from surgery this year

and for doing a sterling

job making sure the

trappers needs were

met so the action end

of things could run

smoothly.

Thanks also to the Waiomu Summer Fair team for organizing an-other successful fair with business and local community support. This years donations for raffle items from busi-ness’s was outstanding and people from far and wide came to spend a most enjoyable day vis-iting a wide variety of stalls.

A team lead by Lisa Bal-lantyne and David Cal-der created a lovely evening of music at the local hall in Tapu in March. What brilliant talent we have on the

Coromandel Peninsula.

Thanks to others who have given ongoing sup-

port to the project

It has given me great pleasure to be involved with the people and aims of this project and I wish you all the very

best.

Isabel Eyberg

It is a mere three years

since the initiation of

Thames Coast Kiwi

Care, yet so many peo-

ple have embraced this

very worthwhile cause

as part of their daily

lives. I will be sad to

leave but I know the

work is in good hands.

To the trappers . .

Thank you to you won-

derful people. Without

you, this project would

not exist.

Thanks Linden Moyle

for stepping into the

breach while our Co-

ordinator recovered

August 2009

No. 4

Protecting and enhancing kiwi populations on the

Thames Coast

Farewell from outgoing ChairFarewell from outgoing ChairFarewell from outgoing ChairFarewell from outgoing Chair

THAMES COAST KIWI CARE

From the Project Coordinator . . . From the Project Coordinator . . . From the Project Coordinator . . . From the Project Coordinator . . .

Chair and as TCKC vol-unteer. We wish her a fond farewell and the very best for her fu-ture. Thankfully, we have someone willing to take up the challenge so we are able to welcome Moira Coatsworth to the Chair role.

Carol Nanning Tel 078684 750 carol.fin@xtra.co.nz

mitter change for kiwi, Namunamu

• attending a two day North Island Kiwi Hui earlier this year (more inside).

Sadly, for TCKC, Chair-person Isabel Eyberg, has advised us that she is moving away. On behalf of the com-mittee, grateful thanks to Isabel for the work she contributed as

Namunamu was our first

release in August 2007

TCKC ’s youngest trapper, Sheldon Smith with two stoats trapped on his

Granddad's farm.

Kiwi protection on the Thames Coast is alive and well with the trap-ping team continuing to check and maintain traps month in, month out. As well as the well oiled efforts of trap-pers, highlights over the last year for me have been: • the ‘kiwi safe dog

campaign’ • a successful trans-

Thames Coast Kiwi Care

PO Box 396 THAMES

Tel: 07 8684542

kiwi@coromandel.com

Getting the ‘Dogs that roam kill our kiwi’ banner under

control: Jonty Rutherford (MEG) and Anaru Leigh (TCKC)

Research findings Research findings Research findings Research findings ———— KAT KAT KAT KAT Of particular interest was the preliminary re-search findings into how effective Kiwi Aversion Training (KAT) is on dogs. The research has b e e n c o n d u c t e d through Unitec in Auck-land. Over 200 dogs of vari-ous breeds and occupa-tions, some of them

A National Kiwi Hui held two yearly and hosted by the BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust and Kiwi Recovery Group is an informa-tion sharing / problem solving opportunity that supports the work of stopping kiwi decline. This year the hui was held in May on the edge

of lake Taupo.

local, have been used in the trial. Props such as frozen dead kiwi and stuffed kiwi were used. Live chickens were also used (humanely) to see how dogs respond to movement.

The tests showed that a good percentage of dogs showed a strong aversion to kiwi. The level of aversion was the same whether the dog owner was present or not. However, a question arising about the re-search props and dis-cussed at the Kiwi Hui was — Would KAT be more effective using a live kiwi and is this a possibility?

Stop kiwi going to the dogsStop kiwi going to the dogsStop kiwi going to the dogsStop kiwi going to the dogs

Backed by BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust, Hauraki Herald, Coromandel FM and John McGill of Placemakers, Kopu it was possible to run a sustained campaign of advertisements and edi-torial between Decem-ber 23rd and January 10th, and place a 8x2m billboard at the east end of the Kopu Bridge. All this was in the hope of raising awareness and giving holiday-makers tips for how they can do their bit to protect kiwi from uncontrolled

dogs. ☺

Coromandel Peninsula’s population swells from approximately 26,000 to five times that (138000) over holiday periods and though many resident dogs and owners are Kiwi Avers ion Tra ined (KAT), holiday-makers with visiting canine pets may not be aware of k i w i p r o t e c t i o n projects on the Coromandel and how kiwi-safe dogs are critical to the success of adult and juvenile

kiwi survival.

Of the breeds tested prior to aversion train-ing, the terrier breeds were the keenest and most headstrong. We know the Kiwi Aversion training is just one of a set of tools to keep kiwi safe and re-peating the training is a good idea. If your dog is not a hunter doing hunting business, having it in sight and on a lead in kiwi country is another tool. We terrier own-ers need to be espe-cially careful to keep the dogs in our sight and under control. What was very nice was that the Coromandel was held up as a kiwi success story at the

hui. ☺

Research findings Research findings Research findings Research findings ———— KAT KAT KAT KAT————contcontcontcont

Some of the props used in the research.

gave advice for trap maintenance. The au-dit gave the project the thumbs up and some good reminders to help continue trapping to a

high standard.

