Kiwi care project receives funding boost

A trust dedicated to protecting kiwi in eastern Coromandel has been awarded $25,000 for predator control, Associate Conservation Minister Nicky Wagner has announced.

The grant from the Community Conservation Partnership Fund will allow the Whenuakiwi Trust to continue its successful kiwi care project at Whenuakite by hiring a contractor to target predators such as possums and rats.

“It’s very pleasing to be able to support such a worthy project, as monitoring at Whenuakite has shown it to be a very safe haven for Coromandel Brown Kiwi, with numbers more than tripling in the past decade or so.

“The grant will allow the trust to continue meeting its objective of protecting all native flora and fauna in the area,” Nicky Wagner says.

The Whenuakiwi Trust, also known as Whenuakite Kiwi Care Group, was established by the local community in 2000.

“The continued support of the trust from the community is to be commended, and it will ensure the ongoing success of the kiwi care project,” Ms Wagner says.