News

With blood in its mouth and dog tracks all around it, the Department of Conservation (DOC) assumes that this little blue penguin or kororā was killed by a dog last week at Serpentine beach.

With blood in its mouth and dog tracks all around it, the Department of Conservation (DOC) assumes that this little blue penguin or kororā was killed by a dog last week at Serpentine beach. This should be a season of good news as penguins are starting their breeding season. Instead, DOC and the West Coast Penguin Trust are asking all dog owners to keep dogs under close control at the beach at all times and always out of the vegetated areas.  Close control means that there is absolutely no doubt that they will return to you immediately that they are called, leaving anything of interest whether another dog, human, curious smell, food (perhaps toxic) or wildlife. In fact, that request goes to all beach users. West Coast Penguin Trust Manager, Inger Perkins, says everyone can help. “It may be that dog owners are visiting the area and have no idea that there may be penguins present. It can’t hurt to say hello and just note that there may be penguins present so keeping dogs under close control and out of the dunes is important.  Also, from dusk to dawn, dogs should be on a lead as penguins could be coming and going across the beach. “Kororā are the smallest of all penguins, standing just 30cm tall.  They are vulnerable to a variety of threats.  Your darling dog might just want to play, with no malice at all, but unfortunately the necks of penguins cannot withstand the jaws or a playful shake of a dog of any size.” With assistance from DOC, the West Coast Penguin Trust has been recording reports of dead penguins since 2006.  The location and, where possible, the cause of death is added to a database.  The results are clear: 56% of the penguin deaths were due to vehicles on our coastal roads while 19% were killed by dogs. Penguin protection fences along the Coast Road north of Punakaiki and north of Hokitika, are keeping penguins safe on the sea side of roads and the proportion of penguins killed on the roads has reduced significantly since the fences were installed.  However, there are other places where penguins will venture onto roads.  If you’re travelling at night, it will be safer for you and give penguins more of a chance if you drive a little slower and allow a bigger gap when following another vehicle. When it comes to dogs, the proportion of penguins killed by dogs has remained at around 19-20% of all reported penguin deaths.  You will probably have seen signs at beach access points reminding us that penguins, as well as seals and other native wildlife, nest, rest and feed in the beach area.  The shared advice from district councils, DOC and the Penguin Trust is to stay at least 20m, or four car lengths away, from any wildlife.  Dog owners are encouraged to keep dogs on leads after dark and before dawn, and at all times in the dunes and coastal scrub where penguins could be nesting. Ms Perkins, says: “Sadly, encouragement is not always enough and if we have shared this message once, we have shared it a thousand times, and yet sadly here we are again.” Senior Biodiversity Ranger at DOC in Greymouth, Darrell Haworth, explained: “It is an offence if you’re the owner, or person in charge of a dog that attacks protected wildlife and that dog kills wildlife or injures them so badly they have to be destroyed to end suffering.  Anyone convicted of such a charge can be sentenced to prison for up to 12 months, be fined up to $10,000, or both. “But before looking at compliance options, why not think of the dog?  A dog that is allowed to roam is not only a risk to wildlife but also to itself and road users if it wanders on to a road.  Keeping your dog safe and secure at home, and under effective and close control when out walking or hunting, just makes sense.” Ms Perkins added that penguins could be around at any time of year. “We are approaching the breeding season for kororā as they sort out nests in anticipation of egg laying later this month.  However, penguins could be using the beach you share with them at any time of year.  You might see their tracks heading out to sea before the next tide washes footprints away.” As the breeding season begins, DOC staff are likely to visit areas where penguins and other wildlife might be at risk from dogs, Darrell Haworth says. “We’re keen to ensure the message is clear before we do so, to avoid having to potentially issue any infringement notices. “Don’t take dogs where they are prohibited and ensure that you always have effective control of your dog - effective control means that your dog will immediately return to you when called.” DOC has some advice to help dog owners be more responsible when exercising dogs at the beach:

• Walk on the wet sand: you’ll be more likely to avoid wildlife
• Feet on sand, lead in hand: always have your lead handy in case you need to keep your dog close)
• Keep your dog on a lead near wildlife and stay four car lengths (20m) away, and
• Help ’em out, give a shout (let other beach goers know when wildlife is present).

