep ridge heading to the lake. “Got to fly”. What was that about? How can they be so happy without being able to? Still, a wise old bird once told me of the dangers of inappropriate aviamorphism, so I put the thought aside, then all thoughts, as I rose on a freshening breeze and banked into a lazy glide back to Valley View. Approaching the lake, I looked down as a reflection of the moon appeared, and nearing home, I suddenly saw stars of light flash in the water near the shore. Dabbling ducks perhaps.   Want to learn more about pāteke research? Join us for Katie Sheridan’s Seminar on Wednesday 14th October 2015. You can also read more about Helen Taylor’s little spotted kiwi research here.

    • The Kākā Diaries
      • Photo journal by volunteer kākā nest monitor Lynn Freeman It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that to be a kākā monitor you need patience, focus, dedication, a sense of humour and reliable waterproofs. Not necessarily in that order. Lynn Freeman and Kermit Kākā shortly after being banded and named. Photo by Judi Miller We all have stories to share. Mine include: What’s in a Name? Ask Ebenezer, Fezziwig, Kermit, (un)Lucky and Miss Ellie. The Kaka Wars The Big O.E. (outside experience) The Morepork Squatter The Falcon Ambush and Wet Wet Wet   You’re only going to hear about a couple of them in this blog. People, like kākā, have short attention spans. But you’ll get the gist of why nestbox monitors sign on to wait for an hour or more, at a respectful distance from nestboxes, binoculars in hand, watching for exists and entrances, often in the rain and cold. Take your eyes off the box and you can guarantee that’s when Mama kākā will nip in or out and you have to start over. The rewards for all this waiting however are many and totally fulfilling. Monitors get to know individual kākā from eggs (sometimes even conception!) to adulthood, thanks to our banding programme. They each have their own distinct personalities. Some are lucky in love and you follow several generations. Others may never find a soulmate or may head out of the valley to a less certain future. You never know. Chicks about 2 weeks old at the “alien-muppet” stage. Photo by Lynn Freeman But here are a couple of stories from my six years co-monitoring the same four sites. I love my route. Unlike some of my fellow monitors, I don’t need to climb ropes, wade streams or use boot spikes to get to my charges once a week over the breeding season. Before we start, some useful information if any of the next bit is to make sense. There are dozens of kākā nestboxes throughout the ZEALANDIA’S sanctuary valley, offering a safe alternative to their favourite nesting sites – the bases of hollowed out old trees. Zealandia’s vegetation is too young to offer many of these but kākā quickly adapted to the purpose designed and built alternatives.   As breeding season approaches, volunteers take on specific routes with 3-4 boxes and these are checked twice a week for around six months, as some pairs may have two clutches a season, and some seasons – like this year – start early (mid-August). Most Zealandia kākā are banded, with a single cohort band indicating their birth year, and two smaller coloured bands on the other leg, giving them their unique combination. They are banded a couple of weeks before they’re due to leave the nest. See how to read kākā bands! What’s in a Name? Kākā nestbox monitors often use band combinations to inspire names: LO-V (Aroha), W-BB (Weeble) and WB-B (Wobble), KG-O (Cargo), P-YB (Pinky B), PW-L (Pawla), BG-Y (Budgie) and MY-G (Midge) who was the 500th kākā to be banded at Zealandia. Some get a bit more creative – (LG-G, which are the colours: Lime and Green) is Kermit (because it’s not easy being green). Pizza Boy (YG-L) suddenly turned up at the door of abandoned female who was incubating eggs and started feeding her. Kevin is V-PG, very protective guy, think the movie The Bodyguard played by Kevin Costner. Monitors have a lot of time to think up names waiting outside nestboxes (see above). The stunning Miss Ellie, who graces the front cover of the Zealandia 2016 calendar, available in the Zealandia gift shop. Photo by Judi Miller Sometimes you attach a name because it’s front of mind – an unbanded female is Miss Ellie in honour of Ellie Catton’s Man Booker Prize win. The first two chicks I named hatched at Xmas time so they were named after Dickens’ Ebenezer and Fezziwig. Until they got their bands and became LK-Y (Lucky) and Y-YO (Yoyo). Which leads nicely into:     The Kaka Wars Lucky and Yoyo in their nestbox. Photo by Linton Miller Yoyo made two bad decisions the first year she decided to breed. One was her useless choice of partner, Captain Beaky, who was charming but disappeared once he’d had his way with her. The second was her choice of nestbox, right next to another one where senior bird Pawla had her own big clutch of chicks. Pawla and her protective partner Arnie made Yoyo’s life hell, even going into the nestbox. We hadn’t witnessed this kind of behaviour before. With some supplementary food supplied, because Yoyo was reluctant to leave her own surviving chick, things were resolved once Pawla’s chicks fledged. Yoyo’s chick Kermit (see above) grew into a big strong kākā seen since at Zealandia feeders.   Kermit drinking nutritious Wombaroo at the feeding stations. Photo by Judi Miller The Big O.E. Mr and Mrs White, who both have large white cohort leg bands, made Zealandian history by being the first couple to have one of their chicks filmed when it first left the nest. It took five (long) days of watching and waiting. There were many false starts, followed by reassurances by the parents. Finally, at 7.10am on the 5th day, a brave kaka struggled out of the nest box, almost fell off the perch, and quickly and inelegantly retreated back into the box. After about half an hour he tried again, did fall to the ground (not far and no harm done) and was quickly joined on the ground by Mrs White, who lead him up a bank. The chicks can’t fly for around a week until they build up their wing strength.       A kākā nestling fledges from its nestbox. Photos by Lynn Freeman   The other tales can wait for another day. All the other nestbox monitors have their own set of stories. It can be tiring, wet, frustrating work but it’s always eventful and satisfying work.

