With the end of August, the signs of spring are beginning to show all around us. Tūī and kererū have been regularly spotted around the brightly flowering kōwhai, and kōtukutuku/tree fuchsia flowers are strewn along the paths of the valley.

Earlier this month, our solid sanctuary biosecurity systems put in place by our conservation team were put to the test, with a weasel discovered dead in a DOC200 trap at the southern end of the sanctuary. The good news about this is that our safeguarding systems are working.

Kākā are more than just a beautiful sight in Wellington—they’re a success story for Zealandia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and conservation as a whole. It all started 25 years ago when Zealandia's fence went up and so did the hopes of bringing wildlife back to Wellington.

The last of the captive population of pepeketua/Hamilton’s frogs have been released from their enclosure following the opening of a new boardwalk that was built to protect them from human foot traffic. This boardwalk was made possible through generous funding from the estate of John Nankervis. Lead Ranger Ellen Irwin shares some of the mahi/work that went into planning for this release.

Despite things slowing down in winter, preparing for the upcoming breeding season keeps our rangers busy. We provide a few different bird species with nest boxes, which mimic the natural cavities found in larger trees.

A key part of our 500-year vision for Zealandia is a towering canopy of podocarps. Podocarps are Aotearoa New Zealand’s tallest trees, such as rimu, kahikatea, and tōtara. While we generally let the forest regenerate by itself, each year, the Conservation team does some planting to facilitate the establishment of species that would not otherwise come back into the sanctuary, including podocarps and rare and threatened plant species.

Towering above visitors in the ngahere/forest, the non-native pine trees at Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne were originally planted as a forestry trial as early as the 1880s. Jo Ledington, General Manager Conservation and Restoration, shares some of the thinking that has gone into the removal of these trees.

Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne has released a captive population of rare pepeketua/Hamilton’s frogs into the wild at the ecosanctuary. This marks a major milestone for the not-for-profit and for the conservation of the species in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Some very special visitors came to Zealandia this month. These Conservation Dogs were helping sniff out kiwi for a kiwi pukupuku/little spotted kiwi survey in Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne.

Lynn Freeman has been a Zealandia volunteer for many years and is our most recent recipient of our Faye Schaef Award. This award is given to a volunteer who exhibits kindness, generosity, modesty, dedication, friendliness and approachability. She is a staunch advocate for Zealandia and wildlife and is a true asset to our community. Read on to find out more about her volunteer journey.