DOC has more information on its website.: www.doc.govt.nz/dogs-on-beaches

A simple plastic mesh fence is saving penguin lives on the West Coast, keeping little penguins, kororā, safely on the sea side of the Great West Coast Road near Punakaiki.

A simple plastic mesh fence is saving penguin lives on the West Coast, keeping little penguins, kororā, safely on the sea side of the Great West Coast Road near Punakaiki. The conservation status of these smallest of penguins is At Risk – Declining.  When the West Coast Penguin Trust started out life in 2006, their first goal was to find out whether, and if so why, little penguin numbers were declining in this region.  Stoats were believed to pose a threat, as they do for most native birds, so the Trust’s first project was to monitor breeding success in colonies with and without stoat trapping. At the same time, the Trust established a little penguin mortality database, and that, created and maintained in collaboration with the Department of Conservation ever since, has proved critical in understanding and then managing threats to these penguins. From both the breeding success monitoring and the mortality database, it quickly became clear that stoats were not a major threat at all.  Perhaps plague proportions were not seen in little penguin colonies or perhaps the feisty penguins were better able to protect themselves and their chicks than other birds; that part of the picture remains unclear. The mortality database, where every reported death of a little penguin was recorded with location and likely cause of death if known, provided the answer. Many penguins were being killed by vehicles on coast roads.  In fact, in the first eight years of record keeping, up to 68% of all reported penguin deaths were on the road, the highest proportion being in the Buller District and on the Coast Road – the state highway.  The second biggest killer, at around 19%, was dogs, generally loose dogs that had been allowed to roam freely in coastal areas.  That’s another story and one which, after years of awareness and education effort, may be improving. Within a couple of years of its inception, the Trust team started talking about a fence.  Should it be both sides with tunnels underneath so that penguins could safely nest on the inland side of the highway, where they would have nested for thousands of years?  Or could they be fenced off the road and nest sites restricted to the seaside of the fence?  There was plenty of room for penguins to nest on the seaside, so the cheaper option of a single fence was chosen. The Trust talked and talked – to DOC and to Waka Kotahi, NZ Transport Agency then – in the hope of gaining their support and funding for the project to build a fence along the highway.  Support was forthcoming but not the funding, so, with more penguins being killed every year, the Trust decided it had to make a start.  In March 2012, with the help of New Zealand Conservation Volunteers, the Trust erected a trial 100m fence just south of Punakaiki, where sadly the small little penguin colony has pretty much been erased due to deaths caused by vehicles and dogs. The new fence used a sturdy plastic geomesh manufactured for use under roads and chosen for its resistance to wear, salt and ultraviolet light.  It proved successful and durable and plans and fundraising got under way for the 2.6km section of the Coast Road where the highest number of penguins were dying. Before the 2014 breeding season was underway in July, the new fence was completed and a ceremony to officially close it was held at the beach, led by the then Buller District Mayor, Garry Howard.  A year later, a further 300m of penguin protection fence was installed over looking Seal Island, completing the protection of four colonies from vehicles and cutting road kills to zero.   There are two more parts to this story, a review of the mortality data before and after the fences were erected, but also, as the penguins began to thrive again, they started exploring further afield, and, tragically, a penguin was killed on the road in the fenced – or more accurately mostly fenced – area during the 2021 season. Firstly to the data, and the graphs tell the success story. Before the fence was installed, 56% of all reported deaths were caused by vehicles (154 of a total of 273 dead penguins for eight years).  75% of those deaths on the roads were in Buller (116), largely on the Coast Road. When compared to the six years after the fence was installed, the proportion of penguins being killed on the roads dropped to 37% (49 of 131) and half of those were in the Buller confirming the assumption that the penguin protection fence was working.

Looking at the numbers as opposed to percentages, it is clear that penguins are much better off.  Without a fence and, based on the figures before the fence was installed, it is likely that around 87 penguins would have been killed on the roads in the Buller between 2014 and 2019 but the actual number is 25.  25 too many of course, but that’s as many as 60 penguins saved over that period.