    • LOOK AND LISTEN/titiro me whakarongo
      • That title may make this blog seem like an education lesson in phonics! Actually, I used phonetic spelling extensively for botanical and Māori names both on a recent Walk Group outing and at a ZEALANDIA members’ very interesting ‘Look and Listen ‘seminar’. Fantail spotted by Alison Stephens at ZEALANDIA On the walk, Chris Moore got us to look at a juvenile native clematis with 3 leaves and we listened to how differentiate between it and the 5 leaf Clematis vitalba aka ‘Old Man`s Beard’. On that walk, I also looked at and listened to cheeky pīwakawaka/fantail , melodious tūī and raucous kākā. I looked for tieke/saddleback, but could only listen to this shy bird. Sirocco the Kākāpō was having a well-earned snooze after his last session as our VIP [Very Important Parrot] and star attraction. I could neither see/hear him nor brilliantly coloured kākāriki/crowned parakeet. At the absolutely fascinating seminar run by local artist, Paul Forrest, I thoroughly enjoyed looking at his amazing photos and slides, as well as listening to his instructive, yet amusing talk. Firstly, the pīwakwaka has a ‘bad rap’, because Māori believe a fantail in the house is a harbinger of death. Māori say tīeke are the spirits of dead warriors, whereas the reclusive hihi/stitchbird represents the rays of the sun. Paul focussed our looking at a tītīpounamu/rifleman as a vision of pounamu/green jade, a pōpokatea/whitehead as a gregarious chatterer and a keirangi/harrier hawk as a proud, deft hunter. It was shocking to learn that the highly-regarded explorer and botanist, Buller, ruthlessly hunted native birds, e.g., hūia, as trophies to the point of extinction! In fact, the last huia was sighted in 1907. Tui snapped by Judi Miller Paul reminded us to look for and listen to ruru/morepork and tūī/guardian birds. He particularly focussed our looking at paintings, e.g., a swooping tūī by the ornithologist Don Binney, and also the manaia/carved bird figures and taniwha/ water monster in paintings by John Walsh. Paul reminded us to look carefully at the bird paintings by John Walsh, Bill Hammond, Warwick Freeman and, especially, Shane Cotton. He painted a pīwakawaka /fantail with its fan open and the red strip of a saddle on the back of a tieke. Both that walk and this seminar were indeed educational! Written by Rosemary Cole

