Mainland Poster Competition

Media Release 10 September 2007

Mainland Poster Competition
Become a Mainland DOC Ranger for a Day – Call For Entries Begins

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust, and the 18th year Mainland has proudly been a major sponsor. While the penguin population has increased since the Trust’s inception, there’s still a huge amount of work to be done. To celebrate what’s been achieved to date and to promote the importance of saving our wonderful native penguin, Mainland is giving kiwi kids from all over New Zealand the opportunity to create colourful posters which will be displayed in libraries around the country. It’s now time for schools and students to register and get colouring.

After 20 years the Trust has notched up a number of successes. The Trust’s work has helped increase breeding pairs from 150 in 1990 to an estimated 460 breeding pairs on mainland New Zealand. With the help of Mainland and other organisations in the community, the Trust has been able to purchase a significant amount of land on which to protect habitats for the yellow-eyed penguin and actively prevent predation of chicks.

Stephen Buckingham, Mainland’s Brand Manager, says the poster competition will help highlight the cause of the yellow-eyed penguins. “We’d like the posters to create awareness of the work the Trust is doing to save the yellow-eyed penguins, and communicate to the younger generation why they are worth saving.”

The Trust’s Patron, Anton Oliver, says Mainland’s contribution to keeping the birds from becoming extinct has been enormous and encourages entrants to the competition. ”The Mainland barcode redemption scheme has raised over $1 million to support the great work of the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust. Come on kids, get colouring in – with your help we can save the Hoiho and make sure they’re part of New Zealand’s future.”

Mainland and the Department of Conservation have put together a first prize that is the ultimate experience for any budding young conservationist and a great way to teach kids about the penguins with the chance to become a Mainland DOC Ranger for the day.

First Prize: One lucky winner in each age range and region (12 in total) has the chance to join DOC out-in-the-field wearing a brand new pair of yellow Kids Cayman™ Crocs™ with a Penguin Jibbitz included. $100 petrol voucher will be included for parents/caregivers to arrange travel, plus plenty of Mainland cheese to enjoy on the way there! This event is for Saturday November 17, 2007 so winners must be available on that day.

Runners-up: will each receive a $50 Whitcoull’s book voucher, a yellow-eyed penguin soft toy and plenty of delicious Mainland cheese to enjoy with their family and friends!

The competition is broken down into the following categories – Region: Dunedin / Christchurch / Auckland /Wellington & Age ranges: 5-8 year old / 9-10 year old / 11 – 12 year old.

To be part of this campaign, children can download a poster from: www.yellow-eyedpenguin.org.nz. Schools or libraries that wish to participate can register to be sent pads of colouring-in posters for their students by emailing aimee@goodepr.co.nz by 14 September, 2007.

Completed posters need to be sent to Aimee Nichols, Goode PR, PO Box 34115, North Shore 0746, Auckland by 10 October, 2007 and will be drawn by a judging panel to include Auckland Mayoress Diana Hubbard, a DOC representative, and a representative from Mainland, and will be announced at each region’s city library on October 27, 2007.

Don't forget to keep supporting the Mainland barcode redemption scheme and help support the great work of the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust. Save the Yellow-eyed Penguin charts are available free by calling Mainland on 0800 CHEESE (243 373).

ENDS

Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust — Saving a Species

The problem

* In 1987, Otago Conservationists warned that by 2020 there would be no yellow-eyed penguins left on the mainland. There were fewer than 500 breeding pairs left.

* Habitat destruction severely limited their breeding space. More than 40 coastal nesting sites were still being grazed and cattle were trampling nests.

* In some nesting sites, the chick death rate was as high as 99%, largely from predation.

* In 1990, a mysterious illness hit the Otago Peninsula yellow-eyed penguins. The mainland population fell to 150 breeding pairs. It was thought to be the rarest penguin in the world.

The response

* In October 1987, the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust was formed to save the species.

* Its mission was to increase the number of yellow-eyed penguins so that populations became self-sustaining.

* In 1989, the Trust established its plant nursery to revegetate yellow-eyed penguin habitats.

* The nursery sources native seeds from the same area the trees and shrubs will be planted.

* It produces between 7,500 and 12,000 plants a year.

* In its first 10 years the Trust protected eight habitats, by providing fencing to protect the nests from stock and by purchasing three areas and turning them into reserves.

