A wet celebration

Our chair, Anne Managh, with representatives of
Ngati Rangiwewehi: Mrs Hinapouri Mita, Mr Ted Mita,
Mrs Kathleen Mohi and Mr Henare Mohi.

Last weekend (20 June) the Kaharoa Kokako Trust organised a celebration for our Green Ribbon Award. The plan was to have a bush walk to hear the kokako, followed by a barbeque breakfast. Sadly, it was raining cats and dogs, so most people stayed home. We didn't.

We were delighted to welcome the few dedicated souls who showed up, despite the weather, including members of Ngati Rangiwewehi, the tangata whenua of Kaharoa Forest. Also present, in full wet weather gear was Nicki Douglas, Area Manager of the Department of Conservation who has been a great friend of the Trust.

A few of our hardiest volunteers braved the weather, as did Rotorua MP, Todd McLay, with his wife and four children, who made full use of all available puddles.

The kokako weren't interested in singing for us, and the rain showed no signs of easing. But we did enjoy a hearty breakfast and an intimate celebration with a handful of people who are very special to the Trust.

We Won!

That's me on the left with Rotorua MP Todd McLay

and our wonderful chairwoman, Anne Managh.

(Photo courtesy of http://www.pixs.co.nz/)

I've just returned from Wellington where I attended the Green Ribbon Award ceremony. These prestigious awards are given every year by the Ministry for the Environment to honour outstanding contributions to protecting New Zealand's environment.

A group of us from the Kaharoa Kokako Trust went to the awards dinner at the Beehive because we had been named as a finalist in the Biodiversity category.

The Biodiversity winner was the first category named, so we didn't have to wait long. We were beaten by the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust, an awesome group who does great work with Tui. Although we were secretly disappointed that we didn't win, we were pleased for them, and glad to have made it to the finals.

After working our way through an excellent meal and 12 category annoucements, we felt very privileged to be in the company of so many fantastic people who were doing so many good things for the environment.

When the Supreme Award was finally announced by Nick Smith, the Minister for the Environment, we were shocked and thrilled to be picked above all the other category winners. This is an amazing honour for the Trust and all of our supporters.

I was gobsmacked then, and I still am. It's great to be acknowledged in this way. I must confess though that my greatest reward still comes every time I hear the kokako sing.

Hello kokako friends

My name is Margaret Horner and I fell in love with kokako the first time I heard them. Up until then, I wasn’t much interested in birds and believed that bird enthusiasts were rather strange. To me, birds were things that flapped around in the sky and occasionally got brought in by the cat. I could tell a duck from a seagull, and that was about it.

The sound of a few poignant kokako notes ringing out amongst the trees was enough to change all that.

If you aren’t familiar with the kokako, go to the Kaharoa Kokako Trust website and click on the bird song. It’s a strange, haunting sound that resembles a musician trying to extract the perfect note from some mystical flute. That’s what it sounded like to me anyway.

I was captivated from the moment I heard it in the Kaharoa bush near where I live. The only other time I had heard the kokako sing was on the national radio programme. Out there in the forest, the solitary bird sounded to me like a remnant echo of an ancient symphony, tuning up for a grand performance. And I wanted to hear more.

Over time I was to learn more about these birds, and how endangered they are. The bird I heard in Kaharoa was part of a remnant population that was disappearing fast. Very few kokako still live on the North Island mainland, and they are believed to be extinct on the South Island. The only places kokako could thrive were on off-shore islands that were predator free.

I also learned, once I became involved with the Kaharoa Kokako Trust, that I could do my bit to save the local birds by helping out with pest control. Without this protection, all the chicks and many of the mothers are killed by introduced animal predators. By reducing the number of possums and rats in the forest, we enable the birds to fledge chicks so the kokako population can grow.

At Kaharoa I got what I wanted. I can go out into the forest on any still morning and hear the kokako singing. But it’s not one lone, mournful voice anymore, it’s usually a duet, or a whole chorus of notes.

Now what I want is to help spread their song further.