New Zealand is at risk of losing its "National Icon".  Once there were millions of kiwi in NZ, there is now estimated to be less than 30,000. Populations are crashing where there is no protection work being carried out. Local extinctions have been recorded in Northland in recent years. Complacency is the kiwi’s greatest danger. Conferenz supports the direct work of Whakaangi Landcare Trust in its establishment of a kiwi conservation area.

Whakaangi is near Hihi in Northland and is home to the northernmost population of North Island Brown Kiwi and numbers exceed 300 individuals within the 1600ha core management area.

At Whakaangi you hear kiwi nightly and see them regularly around the bush and even around houses. Kiwi have even been known to come up to people at night and inquisitively peek at their footwear.

The Whakaangi kiwi population has been identified as an important population geographically and scientifically. It is mentioned in several strategic kiwi documents including "Sustainable Management of Brown Kiwi and Other Threatened Birds in Northland".

The Whakaangi Landcare Trust is has been working for over 10 years to create a pestfree environment that would allow the kiwi population to move from endangered, through sustainable and into a growth population. The Trust employs a team of trappers and a bait programme to eradicate most threat species: possums, feral cats, stoats, rats, wild pigs etc.

Now, most animal pests and predators are virtually removed or under control and juvenile Kiwi have a brighter future to look forward to.

There is an exceptionally high concentration of Kiwi and soon Whakaangi will be able to increase its stock, eventually being able to re-populate other areas in the north. Plans are underway to also look at the re-introduction of other bird species and to establish a kohanga kiwi hatchery & nursery.

In addition, the impact of pest eradicate/control has been incredible on bush regeneration and birdlife. The flora from Pohutukawa to small native plants, have shown huge recovery and their regrowth rates are spectacular. Whakaangi now operates a Kiwi Protected Zone.

Whakaangi’s work is supported in part by the BNZ Kiwi programme and DOC however significant funding shortfalls exist to allow a fully sustainable programme to continue.