Meet Rory, a Te Korowai o Waiheke Field Technician, who spends his days working towards a predator-free future for Waiheke Island. From deploying rat bait stations to conducting surveys and analyzing videos, Rory's work takes him all around the island. Learn how his passion for nature and unique ecosystem led him to his dream job, and hear his best work story yet!
Read MoreImagine if …Waiheke was predator-free… There are many benefits to so many aspects of our island's flora and fauna - that’s why we will do a little series to break down some of the incredible changes Waiheke could see after becoming predator free.
Read MoreIt is not uncommon for the twig that has fallen on to your outdoor dining table, or is stuck to your kitchen window, to actually be a rō, or stick insect. Aotearoa has around 20 different species, all with the same remarkable camouflage in shades of brown and bright green.
Read MoreMany of Waiheke’s neighbours are already predator-free and looking at how the wildlife on these islands has prospered - gives us a good idea of what would happen on Waiheke. First up we’re highlighting Motuihe Island.
Read MoreMeet Tilde Sorensen! Born on Waiheke, and proud to be a third-generation conservationist, Tilde has grown up surrounded by people who care about the environment. She graduated with an MSc in conservation and biosecurity from the University of Auckland last year, and now works for Te Korowai o Waiheke, which she says "is the weirdest job I have had."
Read MoreThe heat of another clear day beats down on me. I am surrounded by harakeke, kōwhai, pōhutukawa and pūriri which shake with the movement of feasting birds. It’s a nectar feeder’s dream.
Read MoreWhat does a Te Korowai o Waiheke’s Monitoring Technician day look like? Charlie says, “my day can be from one extreme to another, whether it is tramping through the bush to check bait stations and monitoring devices or stuck to my computer screen analysing thousands of pictures of rats.”
Read MoreThe depths of a tall forest gully can feel like you’re in a remote and untouched part of the world, especially when you can no longer get a signal on your GPS. A noiseless shadow swoops past me, few creatures move with such ease and invisibility, so I am enamoured to see the golden eyes of a ruru peering down from the underside of a wheki ponga.
Read MoreWhat does Te Korowai o Waiheke’s Stoat Manager’s day look like? Frank says, “each day is unique and exciting. I spend time in the field checking traps which is always fun. I love being out in the bush, but I also spend time communicating and working with many of our wonderful volunteers, farm hands, and contractors.”
Read MoreKōtare, or Sacred Kingfisher, are the glimpse of colour you may see dipping in and out of a riverside or silhouetted on a powerline. Often you’ll only see a flash of teal and a splash before they return to their lookout hidden away in the mangroves.
Read MoreFrom my house on Te Matuku Point Lane, I overlook the Marine Reserve, and I awake to the feathered residents making themselves heard – the screech of the kākā overhead and the agility of the tūis twisting and turning their way through the kanuka and totara.
Read MoreThe stoat trapping team are stepping it up for summer, with four new Field Technicians joining to track down the remaining stoats on the motu.
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