$100k boost for peninsula predator programme

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced the new funding at Glenfalloch today. Photo: Gregor...
Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced the new funding at Glenfalloch today. Photo: Gregor Richardson
The Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Trust will receive a $100,000 boost for its pest-prevention efforts as part of a $4.2 million package for community conservation and recreation groups across the country.

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced the new funding at Glenfalloch Woodland Gardens in Dunedin today.

The trust's work to protect the peninsula's wildlife from predators was "an inspiring example of community action", she said.

“The richness of the peninsula’s biodiversity must be nurtured and protected. Yellow-eyed and little penguins make their home here, and it has the world’s largest mainland albatross colony, not to mention spoonbills, plovers, herons and jewelled geckoes.”

"The Doc Community Fund is designed to provide community conservation and recreation groups with an all-important boost to reach their goals for protecting native wildlife, restoring vital habitat and improving access to New Zealand’s outdoors.”

To date the group has removed 12,600 possums through volunteer efforts, which is part of a programme to permanently reduce possum numbers across the peninsula.

The new community fund grant would allow the group to increase the number of volunteers and expand their predator control efforts, Ms Sage said.

“Ultimately the group hopes to make the entire Otago Peninsula pest free. Projects like this are crucial if we are to achieve a predator free New Zealand by 2050.”

The community fund was established in 2014 to provide $26 million over four years for community groups for priority conservation work.

It was directed at practical, on-the-ground projects which maintained and restored the diversity of New Zealand's natural heritage and enabled more people to participate in recreation, engage with conservation and value its benefits, Ms Sage said.

Other recipients of this year’s funding include:

Project Crimson Trust - Trees That Count Community Partnerships ($300,000)
A conservation campaign to inspire New Zealanders to restore the environment, clean waterways, encourage native biodiversity and make a tangible difference to climate change by planting millions of native trees.

Te Rarawa Anga Mua - Warawara Titipounamu protection project ($106,700)
Warawara is home to the only mainland population of titipounamu/rifleman north of Te Aroha/Pureora and is under threat from invasive predators. An intensive control programme is planned to protect and strengthen the population.

Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society - Re-establishing Kokako on Mt Pirongia ($40,000)
A project to re-establish kokako on Mount Pirongia and transfer 40 birds from Pureora and Tiritiri Matangi Island, including birds descended from kokako that were removed from Pirongia in the 1990s.

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