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It has been a bumper breeding season.
We have 11 healthy chicks so far and indications of two further nesting males.
This prolific result is due to several factors; strong healthy birds trans-located from Great Barrier Island last May and the success of our stringent forest restoration programme providing a healthy breeding environment.

Three babies are still in the nursery with the balance of the chicks graduating to outdoor enclosures. The new chicks are on view to visitors in our new kiwi house. Of the many upgrades to the kiwi house, the brooding room and nursery are huge highlights as visitors are able to view our rangers hand rearing the chicks.

Traps, Rats and Rodents
An ongoing and ever present danger to our unfenced forest is mammalian predators. By definition our pest eradication programme is organic as we have to continually deliver the best possible defence for our native bird and animal population.

We have had an enormous review of the types of traps used, their locations and our monitoring systems. This review has resulted in additional traps and upgraded traps. For example, the DOC250 has proven particularly successful in catching stoats and ferrets. For the latest DOC report the forest restoration and pest eradication programmes, please click here

Lady Susan Satyanand visits Pukaha
It was with great pleasure and delight that we welcomed Lady Susan Satyanand to Pukaha to Pukaha this week. She and The Right Honourable Sir Anand Satyanand have been visiting the region and Lady Susan requested a visit to Pukaha to view the wildlife reserve and visit the newly renovated kiwi house.

Among many other pursuits, Lady Susan is a keen gardener and has an interest in the environment and botany, so we were thrilled to be able to discuss the success of the forest restoration project with her.

Time allowed a visit to the extensively renovated kiwi house followed by afternoon tea at Cafe Takahe.

Tickets to fundraiser selling well

Ticket sales for our second annual major fundraising event, the Breadcraft Long Lunch, have got away to a good start. The luxurious lunch is to be held on Sunday 3rd April from 12.30 until 5pm and will feature a champagne reception, five course meal with accompanying wine, a charity auction and sensational entertainment from Frankie Stevens and local songbird, Tess O'Hara.

Tickets are $125 per ticket or $1200 for a table of 10. Phone John Gilberthorpe on 06 304 9698 to secure your tickets.Click through here for more information.

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