We should pause at this point to thank those who made the fence possible, providing donations, grants and in kind support, including DOC, Waka Kotahi/NZTA, Maccaferri/Geofabric, Farmlands and many wonderful individuals.  The value of the fence in 2014 money was in the region of $60,000, a massive project for the small Trust. And now to the next chapter.  Sadly, the main 2.6km fence was built with three big gaps.  Four bach owners occupying legal road managed by Waka Kotahi did not want the fence installed close to their baches.  This was beyond the comprehension of the Trust team.  If you enjoy living or holidaying in such a fabulous coastal location, surely the wildlife would be part of that experience.  But at the time, the main colony areas were protected and the fence was doing its job. Until 2021.  As the penguins thrived with the penguin protection fence behind them, numbers appeared to be growing.  And as populations grow, they spread out.  After the report of a penguin being killed on the road beside one of the gaps, the Trust knew that the time had come to fill the gaps in the fence.  Two of the baches next door to each other had changed hands in the intervening years and the new owners were only too happy to support penguin protection. With annual support from Waka Kotahi NZTA to help maintain the fence, that funding was redirected in 2023 and WestReef were able to complete a new section of penguin fence near Limestone Creek before the 2023 little penguin season was underway.  This was just as well as we subsequently heard that penguins had been rescued from the road in that area the previous year. Read about that 2023 section of fence here. The Trust then focussed on a gap towards the southern end of the main fence and that was completed, again with funding from Waka Kotahi NZTA and undertaken by WestReef, before the 2024 breeding seaseon. Read about the 2024 section of fence here. There is one more part of the picture to share.  When the invaluable mortality database was established, locations of dead penguins were recorded as text and it was clear where most penguins were being killed.  With assistance from a very courageous volunteer, making sense of often very confusing records –  entries like ‘just past green shed’ or using local names that weren’t on topo maps was challenging! – the Trust has transposed the locations to grid references and from there to geographic information that can be displayed on digital maps. The data layer can be brought into any map system and the Trust is sharing it with council planners to inform all aspects of the planning process, whether for new plans or consent applications. Having a very visual data set, showing the locations of around 450 dead little penguins – and sadly growing, is also enabling the Trust to review the worst sections of roads and perhaps consider new fences. In sharing this success story and hope for the future, the Trust also needs to share a plea.  Sadly, grants from DOC seem to be a thing of the past as their funding is reduced for a variety of reasons.  The Trust has relied on DOC over most of its seventeen years for around 50% of its costs to operate, with the balance coming from grants and donations.  An equivalent amount to the earlier DOC grants comes from volunteers and in kind support, so that every dollar from DOC resulted in $3 of penguin conservation. Without DOC support, new funding will need to be found to avoid reducing the Trust’s operation.  We have an ongoing campaign to maintain the important work that we do, including research, practical conservation projects, education, awareness and advocacy. Our vision is that West Coast seabirds and their habitat are healthy and thriving.  We need you to help us continue to work towards that vision.  If you can help, please go to our ‘donate’ page to donate by credit card or bank payment.  Thank you for your support.

With penguins apparently thriving on the seaside of the penguin protection fence north of Punakaiki, they were exploring further afield and a gap in the fence urgently needed filling after a penguin was killed on the road there and others have been seen on the edge of the road.

With penguins apparently thriving on the seaside of the penguin protection fence north of Punakaiki, they were exploring further afield and a gap in the fence urgently needed filling after a penguin was killed on the road there and others have been seen on the edge of the road. Funding and support from Waka Kotahi NZTA and support and action from Westreef enabled a new section of fence to be installed this week, in time to protect little penguins - kororā as we approach the new breeding season.

  This only happened with a lot of work behind the scenes over a couple of years.  The gap wasn't critical when the main fence was installed in 2014 but has become so and we are thrilled that the work started and should be completed this week. The penguin protection fence has saved the lives of dozens of little penguins since it was installed, with several penguins a year dying on that stretch of road before the fence went up.