    • Winter Walks
      • Tom, Alison, Jenny, Douglas, and Diane on a Winter Walk to Otari-Wilton’s Bush. (Photo by Jenn Keenan) The ZEALANDIA Walk Group often alternates with fortnightly weeding. The walks are many and varied, providing high interest, great company plus safety in numbers. All walks take place regardless of the weather. However, the Winter walks start at 10am rather than 9.30am at the Visitors’ Centre carpark. All ZEALANDIA members are welcome. The walks are usually within ZEALANDIA’s perimeter fence but Chris Moore recently led a walk within Otari-Wilton’s Bush. We were met by curator, Rewi Elliot, given a lot of background about the history,  flora and fauna in Otari. Then we were privelged to be allowed into the Staff Only area of the plant nursery and shade house. What a treasure trove, especially the brilliantly-coloured kaka beak! Next we followed the well-signposted Nature Trail and admired the incredibly huge heritage trees. A glorious kakabeak at Otari-Wilton’s Bush (Photo by Janice McKenna) We learned how to bird count on a previous walk, which had been led by the highly proficient and dedicated Gillian Chandler. She clearly and concisely explained that ZEALANDIA had been divided into grids for quarterly bird counts. Regardless of the weather, pairs of the Birdcount Team count every grid twice, with each member of the pair working from opposite ends of each grid. The Birdcount sites are marked by a disk shaped like a bird beak pointing downwards (see if you can spot one). Gillian and the Birdcount Team must be resilient, as they stand at a Birdcount site for a specific period of time and tally the number of birds seen or heard within 200 metres. She showed us her bright orange, waterproof Aqua-note spiral notebook, which needs specific pens, e.g., Inkjoy, to make a permanent record in wet weather. Crown ferns are one of Sirocco Kākāpō’s favourite foods (Photo by Janice McKenna) The most recent Winter walk in Te Māra A Tāne/ZEALANDIA was a real eye-opener – full of fascinating facts and somewhat surprising information. It was ably led by volunteer guides, Jenn Keenan and John Galloway, with useful and sometimes funny input from other guides and volunteers. Pam Fuller told us about the rejected, early proposal to electrify the top of the perimeter fence. Chris Moore explained why Raukaua anomalus is also known as the milk tree, because cuts ooze sap as white as milk. Chris also showed us some crown ferns – Sirocco Kakapo’s favourite food. Jen Keenan’s incredible kākāpō floral arrangement (Photo © ZEALANDIA) Several were transplanted into Sirocco’s enclosure in case this VIP (Very Important Parrot) was peckish. We were encouraged to tiptoe quietly past his enclosure to avoid disturbing his beauty sleep! Be sure to admire Jenn’s wonderfully realistic Sirocco leaf and flax sculpture on the Admissions Desk. The two takahē had recognised John Galloway’s voice and expected him to feed them. He usually does that during his guided walks with visitors.  The takahē are surprisingly large birds! Takahē “T2″ and “Puffin” (Photo by Janice McKenna) According to John, visitors often expect the takahē to be smaller, more the size of a pūkeko. John introduced us to some medicinal plants and ‘Bushman’s Friend’ or Rangiora, which can be used like toilet paper in the bush. Jenn warned us that Rangiora can no longer be used as a postcard, as once was the case – NZ Post no longer accepts a stamped, addressed Rangiora leaf. After so much food for thought, this Winter  walk ended as per usual, with a delicious, well-earned lunch at Rata Cafe. Bon Appetit / nā,  from Rosemary Cole.

