Pekapeka, where are you?

Te Whakamaru o Horohoro, the iwi-led conservation project of Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara, have placed 29 ABM’s (Automatic Bat Monitors) in ~100 hectares of indigenous DOC land.

Thanks to the support of WRC and Rebecca Stirnemann, previous monitoring has confirmed long-tailed bat presence on the maunga.

“We assume the long-tailed bats move throughout Horohoro maunga, but we are monitoring a new location to confirm. We are also checking to see if the nationally vulnerable short-tailed bat is present,” says Project Manager Kataraina George.

The monitors will be left out for a month, and results will help target trap locations to better protect the pekapeka.

As well as predator control, the Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara nursery is thriving, producing almost 40,000 plants annually, with over 95% eco-sourced from the Horohoro area. Since predator control began, the team are noticing a healthier ngahere, with seedling regeneration and older trees showing encouraging new growth.

“Our nursery eco sources seed from our native bush areas and stream and river edges therefore growing plants from our local area that can handle the weather conditions down here. Our intention was to grow our own plants for our iwi and local area and help riparian plant along our waterways and increase biodiversity in the Horohoro area”.

The team make sure to collect seed when they are trapping.

“Moments like these are great learning opportunities for our field team,” she says. “The team collect seeds and berries and identify the different species special to our hapū and are good for restoration and increasing biodiversity in our area.”

Izaiah Kiel installing an Acoustic Bat Monitor in Horohoro.