Toitū te whenua, whatungarongaro te tangata
As people we come and go, but the land remains
Photo by Peter Rees
The vision
Waiheke is the world’s first predator-free urban island, where our native wildlife is protected and flourishing, enriching the lives of current and future generations.
Why predator-free?
The primary goal is to prevent further loss of our unique taonga species to introduced predators and establish safe habitats for native wildlife to thrive.
Origins
How did Te Korowai o Waiheke come about, what’s behind the name and who who are the initiatives main supporters?
Unique location
Waiheke Island is surrounded by predator-free islands, and so has the potential to become a secure sanctuary for native birds and wildlife.
What is Te Korowai o Waiheke? What is being funded? How many predator free islands are there in New Zealand? Learn all about it in ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.
Why predator free?
Preventing native bird extinction
The combined effects of introduced predators have resulted in the disappearance of almost half of New Zealand’s bird species (51 in total). We can’t reverse extinction, but we can protect those that remain.
New Zealand’s wildlife is unique
Graphics courtesy of Department of Conservation
New Zealand’s Indigenous biodiversity evolved in isolation, therefore much is globally unique. Before boats arrived, carrying rats - no mammals existed, apart from bats. This means that our native wildlife has no defence against introduced mammalian predators. It also means that if they are gone from New Zealand - they’re gone forever, from everywhere.
Huia – once here, now only in stories. Illustration by Paul Martinson, Te Papa
Complacency is not an option
An estimated 68,000 native birds are killed in New Zealand by introduced predators every night - that’s 25 million every year!
New Zealand remains home to over 150 species of native birds, and many of these are found in no other country – they are endemic to New Zealand. Four out of every five are in trouble – and some sit on the brink of extinction.
All native wildlife can flourish
Introduced predators not only impact bird populations but can also be devastating to the health of the overall ecosystem by preying on native insects, reptiles, birds, and plants, disrupting the intricate relationships between them.
Manu|birds
Waiheke would flourish as a vibrant haven teeming with diverse birdlife. The magnificent kākā (bush parrot) will prosper even more, and birds living on nearby predator-free islands such as kākāriki (New Zealand parakeet) korimako (bellbird), and miromiro (tomtit) will find a new safe habitat on Waiheke to make home.
Insects
Insects are also a key part of rat and stoat diets. Endemic insects like the wētā can only be found in New Zealand, and form a key part of our ecosystem as both pollinators and as a food source.
Insects have always been prey to birds, bats, and reptiles in New Zealand but the arrival of mammalian predators changed the balance and resulted in a rapid decline in numbers, now insects like the Giant Wetapunga can only be found on predator-free islands, like Little Barrier. Discover more about bugs with Ruud Kleinplaste here.
Lizards, frogs & bats
Waiheke Island has three gecko species; forest geckos, pacific geckos, and Auckland green geckos, they are all tree dwellers. New Zealand geckos are all endemic (found nowhere else) and are highly unusual in that they are viviparous - which means that they give birth to live young rather than eggs. There are only two other viviparous geckos in the world!
Nearly half of New Zealand’s geckos are endangered or threatened, suffering from habitat loss and predation by introduced predators.
Waiheke Island also has copper and ornate skinks; possibly shore skinks too.
Pekapeka | New Zealand short-tailed bats have a conservation status of ‘Nationally Critical’. These fascinating creatures reside on nearby Great Barrier and Little Barrier Islands, and it is hoped that they will soon find a home on Waiheke. These little guys are no bigger than your thumb, so you would need to keep your eyes peeled or have a special bat monitor to notice them.
Ngahere|forest
Introduced predators pose significant threats to our flora in several ways. By consuming fruits and seeds, they not only deprive native wildlife of a vital food source but also disrupt the germination and distribution processes traditionally carried out by native birds. Additionally, they feed on flowers and new shoots, and continuous browsing on new growth can eventually push mature trees into critical decline.
Furthermore, by preying on insects and birds that have evolved to pollinate native plants, these predators hinder forest regeneration. Conservation organisations are doing some great riparian planting work on Waiheke - and together with predator eradication, we will see larger, denser, healthier forests in the future.
What’s the difference between eradication and control?
Both eradication and control are important areas of conservation. Controlling predators to low levels is critical for places where eradication isn’t yet possible, to hold invasive species at bay and prevent the extinction of more native species. While control reduces risk to native species, eradications remove risk to native species and therefore allow biodiversity to truly flourish.
Eradication
Removes every individual of the invasive species
Removes damage to the ecosystem
Eradications methodically work through a plan to find and kill the last predator in an intense one-off operation.
Control
Controls population size to prevent further spread.
Limits damage to the ecosystem
Needs to be undertaken on an ongoing basis, forever.
Graphics courtesy of Department of Conservation
Waiheke’s unique location
Which birds could fly to Waiheke themselves and make it their home?
Waiheke Island is surrounded by predator-free islands and has the opportunity to become a place of safety for native birds and wildlife, with species of sea and land birds re-introducing themselves from these neighbouring islands.
Tīkapa Moana ( the Hauraki Gulf) is often referred to as a seabird “super-highway”, with populations of ōi (grey-faced petrel) and other seabird breeding colonies. Many more seabirds could make Waiheke home once predator-free and safe for to make home.
There have already been successes with the remarkable establishment of a flourishing kākā population on Waiheke - a great example of how new bird species can re-introduce themselves.
Born from the Waiheke Community
’Waiheke to the lands, to the seas and beyond’
‘Waiheke ki uta, ki tai, ki tua’
Te Korowai o Waiheke was the first project launched by the Waiheke Collective, a community-led initiative made up of individuals, community groups, organisations, and businesses all working in conservation.
The Collective is committed to working together to activate & amplify efforts for a healthy & thriving Waiheke natural environment.
Waiheke was fortunate to be chosen as one of the first five projects to be funded by Predator Free 20250 Limited. Auckland Council and Foundation North are the other two major funders of Te Korowai o Waiheke.
The Collective appointed the Te Korowai o Waiheke board of trustees, responsible for governance, financial management and funder accountability.
About Te Korowai o Waiheke
Ngāti Paoa Korowai - Photo: Peter Rees
The literal translation of 'Te Korowai o Waiheke' is 'The Cloak of Waiheke'. A name that we were honored to be gifted by Ngāti Paoa. The Korowai is a traditional cloak and was usually given to people of high rank, but in this case, it was given to the island itself.
The process of how a Korowai is made is also meaningful. The Korowai is made by the act of whatu - threading together individual feathers. Similarly making the island predator-free will require the collective skills and effort of the community to be threaded together.
As people, we are merely weavers, but the Korowai belongs to the island itself. As people come and go, the hope is the Korowai continues to protect the island from generation to generation.
‘Ko te ‘korowai’ he tohu ō te rangatiratanga’
‘The Korowai is symbolic of the utmost respect people have for something that is precious to them’
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Learn about how you can help by reporting a stoat sighting, donating, or protecting wildlife through pest control initiatives.