    • Zealandia’s eye-in-the-sky Alfie Kākā catches up with cousin Sirocco Kākāpō
      • Alfie: Hey Cuz! Awesome to have you back “couch-surfing” at Zealandia again. I always have room for my favourite relatives. Sirocco: Skraaarrk! It’s great to be back Alf. Despite my busy schedule of climbing trees and international superstardom I love coming back to see my mates here at Zealandia and meeting all my fans. There’s been so much happening here in the capital while I’ve been here—Welly on a Plate, film festivals and 150th birthday parties—so I’ve been mixing business with pleasure of course! It’s all happening in Wellywood—any recommendations for things to do/see to while I’m here? Alfie: You mention Welly on a Plate, so you might be interested in an extra special event “Kākāpō and Kai”. No don’t panic – kākāpō is not on the menu. Instead guests get treated to a fabulous meal at Zealandia’s Rata Cafe featuring native ingredients (including some of your favourites!) and then come and visit you. The perfect night out in Wellington! There are just a couple of extra spots added in the last few days, so check it out if you get the chance. Sirocco: Boom! I do love my kai! Rata sounds like the place to be then—and here is a fun fact – rātā nectar is one of my favourite summer treats! Alfie: Oooh yum! Sounds delish! So, Sirocco, I’m a bit hazy on the family tree. I know you’re my cousin, but how many generations do we go back? Sirocco: Boom! Wow, that’s a tough one Alf. I know we’re both part of the New Zealand parrot ‘superfamily’, along with those cheeky kea, and we’re definitely all SUPER parrots! I’m pretty sure it goes back quite a long way but sadly we kākāpō lost a lot of our whakapapa and knowledge when we got down to a low of ONLY 51 kākāpō in 1995— at that point it was all about survival. But you’ll always be my ‘best-ie from another nest-y’ Alf! It seems like I have some new kākā cousins flying around the place Alfie—are any of them thanks to you? Alfie: Oh yes – I’m father, grandfather, and uncle many times over now. As a founder bird here at Zealandia, I’ve had ample opportunity to follow my instincts. I haven’t been a father for a couple of seasons though. Despite what the field guides say about kākā and monogamy, I can assure you it’s not at all the case! Sadly my best girl is now someone else’s best girl :<… But not to cry, a new season is upon us, and who knows who might come hopping my way. Sirocco: Skraaarrk! Personally I love the bachelor life Alfie, but good luck finding a new best girl! I’ve been trying Tinder at the moment—but I think I’m the only parrot on it : Alfie: Gosh you certainly are living the playboy lifestyle aren’t you! Last time you were here we started planning world domination for all parrots, one macadamia nut at a time… but since then I hear you started dabbling with pumpkin seeds only to then turn to walnuts. Does this fickleness indicate a change in your political views? Sirocco: Boom! You’ve got to be in good shape to take over the world, so I’ve decided to cut down on the macadamias and swapped them out for walnuts—it’s always good to ‘treat yo self’ every now and again though. Also I visited Parliament last year and the one political lesson I learnt is that you always need to make sure you’ve got the numbers—a few more kākāpō and kākā on our side and we’ll be an unstoppable force! : Alfie: You’re so right Sirocco! Well I’ll do my best to make sure this breeding season is the best ever – I’m sure your whānau will do the same! Sirocco: Yes – the word from Kākāpō Recovery is that it will be a fantastic season for baby kākāpō too! Wings crossed! : Alfie: Back to your appearances here at Zealandia, I’ve been told that you’re not here to entertain your visitors, but that the visitors come to entertain you? Is there any truth in that, and how can visitors get the best out of their kākāpō experience? Sirocco: Boom! For sure, just between you and me the whole ‘parrot on tour’ gig is all for my enjoyment! I’m a rockstar kākāpō so if you are coming to visit I expect to be entertained with your best moves—think of it as your very own X-Factor audition. Sing, wave, whistle and dance your heart out—don’t be shy. The more creative you are the more likely I will be to give you a happy skraaarrk. Alfie: : it’s the best show in town! Book now to have your chance to visit with Sirocco Kākāpō Follow Alfie Kākā on facebook and twitter Follow Sirocco Kākāpō on facebook and twitter

