Re-wilding Dunedin

Kimberly Collins (Predator Free Dunedin), Tumai Cassidy (Te Rūnaka ō Ōtākou), Paul Ward (Capital Kiwi), Professor Phil Seddon (University of Otago), Dr Jo Carpenter (Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research) and Taylor Davies-Colley (Orokonui Ecosanctuary) discuss re-wilding and reintroducing native species to Dunedin. 

Ka tangi te tītī, ka tangi te kākā, ka tangi hoki ahau. Tihei Mauri Ora! 
The tītī is calling, the kākā is calling and I wish to call. Behold, there is life! 

Tumai Cassidy from Te Rūnaka ō Ōtākou opened the Predator Free Dunedin Winter series talk, “Back to the future: Reintroducing taoka species to Ōtepoti Dunedin” with this beautiful whakataukī. It reminds us that we are all part of the same ecosystem with the tītī and the kākā, and we have a responsibility to care for all living things to keep the ecosystem intact. 

The theme of being interconnected, working together and living alongside nature weaved throughout the discussions. Paul Ward, Founder of Capital Kiwi, spoke about how the project began and the milestones the project has achieved in the greater Wellington region.

The starting point came about after council work on eliminating possums led to native birds spilling over from Zealandia into neighbouring regions. Community groups and landowners noticed native birds moving into the region and in response they began setting up their own trap lines to continue removing predators. Predator control, combined with regrowth of suitable habitat, led to the first wild kākā successfully breeding there in 2016. It was at that time that Paul and a couple of friends established Capital Kiwi with a vision to create a safe habitat for kiwi to be reintroduced to the greater Wellington region. Since then, the project has focused on removing stoats, which are the number one predator for kiwi. The project combined and extended the existing small-scale protected areas into a network that now covers over 23,000 hectares of land. To achieve this coverage, Capital Kiwi have built strong collaborations and fostered an active guardianship approach between iwi, private landowners and communities. Together they manage a network of 4,600 traps and they have been working on restoring the environment for kiwi and other native species.

Since the establishment of the trap network in 2018, Capital Kiwi have reached significant milestones, releasing kiwi in 2022, and this year seeing the first wild kiwi chicks hatch and grow to a size where they are able to protect themselves against stoats. The project has been immensely successful and is a fantastic example of the positive impact humans have had on the ecosystem. 

Paul Ward, Founder of Capital Kiwi. 

The panel discussion then reflected on Dunedin and how we can support the reintroduction of native species to our city and the Otago region. Phil Seddon from the University of Otago set the scene, highlighting that Dunedin is already a green city and is in a great place to support the return of 'urban adapter' species such as tui, bellbird and kererū, which are resilient species and able to live in modified urban habitats. Jo Carpenter from Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research commented that predator control and habitat quality in the city is already at a point where kererū are 'display flying', which is a sign there is an abundance food available to support breeding behaviour. She added that Dunedin is fortunate to have Orokonui so close to the city, acting as an ark to protect multiple native species. The many great habitats close to Orokonui, act as life rafts to support expansion into other regions beyond the ecosanctuary.  

Re-wilding and reintroduction of any species to the region begins with looking after our natural environment to create a healthy and sustainable ecosystem. Taylor Davies-Colley from Orokonui highlighted that ambassador species such as the kāka returning to the region is creating a positive cultural shift. People’s attitudes are changing in response to the visible increase in native birds, making many of us more aware of our responsibility to preserve and protect our habitat, which benefits plants, insects, lizards, birds and people too.  

It’s exciting seeing this cultural shift, where looking after our green spaces and natural environment is allowing native species to return and live alongside us.