What's On at Zealandia

The ZEALANDIA Monday Walking Group is a collection of adventurous ZEALANDIA Members who tackle some of the valley's most difficult tracks together.

Rosemary Cole describes what the Monday Walking Group involves, and how you can get involved, in this article.

Kākāriki were introduced to ZEALANDIA in 2011, and since then have been thriving in the sanctuary. Residents of local Wellington suburbs, mainly Karori, now enjoy these birds in their backyards regularly. 

ZEALANDIA Conservation Ranger Ellen Irwin shares her tips for spotting these often elusive birds in this blog post.

Our nation’s capital is being celebrated as ‘an ecological triumph’ (National Geographic January 2018)—Wellington is one of the only cities in the world where the diversity of native birds is increasing. This change has been driven by the establishment of ZEALANDIA 22 years ago, the 225 ha sanctuary for wildlife just 3 km from downtown Wellington. 

Young animals face many challenges when they become independent from their parents. One problem is they need to find food, but have little experience to help them. Even human teenagers can struggle when there’s no one else around to do the shopping, and for wild animals, making the best foraging decisions is even more crucial for their survival. During my PhD I’m investigating how juvenile birds overcome this challenge.

On the 24th of November, 65 biology teachers from the Wellington region gathered at ZEALANDIA for the Biology Educators Association of New Zealand (BEANZ) Workshop. The event provided a forum for teachers to build connections, share resources and insights, discuss the direction of the curriculum and hear from educators and scientists working in and around ZEALANDIA.

We are receiving yet another takahē who will live out their retirement at ZEALANDIA. Find out more from our Conservation & Research Manager, Dr. Danielle Shanahan.

ZEALANDIA’s first 20 years was all about focusing on the land within our pioneering predator-proof fence, and what a success this has been. The valley now harbours a rich habitat for many birds, lizards, and invertebrates, and our vegetation is now thriving. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of a huge range of volunteers, members, staff and donors that have supported the project along the way.

Frothy white-capped trees scattered across the western scarp have captured people's attention this spring - but what are they? According to plant enthusiast Pam Fuller, they are heketara (Olearia rani) - a type of tree daisy - that flowers only every three years or so at ZEALANDIA.

Forest & Bird’s famous Bird of the Year poll is back again, and this year some of the ZEALANDIA crew are throwing their weight behind the plucky little wattle bird: tīeke (saddleback). Perhaps you love all birds too much? Maybe you're not into birds at all. Whatever the case, here are a few handy reminders why tīeke should be Bird of the Year!

You will have heard our exciting news about the two takahē that will be making their way to ZEALANDIA on 28 August 2017!

Nio and Orbell are a breeding pair of takahē, 14 and 17 years old respectively. There is every possibility they could nest at ZEALANDIA this summer, which is incredible news for Wellington and ZEALANDIA’s ongoing success in conservation.