In 2021, Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne embarked on an ambitious operation to remove around 22,000 exotic perch from Roto Kawau, the lower reservoir. We have outlined this project in an operational report. The purpose of this report is to share our learnings and support other communities with similar ambitions.

Read the latest report by Zealandia Centre for People and Nature researchers, Dr Julie Whitburn and Dr Danielle Shanahan about the social-ecological approach of Predator Free Wellington. 

Results from research into attitudes and views about domestic cats and cat ownership by researchers from Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington.

Zealandia conservation rangers report the use of a surrogate nest and induced fostering to successfully raise and release a wild hihi nestling at Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne. 

Researchers from Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington looking into attitudes and views about domestic cats and cat ownership are searching for survey respondents.

ZEALANDIA is proud to work with the Department of Conservation Takahē Recovery Programme which aims to boost takahē numbers living in their natural habitats, and for the species to be treasured as a national icon.

ZEALANDIA’s world-first predator exclusion fence is now twenty years old. The patent on the fence has now reached its end, and this provides us with the opportunity to share our expertise and accumulated knowledge with others, confident that this approach works. 

Mātauranga Māori is Māori knowledge systems, and an area of increasingly wider interest as it works to complement Western science systems.  The ZEALANDIA Mātauranga Māori Summer Scholarship programme began in the summer of 2019/2020 to provide the sanctuary a mātauranga Māori perspective into areas of sanctuary relevance. Read more about our researchers here. 

The rare, parasitic plant pua o te Rēinga/dactylanthus taylorii has now officially been planted in the sanctuary. This project was a historic first with selected representatives from across all six iwi within the Greater Wellington Region being heavily involved in the translocation.

Wellington City Council, ZEALANDIA and local iwi are proud to be part of a mission to bring a very rare parasitic plant back to the capital.