    • Dead parrots popping up at Zealandia
      • A dead parrot? My heart pounded, my stomach hit the ground. Word had just reached me that dead parrots were turning up all over Zealandia. My worst fears realized. I flew down to Tui Terrace to find a young kaka on his back, hanging from a tree, as stiff as a board as if he’d been nailed in place. Another dead parrot? A quick dash to the Dam Feeder site to find another young one looking not long for the world. “What’s happening” I skrarked??! “He’s pining for the fjords,” my sister Ruby said somberly. “Look, matey,” I replied, “I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I’m looking at one right now!” Ruby rolled her eyes, and flew off. What was going on? Dead parrots everywhere I look! Another tree, another dead parrot – this one with her eyes open but staring ghostfully into the distance as if she’d had the fright of her life. I turned to fly down to the rangers nest to get help. But not before a cheeky kakariki chattered from the sidelines, stopping me in my tracks:  “‘E’s not pinin’! ‘E’s passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! ‘E’s expired and gone to meet ‘is maker! ‘E’s a stiff! Bereft of life, ‘e rests in peace! If you hadn’t nailed ‘im to the perch ‘e’d be pushing up the daisies! ‘Is metabolic processes are now ‘istory! ‘E’s off the twig! ‘E’s kicked the bucket, ‘e’s shuffled off ‘is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisibile!!” It then dawned on me – all was well with the world afterall – the youngsters were merely acting out their favourite Monty Python sketches for the visitors – I’d stumbled upon the Dead Parrot Sketch – looks like this year’s April Fool is me… (Photo credits Alfred Kaka)

    • Saddie the Saddleback
      • Saddie the Saddleback (Photo by Diana Hilgert) Tucked away in a quiet corner of Karori is a house with a special attraction… Diana and Geoff have a regular visitor who taps insistently on their window – a saddleback (tīeke) they’ve named Saddie. Tīeke are very territorial birds, whose displays include head-bobbing and tail-fanning, and Saddie does both on his perch outside Diana’s window. He has ripped all the fronds off the fern he perches on as if to create a landing strip for his visits. Twice this summer he’s brought a young fledgling with him, and occasionally his mate also makes an appearance. Does he want attention? Is he staking his claim to his territory, or responding to his own reflection in the glass? Diana is mindful that Saddie is a wild bird and so doesn’t feed him, keeping a respectful distance that won’t affect his natural behaviour. There’s no saying for sure what the attraction is for this boisterous bird. Maybe, she jokes, he’s just flirting with her. Tīeke are wattlebirds, from the same family as the kōkako and huia. They are clumsy flyers and nest close to the ground which makes their eggs and chicks vulnerable to introduced predators such as stoats, rats and cats. Due to predation and habitat loss, during the twentieth century these beautiful birds only survived on offshore island sanctuaries. In 2002 tīeke were introduced to Zealandia, and they are now well established within the safety of the valley. With so many breeding pairs flourishing inside the fence, these striking, unique birds are now beginning to venture beyond it, in search of new territory and, to the delight of locals like Diana and Geoff, are making themselves right at home Video by Diana Hilgert

    • School Holiday Programme April 2015
      • Bookings are now open for the ZEALANDIA school holiday programme! The ZEALANDIA school holiday programme is tailored for children ages 5 to 12 with a love for nature, getting outside, and mucking in to make a difference. By spending their holidays at Zealandia, they will step into a vanished world and get to know the rare and endangered species that covered Aotearoa a thousand years ago! Each day has a different theme – your kids will interact with ZEALANDIA staff, go behind the scenes, and see some of New Zealand’s rarest species – all while contributing to our ongoing conservation project. <a

