Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne are welcoming two new takahē (Bendigo and Waitaa) on 28 August 2023, bringing the Zealandia takahē population up to 4!

One of the big challenges in predator control is the balance between catching the critters that you’re aiming for, while excluding the species that you don’t want to catch.

The conservation team have been busy planting a variety of grasses and rushes on the wetland lawn as well as in the wetland itself – a fun but muddy task!

From July 17-26, you may hear chainsaws in the valley. This is due to work happening on Valley View track to remove 30 exotic trees. This work is part of our next phase of restoration in the valley which includes removal of the exotic canopy.

Vibrant, unique manu/bird song greets me every time I step out my front door and is a hallmark of home. Whenever I am out of Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, it is one of the things I miss the most. Freya Bacon-Bootham shares her favourite soundtrack and the things birdsong can tell us about biodiversity.

Aotearoa is known for having a large diversity of manu/birds; however, it is also the land of the mokomoko/lizards. At Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne, at there are two species of geckos and another three possibly present. Learn a bit more about the gecko species found in the sanctuary in this blog. 

Come meet the toitoi! We have converted the Boat Shed into Zealandia’s very own toitoi quarantine centre. This gives us the rare chance to share these normally secretive fish.

At Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne we want to fix entire ecosystems, not just bring individual species back. No species or ecosystem exists in isolation, they are connected, the health of one impacting others.

Kids need to expend some energy these school holidays? We’ve got you covered! With heaps of space to explore and things to see, come along to Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne and get out in nature. We’ve also got some fun activities planned to help keep the kids busy - read on to find out more!

Patterns and frequency of moult vary depending on species and age: some manu may have one or several moults throughout the year, and these may be partial or full body moults.