Annual Update from Motutapu Restoration Trust

Dear Rohit,

‍

We hope that you and your family have come through these challenging times safe and well. Likewise, that the team at Reddy Group is keeping well.

‍

It was another successful year with the Operation Nest Egg programme with the release of 8 chicks during the 2019-20 breeding season. The highlight of this season was the release 3 chicks with the advocacy event that the Trust held on 13 December. One of the kiwis released on the day was the 100th released since the translocation programme began in 2012. A celebratory milestone and the total number of kiwis released on Motutapu is now 106.

‍

Two more takahe chicks were produced in the 2019-20 season and the birds are preparing for the upcoming breeding season.

‍

Monitoring of the endangered shore plover took place during the breeding season and a good number of these wonderful little birds were seen on the beaches after the biodiversity ranger returned to Motutapu after the lockdown.

‍

We had a late start to the planting season but despite this the dedicated volunteers planted 11,100 trees from July to the end of the 2019 season in October.

‍

We note that this is the last year of the 3-year sponsorship by the Reddy Foundation of the Motutapu Restoration Trust. We are extremely grateful to the Foundation’s support of the restoration project over this time. This support has built on the hard work put in by volunteers in growing and maintaining the forest resulting in increasing wildlife numbers of the many endangered species on Motutapu such as kiwi, takahe and tuturuatu shore plover.

‍

Take care and stay safe.

‍

Yours sincerely,

Brett Butland
Chair

‍

01 October 2020