    • World Wetlands Day – what can you do?
      • Looking out over the Keith Taylor wetlands at Zealandia by Janice McKenna Swamps, marshes, fens and bogs.  These are our wetland areas, crucial buffer zones at the boundaries between land and water. Wetlands act as giant sponges in the landscape, soaking up rainfall which helps prevent flooding during storms. They also help protect rivers and lakes from runoff from the land during heavy rain by trapping sediment that can choke a stream and absorbing surplus nutrients like nitrogen that can lead to the explosion of algal blooms.  Wetlands are a toxin sink, storing environmental pollutants as well as nitrogen and carbon in its wet, airless soil and in the deep roots of the plants that grow there. The cool green of a wetland stream at Zealandia by Janice McKenna In Zealandia’s valley, before the forest was cleared and the stream dammed in the 1870s, the wetland habitat would have been scant. But the valley’s previous use as the source of Wellington’s water supply left behind dams and reservoirs, along with some flat land ideally suited to wetland development and restoration. Blue Damselfly by Janice McKenna Zealandia’s lower wetland and lake edges have been restored with plants that are representative of a typical Wellington wetland, including grasses, sedges and rushes.  At the same time riparian (streamside) planting of wetland trees and shrubs like cabbage trees, tree fuchsias, swamp maire, kahikatea and pukatea has enhanced the freshwater stream habitat further up the valley. The wetland area around the lower dam now boasts shags, pateke, and New Zealand scaup, and the streams and lower lake now support shortfin and longfin eels and banded kokupu fish. The lower lake itself is often cloudy from algal blooms, but the streams that feed into it are usually clean, containing a high diversity of freshwater invertebrates. The variety and abundance of these invertebrates indicate the health of a freshwater system. What can you do? Wetlands help keep our freshwater fresh, but they can’t do it all on their own, (especially if we keep draining them). If you have a creek at the bottom of your garden, look after it! Avoid disturbing the ground around it. Excavations and earthworks produce loose sediment, which only washes one way: into the nearest stream. Consider planting shade trees, flaxes, sedges and toetoe to keep the water cool and protect the banks. And don’t necessarily remove established shrubs and grasses at the margins, even if they’re exotic species, because for the invertebrates, eels and other fish in your creek, an established habitat is better than no habitat at all. Native plants for streamside planting in Wellington (DOC) Common native wetland plants (Wellington Regional Council) It’s World Wetland Day 2 Feb & Wonders of Wetlands Month at Zealandia Feb 2: World Wetlands Day Feb 11: Evening talk on the Wonders of Wetlands All month: ask our guides & hosts about the wonders of our wetlands Aged 15-24? Enter the Youth Wetlands Photo Competition Article by volunteer Liz Hobbs Photos by volunteer Janice McKenna

    • 2014 Volunteer Awards
      • var slider;jQuery(document).ready(function(){slider = jQuery('#basicslider').bxSlider({startingSlide: 0,controls: true});jQuery('.thumbs a').click(function(e){e.preventDefault();var thumbIndex = jQuery('.thumbs a').index(this);slider.goToSlide(thumbIndex);jQuery('.thumbs a').removeClass('pager-active');jQuery(this).addClass('pager-active');return false;});jQuery('.thumbs a:first').addClass('pager-active');}); Every  year, we present awards to volunteers who have made outstanding contributions to the sanctuary. Three awards are presented each year at our traditional Volunteers BBQ*. Award for Outstanding Contributions This award is given to recognise outstanding contributions made by individuals in various volunteer groups over the year. Award for Outstanding New Volunteer This award specifically recognises the contributions of individuals who have started volunteering at Zealandia in the last two years. Long Service Award This award, in the form of a Zealandia pin, is given out each year to those who have completed 10 years of continuous voluntary work here at Zealandia. *The 2014 Volunteer’s BBQ will be held at ZEALANDIA from 6pm – 8.30pm on Friday 28 November. RSVP here Download Nomination Form (Word) Please send your completed form to arrive no later than Friday, 31 October 2014. Post: Karori Sanctuary Trust, PO Box 9267, Wellington Email: sarah.osullivan@visitzealandia.com     