This was the second big gap to have been filled in as many years and we are very grateful to the team at Westreef for getting it done both times in the window between breeding seasons. Maintenance is always needed due to vegetation grown or slips for example.  You can help by alerting us to any issues and also ensuring the self-closing sprung gates are not stuck open.  Although a few escape hatches have been incorporated into the fence just in case a penguin finds itself on the wrong side, we'd rather they were kept safely on the sea side of the fence. Funding is also needed to maintain the fence and to work on projects like this that take up a lot of time - your donations are always welcome and help us to make projects like this work.  Thank you for your support!

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Students take direct conservation action by building and installing nest boxes at a colony near Greymouth.

Westland High School conservation students have been taking direct conservation action by building and then installing nest boxes at a colony near Greymouth.  The conservation class, led by Deputy Principal, Peter Brailsford, have been exploring the threats to and needs of penguins locally. One project sought to help penguins up an erosion bank to their nest site near Hokitika (find that story here) and the latest project involved building new nest boxes and installing them in the Camerons coastal area near Greymouth.

 

The West Coast Penguin Trust's education programme supports teachers to take students on a voyage of discovery, learning about the smallest penguin in the world whose ancestors have been sharing our beaches for some three million years before we arrived.  (Read about fossil little penguins here.)

Having learned about the biology of little penguins or kororā, students go on to explore the situation locally and consider what threats there might be to the survival of this threatened species in their back yard.  The next step will be to consider taking action! These conservation students are helping provide shelter for kororā.  In the coastal area north of the Taramakau River mouth, erosion over the years has lost nesting habitat and the Guardians of Taramakau and Paroa Coastal Area Trust have installed nest boxes as well as carry out rat and stoat trapping there.  New nest boxes will mean that the penguin colony could grow, which will be both exciting and useful as we hope to expand the kororā monitoring and research programme there. Huge thanks to the students and their wonderful teacher, Peter.  Great job team, and such a perfect day for it!

 

DOC West Coast ran a photo competition to celebrate Seaweek and our wonderful wildlife recently. Hokitika Primary schoolgirl, Elise Caldwell, won the penguin pack prize for her mother and baby seal photo.

The national Seaweek campaign is led by the Sir Peter Blake Marine Education and Recreation Centre in March each year and is a campaign that is especially important to the Department of Conservation on the West Coast with our taonga species and Marine Reserves. This year's theme was ‘celebrating sea creatures of Aotearoa’.  DOC held a West Coast regional photo competition again, with some great prizes from very generous local organisations - including the West Coast Penguin Trust who provided a penguin themed prize pack.  There was also a prize for the most proactive school (two nights at Ōkārito School House). Along with other contributors, the Trust helped to judge the photos entered from Coasters as young as 4 or 5. The winner of our penguin prize pack was Elise Caldwell of Hokitika, who said:

"I celebrate Seaweek by observing lots of sea creatures at Tauranga Bay seal colony.  I loved watching this mummy and baby seal snoozing and snuggling together."

Congratulations Elise! All the Seaweek 2024 photo competition winners can be found here.

Nicky and Peng are on a fabulous adventure, a four year contract in the Falkland Islands where there are penguins ... lots and lots and lots of penguins!

Nicky and Peng are on a fabulous adventure, a four year contract in the Falkland Islands where there are penguins ... lots and lots and lots of penguins! Nicky Armstrong and her pal, a large cuddly penguin called Peng, have been Supporters of the work of the West Coast Penguin Trust for many years.  Nicky's passion for penguins extends to several other large soft toy penguins and in fact a penguin themed home! So, as a lawyer drafting Government Bills and other legislation in Wellington, when the opportunity arose to work in the Falkland Islands, she not only jumped at the chance, but took Peng along for the adventure too. She told me: "there are penguins - lots and lots and lots of penguins!!  The plan is to go around and meet every one of them in person.  We've met quite a few."

  And here's the latest from Nicky:

We’ve got to the end of our first penguin season. It’s been very penguinny!!

