Forests

The forests that make up most of Project Kiwi Trust's operational area are a mosaic of original mature phase forest, regenerating forest and shrublands at a variety of successional stages.

The primary vegetation types are:

• Pine (plantation) forest
• Kauri - Tanekaha forest
• Broad leaved forest – dominated by northern rata, puriri and tawa
• Coastal forest – pohutukawa, puriri, karo, flax, kowhai
• Swamp forest – swamp maire, pukatea, kahikatea
• Kanuka forest – secondary but mature
• Kanuka shrublands – secondary and young
• Manuka, broadleaved shrublands
• Freshwater wetlands – raupo dominated
• Saline sedgelands – oioi and wiwi
• Duneland – spinifex

Within these environments there is a variety of native birds, but as with most of New Zealand's natives,they are competing with introduced mammalian pests and predators for food and for a safe environment to raise their chicks.

Stoats, dogs, ferrets, cats, weasels, pigs, possums, rats and hedgehogs – all wreak havoc on our native bird populations – none are safe whilst we have these pests and predators about.

Project Kiwi Trust traps and poisons stoats, possums, cats and rats to protect the ecosystem we want kiwi and other native birds to flourish in. We have a pig management programme in place to manage the pig population. We work with dog owners; remind them of their responsibilities as dog owners, and co-ordinate avian aversion days for summertime holiday makers and their pets through the Department of Conservation.

We are currently overhauling our trapping system for mustelids, installing 200 stainless steel DoC 200's – they're going to be sorry they ever thought about visiting the Kuaotunu Peninsula when we've finished with them!

• Project Kiwi Trust aims to see a tree canopy that shows no signs of possum damage.
• Project Kiwi Trust aims to see and hear more native birds.
• Project Kiwi Trust aims to continue increasing kiwi abundance.

Beaches

Within the operational area of Project Kiwi Trust there are also beaches where NZ Dotterel (charadriusobscurus) and Variable Oystercatchers (haematopus ostralegus) live. Both are endemic.

If you see a NZ Dotterel, lucky you! There are only about 1500 left!

Believe it or not, there are only about 4000 Variable Oystercatchers remaining too.

These birds nest at the same time of year that people love to visit the beach – summer! Humans are another obstacle in the NZ Dotterel and Variable Oystercatchers attempts to successfully rear their chicks along with cats, dogs, hedgehogs, Black-backed Gulls, Australasian Harriers and mustelids.

Keep these things in mind next time you visit the beach:

NZ Dotterel and Variable Oystercatchers want their eggs and chicks to survive just as humans want their babies to survive. They will do things to protect their eggs and chicks, and you just need to understand what they are trying to communicate to you.

NZ Dotterel are very passive in the way that they try to defend their young and if you don't pay attention to their signals, you could be spelling doom for their nest or chicks – you could be the reason that their eggs overheat or chill, or for their chick to be attacked by other birds. If a NZ Dotterel acts as if it is injured, it is trying to draw you away from its nest or chicks. Respect their need for space and move away from the area quickly.

Variable Oystercatchers on the other hand are aggressive defenders of their nests and chicks. There's no mistaking what a Variable Oystercatcher is trying to communicate when it is flying at you making the distinctive 'kervee-kervee-kervee' noise!

What does endemic mean?

Endemic means a plant or animal that is naturally present and unique to a particular geographic location, such as a specific island or habitat type.