    • VIDEO: The Pāteke Stomp
      • PhD student, Katie Sheridan recently captured a video of a pāteke that has developed an interesting feeding technique. Usually, these dabbling ducks will turn their heads to the side and use their bill to filter food from the stream. However, this young male has found it more efficient to stomp his feet on the riverbed before plunging his head in the water to collect his meal. Watch: The Pāteke Stomp Pāteke were first released at ZEALANDIA in 2000. Breeding was first confirmed in 2002 and ducklings are often seen in the sanctuary. While we don’t know exactly how many pairs are present in the sanctuary, PhD researcher Katie Sheridan is mapping their distribution through the valley. Katie places cameras along rivers in the valley and watches for teal. Once she spots one in the area, a feeding station is deployed to encourage the teal to stay. Eventually, a live-capture cage is added to the feeding station. This allows Katie to band an individual and continue to monitor them. Pāteke are most easily seen at the lower dam, lake and wetlands though they are found in the bush too. They are often seen on night tours.

    • Free Monthly Wallpaper – Wellington Green Gecko
      • Free monthly wallpaper featuring the Wellington Green Gecko (photo by Janice McKenna) The Wellington Green Gecko (moko kākāriki) is sometimes known as the “barking gecko” because of the defensive barking call it makes when threatened. They are a subspecies of gecko found only in the southern half of the North Island and are much larger than their Northern counterparts. They hunt nocturnally for moths and flies but spend their days sunbathing on divaricated, twiggy shrubs in the display cases on the Round Lawn. Desktop Wallpapers 1024×768 1280×1024 1440×900 1920×1080

    • Elusive pateke are hiding where you least expect them
      • Katie Sheridan is studying Pateke (Brown Teal) at ZEALANDIA. While she was looking for the elusive ducks in the wetlands, our “eye in the sky” Alfie Kaka caught up with her in the wetlands to find out more about what she has been up to… Alfie: A fishing net, a dog, and a caxixi? Is this a new type of summer sport or is there a method in your madness? Katie: Fishing nets, a dog and a caxixi do sound like the perfect combination for summer recreation, but I’m using them to search for the elusive pateke (brown teal, Anas chlorotis). I use my caxixi, which is really just a peanut butter jar filled with corn grits, to lure in pateke in more populated areas of the sanctuary. Initially, I had to play recordings of their call, and then feed them the grits. Now they know to come to the sound of the shaken container. This makes them easier to catch to band them and put transmitters on them. Most of my study pateke, however, live in the more remote parts of the sanctuary, are much more wary of humans, and we’ve only ever seen them in the very early morning  with my motion-sensing cameras. So shaking my grits container, or even playing recordings of their calls, has not tricked them into showing themselves. To locate them, a specially-trained pateke search dog and handler came to the sanctuary to locate, band and affix transmitters. While the dog was able to locate a few locations where pateke had very recently been roosting, these sneaky pateke were able to slip away unnoticed before we could catch them. Thus, a Plan B is in the works. Katie Sheridan with “Patito” the Pateke after he was fitted with a harness and released at ZEALANDIA – Photo by Janice McKenna Alfie: I hear that your dog got a bit overwhelmed with the smell of all our little-spotted kiwi – can she tell you which smells are kiwi and which are pateke? Katie: Unfortunately, she could not let us know whether she was sniffing out a little-spotted kiwi or a pateke. So we did spend some time on “wild kiwi chases”. Alfie: How many pateke do you think we have in Zealandia? And do they come and go over the fence? Katie: It’s tough to say. But including the 18 birds that were initially released at Zealandia in 2000 and 2001, a total of 83 birds have been banded at Zealandia. While many are probably no longer around, we’ve spotted many other unbanded pateke. In terms of their comings and goings from the sanctuary, individuals vary greatly. Some don’t seem to leave their 2,100sqm territory, while others have been found in Brooklyn! Katie attaches a tracking harness to a pateke – Photo by Janice McKenna Alfie: Yes, I’ve been known to wing it over to Brooklyn too – nice neighbourhood! So now that we know how you’re going about doing your research, could you tell us a bit about why? What are you hoping to find out about our daffy ducks? Katie: My main goal is to see how the pateke living in the forested parts of the sanctuary use their habitat. How big are their territories, what are their feeding patterns, where and what are they feeding on, and are their traveling patterns are cyclical? I’d like to compare them to the habitat use of the pateke that live mainly in the open water areas. Prior to the arrival of humans and other mammals to New Zealand, the pateke are believed to have lived in the forest, feeding along the streambeds at night. With the arrival of mammalian predators, pateke numbers diminished rapidly, as pateke hadn’t evolved any defense mechanism against such predators. Along with habitat loss, wild pateke populations are reduced to open water locations, where they can more readily escape predators. If I can determine whether they are better-suited to live in the forest, future conservations efforts could be geared more towards releasing pateke in forested areas fenced to exclude predators. Alfie Kaka: Forest ducks! Who knew! As a forest parrot myself, it makes some of my kaka ancestral stories make more sense. I’m thankful that so many people are doing all they can to protect and preserve what habitat remains so that we all can flourish, and that researchers like you are finding out how best to do it. I can’t wait to find our how your Plan B goes – thanks for chatting Katie and keep in touch.

