What are seabirds? Seabirds find all, or most of their food at sea; by contrast, shorebirds (waders) feed along shorelines, in estuaries and lagoons. Only 360 of the worlds 9,000 bird species are true seabirds. 86 of these breed in the New Zealand region, including 38 which breed nowhere else. Other species that breed elsewhere visit […]
Read on full page ………….. This is an absolutely critical function for the trust, it’s endless and sometimes frustrating and disappointing, perhaps when carefully worded funding applications fail. But, with funding support apparently gone from DOC, it’s more important and more urgent than ever. Fundraising can fill people with dread, especially when asking for donations […]
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 […]
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The Department of Conservation has been the main sponsor of the Trust since its inception and continues to support our work with advice, collaboration and encouragement. We’re very fortunate to work with such a passionate group of people throughout the West Coast region. […]
Sooty Shearwaters / Titī Although the population of sooty shearwaters is in the millions, they are in decline, surviving on islands, particularly around the southern South Island. A handful of ‘sooties’ nest on the mainland at Cape Foulwind and the Trust has been encouraging more to nest here and trying to protect those that do […]
September 2025 This year, the West Coast Penguin Trust has released both a colourful summary and the usual Annual Report for 2024-25. They are full of news about the trust’s projects, from field work to fundraising, foraging to fencing, and covering research, education, awareness and advocacy. Our Vision remains “Sea and shore birds and their […]
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Advocacy – speaking up for penguins An important aspect of our work is advocacy. We know that you rely on us to speak up for penguins and other threatened seabirds through a variety of processes. Te Tai Poutini Plan Most recently, Trust Manager, Inger Perkins, spoke to the commissioners working on the new regional district […]
Our vision continues to be that “Sea and shore birds and their habitat of the West Coast Te Tai Poutini are healthy and thriving”. Our Mission is to achieve the vision through research, education, awareness, advocacy and practical projects, founded on strong science. Message from the Chair After three years as Chair, I will be handing […]
