Kiwi are being heard at Pataua North for the first time in nearly a century, with the release of 10 kiwi into the local landcare group’s predator controlled area.
225 people came to see the kiwi return to Pataua North, including Northland MP Dr Shane Reti, Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai and Ngati Wai kaumatua Hori Parata.
Article submitted by Anne Stewart.
On May 6th the Pataua North Landcare Group celebrated the return of kiwi nearly a century after Mr Robert McDonald lamented the last call of the bellbird. McDonald recounts the crash of trees and the whistle of the log hauler replacing bird song for years after he began farming there in 1918.
Massive tracts of habitat were destroyed as twenty million feet of kauri, kahikatea and massive stands of puriri were converted into railway sleepers and butter boxes from 1860 to 1930.
In 1940, Mr MacDonald recorded that “the old Pataua is now gone, no more can the shrill call of the weka be heard on wet days and the kaka flying overhead is no more. His shrill call is gone and all the things that were nice and that old timers were fond of have disappeared.”
A century after this wholesale destruction of virgin forest and the associated draining of wetlands the Pataua community is slowly seeing a return of their natural heritage.
The Pataua North Landcare Group formed in 2009 to work with the Northland Regional Council to initiate pest control over approximately 800ha. This involved the coordinated and cooperative involvement of 20 landowners with more than 2ha sections. The pest control has continued ever since.
In addition, a number of landowners have restored wetlands and two have undertaken extensive plantings of native trees and shrubs. These have seen a return of many of the species that had been common a century before.
A milestone was reached as the first 10 North Island brown kiwi were released.
The Department of Conservation has approved the release of a total of 40 kiwi over the next 5 years to start a new population.
In addition to the feral pests, pets such as dogs and cats are a threat to kiwi. In January this year, the full Pataua community voted overwhelmingly to adopt a responsible pet ownership policy so that kiwi could return.
To get involved in Pataua North Landcare contact Anne Stewart.