    • Free Monthly Wallpaper – Ruru (Morepork)
      • Free Monthly Wallpaper featuring the Ruru (Morepork). Photo by Janice McKenna. Morepork are named for the sound of their call and spend their nights silently swooping through the forest in search of food. Their favourite foods are anything small enough to catch – from weta to small birds. They still do their part for conservation by taking rats and mice when possible. Māori tradition suggests that their high-pitched, piercing call signifies bad news, while the more common “morepork” call was a sign of good tidings. Many associate ruru with the spirit world and believe they represent death. When performing the war dances of the haka and the pukana, the glaring looks from the Māori warriors are imitating the fiery little owl. Read more Desktop Wallpapers 1024×768 1280×1024 1440×900 1920×1080

    • Volunteers transforming Wellington’s natural environment
      • ZEALANDIA is one of the largest volunteer-supported conservation organisations in New Zealand with over 300 volunteers actively working at the conservation project. “Our volunteers contribute 30,000 hours of their time each year. Their ongoing dedication helps to preserve the natural heritage that makes Wellington such an excellent place to live.” explains ZEALANDIA Chief Executive, Hilary Beaton. Edith Hodgin is an active volunteer since joining in 1998. She comes in once a week to provide supplementary food to the kākā that have become an iconic species throughout the Wellington region. As a retired statistician, Edith says volunteering is “a nice way to keep busy during retirement. I am proud to be part of something that gives back.” Another volunteer who literally goes above and beyond is John Falkner. He monitors the steepest part of ZEALANDIA’s mammal exclusion fence, checking for fallen trees and faults. John has faithfully walked this section of fence every week for nine years and has climbed the equivalent of Aoraki Mount Cook from sea level over 21 times. He has “been up there come snow, sun, rain or hail” but says it’s worth it to see tūī in his backyard. “Before the sanctuary was established, I used to walk around it quite a bit. When the fence went up I was skeptical but the number of birds have really taken off. We live at the other end of Karori and we see tūī all the time – we would only see one a year before ZEALANDIA.” ZEALANDIA acknowledges its volunteers wherever possible and has made the most of National Volunteer Week to thank people – like John and Edith – who are transforming Wellington’s natural environment. For more information please contact: Kimberley Collins Communications and Marketing Coordinator 04 920 9205 021 049 1436 kimberley.collins@visitzealandia.com

    • Woo hoo – it’s an all new kererū!
      • One of the benefits of membership is that you receive a biannual newsletter with stories from the sanctuary Some of our new members may have never seen a publication of kererū – but for others, it has been an exciting way to find out what’s happening at Zealandia. We’re looking to transform the kererū newsletter into an e-magazine! Keep an eye out for the new & improved kererū magazine in your email inbox from next March.

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