The Magellanics and Rockhoppers have moulted and gone off on their winter holidays. They should be back in about September/October.  The Gentoos are here all year although without chicks to feed they can go off to feed for longer periods so they are not all on shore at the same time.

The Kings are also here all year round although the biggest colony – at Volunteer Point – is out of bounds for the winter because the farm track to get there is closed because it gets very boggy.  This autumn has been unusually wet so the farmer closed the track at the end of April.  Fortunately, a week after my visit.

 

Having a good camera and very photogenic subjects, makes it relatively easy to take good photos – but it does result in a ridiculous number of photos.  As I sort them out, I'm sharing them on my Flickr page.

 

The bird flu reached here this summer but fortunately not widespread.  There were isolated birds found in various places but mostly they were birds that don’t normally come ashore here, and it was thought they probably got blown off course because they were ill.   One of the outer islands had an outbreak that affected some of the penguins, and there was an outbreak at one of the albatross colonies.  But not the kind of mass deaths that have happened in some places.

A lot of the birds have now left for their winter holidays.  Some of the marine mammals (who can also get bird flu) – like the elephant seals and sea lions, also go off for the winter.  So, for now there is less concern about the flu.  But there is considerable concern about next season – all the wildlife will be coming back, some might bring the flu back with them, and others will be coming back still with no immunity.   We will just have to wait and see.

As we have mentioned occasionally, this latest strain of avian influenza is a massive concern for seabird and marine mammal conservationists around the world.  In our recent news story, we note that, while unlikely to reach New Zealand, it remains a possibility and we - all of us who visit coastal areas and beaches - must be vigilant and prepared.  Read more here. Back to the fabulous photos of penguins.  Nicky has kindly allowed me to share her Flickr page here.  It's a public page, but you probably wouldn't have found it otherwise and it is well worth sharing with outstanding photographs of not only penguins but other wildlife, landscapes and much more - and if you look carefully, you might see Peng, especially in his yellow/orange Argyle fleecy top!  Enjoy! (Featured image at the top - King penguins at Volunteer Point by Nicky)

 

 

Hundreds of millions of dollars are returned annually to the community from the proceeds of gambling on electronic gaming machines, or pokies, in pubs and hotels. The not-for-profit process supports charities in all walks of life, including environmental projects.

We are delighted to have been supported recently by two pokie machine corporate societies. Pub Charity, a supporter for various projects in the past including the development and publication of our Educational Resource, has approved our application for funding to purchase microchips for penguins.  These are known as PIT tags or Passive Integrated Transponders, which have internal microchips. For little penguins, the PIT tags are about the same size as a grain of rice and are inserted under the skin at the back of their neck. Microchipping penguins will enable us to do more scientific research and learn more about little penguins/kororā on the West Coast.  We already monitor breeding success and we study where penguins go to feed at sea and this information about individual penguins will enable us to better understand our other findings and learn much more about these penguins.  Our research will inform our practical projects to conserve little penguins as well as our awareness and education programmes.  Related news story here about learning to insert microchips into kororā. Our huge thanks to Pub Charity! A few months ago, we also heard that we had been successful in an application to The Lion Foundation.  We applied for a grant to support the work of our Education Ranger, Lucy Waller, to work with schools in the Greymouth and Hokitika areas.  The grant will support visits to classrooms as well as field trips to the beach, helping teachers use our Blue Penguins & Other Seabirds: Activities for exploration and action for schools and community groups resource and helping children find out all about little penguins / kororā in their area. So our huge thanks to The Lion Foundation too!   With DOC under extreme financial pressure and their community funding drying up for groups and projects such as ours, gaining this support for our work makes a huge difference to what we can do. Hundreds of millions of dollars are returned annually to the community from the proceeds of gambling on electronic gaming machines, or pokies, in pubs and hotels. The not-for-profit process supports charities in all walks of life, including environmental projects such as ours. Information about safer gambling can be found here: https://www.safergambling.org.nz/  

New Zealand Photography Workshops started out in 2013 and now offer unique tours and workshops across the country. Following a recent workshop in South Westland, they wanted to support the Trust's conservation work and made a generous donation.