* The Trust also traps predators, supports research into yellow-eyed penguins and runs public awareness and education campaigns.

* Through the Mainland barcode redemption scheme, to date, over $1 million has been raised to support the Trust’s work.

The result

* By 2005/06 the mainland population had recovered to more than 400 breeding pairs.

* It’s estimated there are now 1200 to 1500 breeding pairs on New Zealand’s remote islands.

--

Yellow-eyed Penguins — The Facts

Vital Statistics
Scientific name: Megadyptes antipodes (large southern diver)
Maori name: Hoiho (“noise shouter”)
Life span: Up to 20 years
Height: Approx. 68cm (26in). It is the largest penguin found on the New Zealand mainland.
Weight: 5-8kg (11-17 pounds)
Appearance: Males and females have identical colouring. Adults have yellow eyes and a yellow band around their head. Juveniles are grey until after their first moult.
Food: Small fish and squid, caught at a depth of up to 130m.
Habitat: Southeast coast of South Island, Stewart Island, offshore islands as far south as The Auckland and Campbell Islands. The Yellow-Eyed Penguin is endemic to New Zealand, which means it lives nowhere else. It needs the shelter of bush or forest to remain cool on land.
Population: Estimated 430 breeding pairs on mainland, 1200-1500 pairs on remote islands.
Conservation status: The World Conservation Union has classified the yellow-eyed penguin as “endangered”, meaning it faces “a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future”.

Breeding Behaviour

* Males start breeding around 3-4 years of age, females start breeding around 2-3 years of age. They generally pair for life, but will separate and seek new mates if they do not breed.

* Yellow-eyed penguins choose or reform partnerships and choose territories in August.

* They choose a nesting territory of 30-40m2. Most birds return to the same area to breed, but fewer than 30% will choose the exact same site.

* Yellow-eyed penguins are so shy that if another penguin can see their nest they will not breed.

* They lay two eggs between mid-September and mid-October, 3-5 days apart.

* Both parents incubate the eggs, which hatch 39-51 days after they are laid.

* The average hatching date on mainland New Zealand is November 9.

* After fishing for food, the parents will not return to feed their chicks if people or predators are on the beach.

* Chicks leave from mid-February to mid-March and are immediately able to swim, fish and live independently.

* Approximately 50% of surviving juveniles return to breed at the place where they were hatched.

--

Mainland — 18 Years of Supporting for the Yellow-eyed Penguins

The Commitment:

* Mainland has been a major sponsor of the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust since 1989. The association has become far more than just another sponsorship arrangement and is thought to be one of the longest standing relationships between a corporate and a wildlife organisation anywhere in the world, making it very unique.

* In addition to the huge financial contributions, Mainland has invested a substantial amount of resource into raising the profile of the Trust and the plight of the yellow-eyed penguin. Mainland devoted significant resource in television commercials featuring Roy - an icon synonymous with Mainland in the 80s and early 90s - and a yellow-eyed penguin, demonstrating Mainland’s further commitment to the cause.

The Results:

* With the help of all New Zealanders, through the barcode redemption scheme, Mainland has been able to help preserve and strengthen yellow-eyed penguin numbers. For every cheese or butter barcode received, Mainland donates $1 to the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust; totalling well over $1 million over the past 18 years.

* The redemption rate has grown from 49,000 in 1991/1992 to almost 80,000 in 2006/2007! Over this period, Mainland has donated more than $1 million to the Trust which has gone a long way to saving our native penguin.

* Mainland has produced an 80-page resource kit that can be used in class for the Environmental topic, now a required part of the curriculum. Mainland’s yellow-eyed penguin consumer promotions (such as the “Help Our Sea Friends” and “Help our Hoiho” on-pack and in store promotions) also provide additional funds to the Trust; over and above the ongoing barcode redemption programme. These initiatives help not only raise funds but educate New Zealanders, creating a sense of community and empowering people.

The Future:

* All Mainland products – including block, sliced, grated, specialty and butter – will continue to provide consumers with the ability to contribute to the Trust through the barcode redemption scheme.

* Ongoing, Mainland will continue to drive awareness and promote the Trust’s efforts through a mix of promotions, advertising, and event sponsorship.

© Scoop Media