The Mapara Wildlife Management Reserve and Conservation Area – about 90 minutes south of Hamilton in DOC's Maniapoto operational district – is home to a significant population of kōkako, the iconic New Zealand bird species featuring on our $50 bill.
As part of a long-term protection effort, DOC's Maniapoto team oversaw the efforts of more than 30 volunteers who spent five to six hours baiting stations intended to control rats which prey on kōkako chicks and eggs.
DOC's Maniapoto Operations Manager Graham Kimber says he was delighted with the work of the volunteers.
"Mapara Recreation Reserve is fairly steep and undulating terrain, and our volunteers put in up to six hours of hard physical labour filling some of 2200 bait stations in the network we have across the reserve," he says.
"Carrying a large backpack of baits and stopping every 50 metres to fill a bait station requires a lot of energy and commitment and to have so many people answer our call for help was very encouraging.
"It shows people really care about nature and our taonga species, and are willing to take action to help."
Former DOC staff member Phil Bradfield started work at Mapara in 1987, when the kōkako protection at the site was just beginning. Back then, there were only 16 pairs of the birds – of which only four couples were male/female pairings.
"We knew kōkako were declining all over the North Island – the project at Mapara was to determine the cause of the decline, and how we could reverse that," he says.
Mapara was the first place where intensive predator control was undertaken to protect kōkako. This led to development of prototype bait stations – one of which Phil brought with him to show those involved on Saturday.
"Mapara was the first place these bait stations were developed and used."
Phil says he's encouraged by the ongoing work at the site, where he spent tens of thousands of hours living in "a run-down shack".
"I'm absolutely overjoyed the Mapara project is being reinvigorated by a team of volunteers – it's such a special place for me and kōkako conservation history."
The baiting undertaken at Mapara on Saturday was the first of three rounds. It will continue through until March.