New Zealand Photography Workshops started out in 2013 and now offer unique tours and workshops across the country.  Their principles are based on not only showcasing New Zealand at its very best but demonstrating to everyone who visits these beautiful places or takes photographs of our indigenous wildlife how special they are and why they need our help to protect and preserve them.  Their very talented tutors and guides highlight efforts being made to conserve them for future generations for those on the workshops and tours, and, as a business, they collaborate with others who share their values and standards, including Qual Mark Gold. Craig Potton MNZM, West Coast Penguin Trust's Patron and one of New Zealand's elite photographers and conservationists, is one of the tutors, including for a recent workshop in South Westland. NZ Photography Workshops founder, Richard Young, ran the workshop with Craig at the Lake Moeraki Wilderness Lodge, where owner and another of New Zealand's leading conservationists as well as penguin fan and long-standing supporter of the trust, Dr Gerry McSweeney CNZM, also contributed to the workshop.

With Craig and Gerry’s involvement in the workshop, Richard wanted to have an especially good conservation outcome for conservation and was able to make a generous donation to the Trust in support of all the work we do. Our huge thanks to Richard for his generosity and for sharing our special places and wildlife so thoughtfully, always applying his commitment to sustainability and conservation outcomes. Find out more about NZ Photography Workshops here.

Working with seabirds as we do, it is important for the Trust to be prepared and to play our part in minimising any risk of spreading avian influenza, should it arrive in New Zealand. 

You may have read reports from around the world about a new and very concerning strain of the avian flu virus since 2020, starting in Europe, spreading across the USA, then to South America and then Antarctica, Africa and Asia.  Working with seabirds as we do and while acknowledging that the risk of it arriving in New Zealand is low, it is important for the Trust to be prepared and to play our part in minimising any risk of spreading avian influenza, should it arrive here. One thing we can do is share information with you.   First a bit of background. Avian influenza was first described way back in 1878 when a contagious disease of poultry was described in northern Italy.  In 1955, it was found to be a type A influenza virus and from 1981, it has been known as highly pathogenic avian influenza or HPAI.  Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses cause severe disease and can cause high mortality in infected birds, especially in poultry.  Ducks can be infected without signs of illness.  Some HPAI virus infections in poultry can spill back into wild birds, resulting in significant geographic spread of the virus as those birds migrate.  Again, some wild birds can be infected without appearing sick but others through some virus subtypes can suffer severe disease and mortality.  The US Centers for Disease Control has this information about bird flu if you would like more details. Wild aquatic birds, including gulls, terns, and shorebirds, and wild waterfowl, such as ducks, geese and swans are considered reservoirs or hosts for avian influenza A viruses. Avian influenza is mainly spread by close contact between infected birds and healthy birds.  It can also be transmitted when birds come in contact with environments, equipment or materials (including water and feed) that have been contaminated with faeces or secretions from the nostrils or beak of infected birds.  If you have travelled overseas in the past two or three years, you may have seen warning signs such as that below from Cornwall, England.

This highly contagious viral infection can affect all species of birds both wild and domestic.  Cases have also been seen in mammals associated with bird mortality events including seals and sea lions.  What sets the most recent strain apart is the rapidity with which it spreads and the severity of the disease it causes among wild birds and mammals. Avian influenza A viruses rarely infect people.  However, you may also have read about a human case of the current avian influenza A(H5N1) reported in Victoria, Australia recently.  The case was in a child who had returned to Australia from overseas in March.  There was a severe infection but the child has made a full recovery and there is no evidence of transmission in Victoria.  The chance of additional human cases is very low as avian influenza does not easily spread between people.   Current situation in New Zealand Biosecurity New Zealand, a branch of the Ministry for Primary Industries, is responsible for assessing the risk, ensuring preparedness, and investigating and responding to any new pests and diseases arriving in New Zealand. Biosecurity NZ have assessed the risk of HPAI arriving in New Zealand as low, being isolated from other land masses and does not have waterfowl (swans, geese, ducks and sometimes coots and grebes) migratory pathways, and New Zealand has never had a case of HPAI. The DOC website has the following and much more information:

A variety of migratory shorebirds do return here and could bring avian influenza. The most numerous shorebirds are the bar-tailed godwit, red knot, ruddy turnstone and Pacific golden plover. The bar-tailed godwit flies directly from Alaska to New Zealand without stopovers.

