September 2025
In the constant hustle of grant applications, project implementation, and reporting, it can be easy to overlook the simple yet important gesture of expressing gratitude to the organisations that provide funding. The process can become so focused on getting the work done, all the essential behind the scenes efforts, meeting deadlines, and fulfilling requirements that sometimes it’s easy to forget to thank those organisations. Behind the financial support, there are real people who have taken time to read our applications, listened to our appeals, and who believe in the work we are doing.
So we would like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to some organisations and their teams who have provided encouragement, funding and been flexible with grants, perhaps extending timeframes if needs be.
The organisations listed with their websites linked to their logos are investing in our work because they believe in our vision, that sea and shore birds, and their habitat across the West Coast Te Tai Poutini, are healthy and thriving, and our mission to make that vision a reality. Their support and their contribution is making a very real difference in keeping our research, our education, our awareness and our advocacy work going.
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!