Catches since 2006: 223 stoats, 207 wea-

sels, 1386 rats!!

2009 events: Waiomu Summer Fair & Hamilton County Bluegrass Band2009 events: Waiomu Summer Fair & Hamilton County Bluegrass Band2009 events: Waiomu Summer Fair & Hamilton County Bluegrass Band2009 events: Waiomu Summer Fair & Hamilton County Bluegrass Band

Predator control updatePredator control updatePredator control updatePredator control update

With the support of Iris Broekema of DOC Waikato Conservancy, TCKC trap catch data is now in a more useful format..

This graph shows the percentage of trap catches since September 2006 when trapping began.

The TCKC trapping programme has been audited by Richard

Goomes of DOC. (pic.)

This involved checking 10% of 330 traps on a range of trap lines.

Richard used weights

to gauge the sensitivity

of the trap plate, and

Balloon fun, face painting, the giant auction and people enjoy-ing their purchases are some of the attractions of the Sum-

mer Fair. Next fair to be held 30 January 2010.

The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band featured as one of the acts for a night of entertainment at the Tapu Hall earlier this

year. Thanks to all for generous contributions/involvement.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Sep-06

Nov-06

Jan-07

Mar-07

May-07

Jul-07

Sep-07

Nov-07

Jan-08

Mar-08

May-08

Jul-08

Sep-08

Nov-08

Jan-09

Mar-09

May-09

Jul-09

Sep-09

Nov-09

Stoats%

Weasels%

Rats%

TCKC will site some lar-ger DOC 250 traps to target ferrets after a sighting on the Tapu side

of the Tapu Coroglen Rd.

We would love to hear from you if you would

like to be a trapper!! ☺

P & J White Jim Glenn Anaru Leigh

Christine Friis Ian Stewart P & C Bennett

Bob Carr L & R Moyle Richard Williams

W & M Lincoln N Johns & B Walker Lisa Ballantyne

John Reason Mike Farrant Chris Dale

Doug Smith Jon Ballantyne Meg Canon

Carne Clissold P & D Burton

Fin Buchanan Louise Deane

Carol Nanning Warwick Reed

J & L Bithell Sue Canon

Transpower, Environment Waikato

Jan Fogg and Alan Webster

Lodge of Light, Thames

Thames Businesses: 2009 Summer Fair

Thames Bowling Club

Quilt maker, Jenny Bithell—2009

Hume Pine , Waipawa Timber Supplies

Bay Treatments (Rotorua), Carters (Kopu),

Mainfreight (Rotorua), Thames Frames and Trusses

our supporters:

funding and donations:

our regular volunteers:

Members Vetel Contracting

DOC Hauraki Royal Oak Hotel

DOC, Waikato Conservancy Andrew Mckerrow

Rapaura Water Gardens BNZ Thames

Dawn & Derek McMillan Artizanz

David Calder & assisting artists Thames Acapella

Hamilton County Blue Grass Band Hauraki Herald

Tapu Store J. F Jones

Linn Motors, Paeroa Dave Coatsworth

Please pass on our details if you know someone who may be interested in being part of

or supporting kiwi recovery on the Thames Coast.

Steering Group Meetings are now held on the sec-

ond Sunday of every month.

Tel 8684542 for details

NamunamuNamunamuNamunamuNamunamu———— Kiwi health check Kiwi health check Kiwi health check Kiwi health check

Wayne Lincoln, Tommy Herbert and his dog, Piripiri located Na-munamu after a long day searching, under fern north of the Wai-kawau River. She was in good condition and weighed 2125gms (a full grown kiwi is about

3.5kg). ☺

A transmitter change that was due in Sep-tember became an ur-gent matter in June when the current trans-

mitter began to fail.

Fortunately, a new transmitter was located

quickly, and donated

by Kiwitrack.

Free Kiwi Aversion Training is offered once a month for dogs and owners (if there is enough interest).

Contact Department of Conservation, Coro-

mandel for dates and locations. Tel: 07 8661100

Many Thanks to . . .Many Thanks to . . .Many Thanks to . . .Many Thanks to . . .

A wet working beeA wet working beeA wet working beeA wet working bee

On Saturday 1st Au-gust, eight mad keen TCKC m em b e r s worked on clearing vegetation off a couple

of trap-lines to enable

trappers to undertake

their work in safer, more pleasant condi-tions. Though it was a rain abundant day, the team remained to work in a wet and mad keen

kind of way! See below.

Top: 1). A. Leigh, N. Johns, M. Lincoln, K. Dawick, P. Ben-nett, F. Buchanan, W. Lincoln (not pictured) meet with the transport at the reserve. 2). C. Bennett. 3). Te Mata Ridge.

4). Paul Bennett in track clearing mode!!