Other species may visit estuaries along the Asian coastline, the Philippines and Australia on their annual migrations south from arctic Russia.

Seabirds such as Arctic and pomarine skuas arrive every spring and summer from the Arctic region. Arctic tern, little terns and common terns are also regular annual visitors to New Zealand, and many species of pelagic seabirds breed here after spending winter feeding in the Pacific and Southern Oceans.

DOC is working closely with Biosecurity NZ to ensure they are prepared to manage the effects on native species should the virus arrive.  They believe that HPAI could "affect colony nesting birds such as red and black-billed gulls, gannets, terns and other seabirds", presumably including penguins, petrels, shearwaters, shags and prions, all found in colonies on the West Coast mainland or offshore islands.  

What to look for and how to report possible cases of HPAI Early detection is critical.  Signs of HPAI vary but indicators include: sudden death, tremors, weakness, paralysis, difficulty breathing and diarrhoea. Do not touch or attempt to move any dead or dying wildlife. Report groups of three or more sick or dying birds, marine mammals or other wildlife to the Biosecurity New Zealand Exotic Pest and Disease hotline: 0800 80 99 66. Biosecurity New Zealand will take details and an incursion investigator will be in contact with you. Provide as much detail as you can, including:

Record a GPS reading or other precise location information.

Take photographs and/or videos of sick and dead birds.

Identify the species and estimate the numbers affected.

Note how many sick or freshly dead are present as well as total number present.

Follow Biosecurity New Zealand instructions for handling of sick or dead birds.

  Other information New Zealand's main approach will be supporting strong, healthy populations of native wildlife at multiple locations as well as strong biosecurity and quarantine practices.  Vaccination may be a way to protect some core breeding populations and DOC is trailing a new vaccine that has been shown to be safe and effective in zoos in Europe.  Find out more about the trial here. The spread of the virus is overlapping with environmental changes due to climate change, and the latter could increase the problem of the former.  In Chile, for example, the El Niño weather phenomenon had a strong impact last year on fish that birds rely on for food, placing more stress on animals and likely making them more susceptible to the virus. For now, we must all have a watching brief, and be absolutely prepared.    The Trust is reviewing hygiene and other field protocols to ensure that we could not pick up or transmit the virus should we encounter it and has been acutely aware of the risk for some time, sharing this story in December 2022.  DOC is developing regional plans to be as prepared as they can be. You can help by sharing this information with friends and family who walk our beaches.  Thank you.

Enviroschools West Coast invited the West Coast Penguin Trust to join and present to a recent community partnerships hui for teachers.

Enviroschools West Coast invited the West Coast Penguin Trust to join and present to a recent community partnerships hui for teachers. The hui focussed on building strong community collaborations and partnerships. It was held at Kaniere School and nearly 30 teachers from across Grey and Westland districts attended along with our Manager, Inger Perkins, and representatives from Kai Puku Food Hub, Kiwi Conservation Club, the Paparoa Wildlife Trust, Conservation Volunteers NZ, the Department of Conservation, West Coast Regional Council, and Grey District Council.

Feedback included: “This has been very valuable for our centre moving forward and inspiring us. Making connections has been great.”

Organiser and Enviroschools facilitator, Laura Neale said: "It was exciting to see everyone getting to know each other. From little things big things grow – we look forward to these conversations blossoming into rich learning opportunities for tamariki and collaborations that contribute to a more understanding, connected, and sustainable community."

Bringing community groups to schools and connecting them in this way was an excellent initiative.  The Trust has many connections to schools and to others involved in conservation across the region and it was a wonderful opportunity to connect with them and meet new teachers and new organisations with shared values including the new waste minimisation officer at Grey District Council and Kai Puku Food Hub, preventing usable food ending in landfill and instead sharing it where it is needed.