Every year, the Trust compiles its achievements, hopes and thanks into an Annual Report from the Chair. This year, Trust Chair, Reuben Lane, looks back on his first year in the role.
Highlights include a successful application to the Department of Conservation Community Fund, giving the Trust three years of security with around 56% of our costs being met and the confidence to employ a permanent part time year round Ranger, and we’re delighted to have the very experienced Matt Charteris in that role.
The New Zealand Penguin Initiative came into being on the back of work by Kerry-Jayne Wilson and Dr Thomas Mattern to review the research and conservation status of all New Zealand penguins. Our Trust will be working closely with the NZPI team to ensure our methodology and reporting are consistent with those of other penguin conservation groups around the country. That includes our newly established Fiordland crested penguin or tawaki breeding success monitoring programme.
Our Education programme led by Lucy Waller has grown strongly over the 2019-20 year and Lucy is now working with 15 Coast schools and other penguin groups outside the region are keen to borrow our education resource.
Special thanks go to Wellington Zoo Trust, the West Coast Community Trust, the ANZ Staff Foundation, the Sargood Bequest and the Buller Council Community Fund for their generous financial support of our work last year.
Read all the highlights and more detail in our WCPT Annual Report 2019-20.
While materials were chosen that would stand up to the harsh coastal conditions, those same coastal conditions are conducive to plant growth! Occasional checks of the fences have been carried out by volunteers and rangers so that any maintenance needs can be identified and remedied. The never-ending need for maintenance is managing the vegetation that can grow through the fence, for example gorse, blackberry and hydrangea, pushing it to breaking point in places, or flop over causing damage from the weight of rank grass, rushes and weeds such as montbretia.
Volunteers recently spent a few hours tidying up the main fence along Woodpecker Bay north of Punakaiki so a big shout out to them - thank you Fiona, Jony, Reef, Katrina, Mandy, Marty, Teresa and Deb! Flax had been pressing down on the fence, but now the fence has been freed up by these wonderful volunteers - and they picked up a fair bit of rubbish too.
Volunteer Natassja Savidge has offered to check and help maintain the Hokitika penguin protection fence and joined Ranger Lucy Waller and Manager Inger Perkins in May to inspect the length of the fence. Some minor issues were found but the main finding was the extent of the vegetation growth that was damaging the fence in places. Big thanks to Natassja!
