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The Landowners of Whakaangi have worked for many years trying to protect the natural values of their land. Because combined and coordinated efforts are more effective than working alone, fouryears ago we formed the Whakaangi Landcare Trust.

Its prime function is to carry out pest and predator control, and kiwi conservation to enhance and sustainably protect the many biodiversity values on the peninsular.

In order to do this the Trust employs professional trappers, who are funded with donations and grants.
The core area under control at the moment is 1,600+ hectares of contiguous bush plus an 800 hectares buffer that contains pockets of indigenous vegetation in pasture. This core area contains a very high concentration of Kiwi, which is New Zealand's endangered flightless bird and the Nation's recognised icon. Whakaangi is in fact the home of the northern-most North Island Brown Kiwi population.

Situated on the Hihi Peninsular bounded by Berghan Point, Hihi Subdivision and Taemaro Bay in the Far North of New Zealand in the South Pacific, this land mass has the advantage of being sealable at one end where farm land meets bush, with a concentrated bait station line to prevent future outside re-invasions. The sea bounds the other three sides of this thick bush covered area.

Because of this topography it is feasable to control predator re-invasion as long as the perimeter firewall is maintained and serviced continually. As long as the perimeter holds it is a matter of eliminating predators in the interior, then controlling pockets of re-invasion via the coastal edge corridors, where it is not practical to control because of high cliffs or dangerous terrain.

To maintain this level of predator control involves many man-hours on a continual basis and slowly increasing the Buffer Zones around the project, until eventually after many years, achieving a link up with other Predator Control Areas.

To make a Project such as this work requires as well as "people on the ground", project managers, administrators, project advocates plus people whose role is to seek funding for trapper labour, traps and baits.

So a Trust was formed from all the Landowners to effectively run the Project and fill all these roles.

The area is now receiving the management required to protect Kiwi and the other species it contains.This requires a constant injection of resources.

You can help by learning more about the Project, the Whakaangi area and offering your support.

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