Volunteer Open Day and new kiwi eggs found

Volunteer Open Day and new kiwi eggs found

Walk a kilometre in our shoes?

All you need is a reasonable level of fitness and a love of birds and the forest and be to be a Pukaha volunteer.

Pest control (patrolling traplines); captive management (observation
and monitoring) and telemetry (locating birds in the wild using high-tech equipment) are just some of ways you can help. Full training will be given on all of these positions.

We are hosting two information sessions at Pukaha Mount Bruce, State Highway Two on Tuesday, 19th April at either 3pm or 5pm. You will hear short overviews on each of the areas we are recruiting for and you will also have the opportunity to apply on the spot.

Please RSVP to this email address:

Volunteer-Wairarapa@doc.govt.nz if you would like to come. All welcome.

Click on the links below for more detail on the positions:

Pukaha Mount Bruce captive management

Pukaha Mount Bruce pest control

Pukaha Mount Bruce telemetry volunteers

Late season kiwi chicks - a bountiful bonus

Ranger Tom Studholme had a real struggle on his hands this week, when in the middle of the night he went to retrieve a kiwi egg. It is very late in the breeding season, so to know we have some more eggs is fantastic. Tom told me the male sitting on the egg slept late and did not move off the egg until well after midnight. Added to that the burrow was really deep and its position extremely precarious. He struggled away and eventually got the egg safely out.

Eggs, when retrieved, are approximately 70 days old. They are transported down the mountain in a modified chilly bin (for want of a better description) that is heavily padded. The rangers wrap the warm egg in a foam like material, and with our nights getting so cold now, often have to use a battery operated heating pad to keep the egg at a steady 35 degrees celcius. Then straight in to the incubation room. The egg is in the incubation room for between 10 and 15 days from this point. During this time the chick starts external pipping (breaking the shell) and can take up to three days to hatch. It is a tiring process for the chick and our captive breeding team often has to help out.

Another nest to be investigated tonight

Tom is back up the mountain tonight. Amazingly it looks like there is another nest and there may be two eggs in it. We are thrilled. Poor old Tom, a cold one tonight, less than 8 degrees celcius. The very cold temperatures coupled with the dense darkness and precarious terrain makes for a long recovery - often over three hours.

However, not only is the discovery of a new nest with eggs reward itself, but Tom assures me the stunning sound of the kiwi calls out of the darkness makes the experience truly out of this world.

We will let you know the outcome.

Ranger for a Day is very popular for the school holidays

We are delighted our school holiday Junior Ranger programme is completely sold out. It is encouraging to know the children in the Wairarapa who took part in the Whack a Rat and Save a Native Bird campaign last year continue to love the experience at Pukaha.

All six of the full day activities are sold out. Of course, we are open every day as usual, so by all means, come out and see the new kiwi house, take a hike to the summit and check out our cheeky kaka. We would love to see you.

Happy Easter and safe travels.

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