West Coast Penguin Trust

We always need your support for our penguin conservation efforts - you can make a donation here:

Thank you very much

Hello!

We have been furiously busy over the past few months, especially Ranger Lucy Waller out in the field monitoring, tracking and microchipping little penguins / kororā, and we have heaps of news for you below.

With a shift to our new study site at Camerons (Greymouth) this season, we have also had a bit of a fresh start with a clearer focus on the data we collect for kororā. Our expectation is that the breeding success results will link to a clearer understanding of individual penguins through microchipping. All of that can then be linked to foraging study results and marine conditions and give us a much better understanding of these birds on the Coast. We are very fortunate to have the help and guidance of top penguin scientist, Dr Thomas Mattern, and the support and assistance of Masters student, Patrick Daugherty in all of this work. In this newsletter we have some news from the 2024 breeding season, which is drawing to a close as the final chicks fledge in the coming weeks, and we'll update you on the whole season in our next newsletter.

Most of our work is out of sight but we love to share what we do and we always want to encourage responsible dog ownership of course, so now and then we have a stall at local markets to meet local people. In recent months I have been at Carters Beach, Barrytown and Camerons - great to meet some of you there! Sadly, loose dogs have been a bigger issue this year - we had hoped the trend was in the opposite direction. Dogs have killed penguins at Serpentine beach near Kumara Junction, at Carters Beach and on the cycle trail in the Paroa area. We know it's not easy to approach a stranger or even a friend and ask them to keep their dogs under control but if you have concerns about loose dogs, you can always contact the good dog control folk at your local council in confidence.

Another important aspect of our work is advocacy. This includes standing up for and defending those species of interest to us, sometimes prompted to do so by you, our supporters. Our aim is to ensure penguins and other threatened seabirds and the places they breed and feed are protected; one of our key roles is to speak up for them. You can read more about that and have a say yourself on the Department of Conservation's (DOC) review of the West Coast Conservation Management Strategy (up to 16th December) - read on for more.

As 2024 draws to a close, we would like to thank you for all your interest and wonderful support and wish you a very safe, happy and healthy Christmas and holiday season.

Inger Perkins, Trust Manager

New partnership with WMS

We are pleased to announce a partnership with Westland Mineral Sands (WMS). The partnership will support our little penguin / kororā conservation programmes and enable us to work closely with WMS to support their goal to be stewards of nature.

WMS contacted the trust early on during the planning process and demonstrated their interest in 'doing things right'.

Find out more here

Little penguin breeding season news

It has been a very busy first year's field work at our new Camerons kororā colony study site south of Greymouth. Work has included monitoring breeding success with regular checks, deploying and retrieving loggers, and inserting microchips into adult penguins and chicks with the help of some excellent volunteers.

Get the low down on the season so far here

It's fledging season for Westland petrels

Chicks have lost their fluff and been left by their parents. It's time to leave their burrows in the coastal hills south of Punakaiki and they are extremely vulnerable to distraction from lights. There is a fabulous 'petrel patrol' of local residents going out at crazy hours to look for and rescue downed Westland petrels / tāiko and there are actions you can take if you live between Westport and Hokitika.

Find out more here

Annual Report for 2023/24

The message from our Chair, Robin Long, is a positive one. She introduces the trust's refreshed approach to field work and a slight shift of emphasis as we put more effort into fundraising to maintain our various projects, namely research, education, awareness and advocacy.

Find out more and read the report here

Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo shares a keeper

Our conservation partnership with Wellington Zoo Trust, Te Nukuao Tūroa o Te Whanganui a Tara, began in 2017 and has helped our trust in so many ways, the latest being through keeper turned volunteer, Ellen Richardson. Ellen came to assist Lucy with the foraging study and colony monitoring and they had a very full eight days.

Find out all about the project here

Greymouth guides and cubs at the beach

Guides and rangers joined Lucy for a chilly evening at the beach last month, learning all about the penguin residents and our research. The cubs also explored the beach, did a clean up and found penguin tracks, even making a plaster cast of one footprint.

Find out more about their adventures here

Speaking up for penguins

Behind the scenes, the trust speaks up for penguins, other threatened sea and shore birds and their habitat. We respond to resource consent applications as well as public consultation on plans, policies, legislation and more.

For the past few years, among other things, that has included contributing to the new regional district plan, Te Tai Poutini Plan, and currently providing comment on the new West Coast Conservation Management Strategy - DOC invites you to comment on the new CMS too.

Find out more and have your say here.

Update on bird flu x 2

You may have read reports saying that it's not if but when the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) arrives - and now we are hearing of a new bird flu in chickens, HZN6. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is saying: "While it is not the H5N1 strain circulating in wildlife around the world, we are taking the find seriously."

It's important for us all to be informed about the threat to penguins and seabirds, what to look for and what to do. Here are two links:

DOC information on H5N1

MPI information about HZN6

Upcycled art - Supporter draw

The lucky winner of penguin earrings from Remix Plastic drawn from our Supporters is Victoria Halliday (pictured) of Hokitika - congratulations Victoria! She wins a pair to wear and a pair to share - we hope you love the earrings and the concept as much as we do!

Anthea Ibell over in Christchurch creates beautiful jewellery made from plastic waste diverted from landfill, supporting charities as she does so, and kindly gave us two pairs to give away.

Find out more about this sustainable story

Become a Supporter here

Buy your own Remix Plastic jewellery here

New children's books about penguins

In her second children's penguin book Penguins Don't Send Postcards, West Coast author and artist, Jeanette Goode, has told the wonderful story of a rescued tawaki and its travels from Northland to the West Coast. It is self-published and beautifully told and illustrated. We were honoured to be involved in the launch event in Westport in October.

This gorgeous book, now in the NZ top 50 children's books of 2024 (Listener 7/12/24), is available to buy direct from Jeanette here or from your local book shop.

Half a world away, American children's book author, Elaine Kiklis, has written Hello Little Penguin! Elaine got in touch a year ago at the start of her project. She always aims to include facts about the protagonist and this new book is no exception. The story includes breeding, rescue and rehabilitation, and issues such as plastic pollution.

We were thrilled to be offered a mention and invitation to donate on the the back of the book, hopefully reaching a new audience.

Available in the USA from various sites, the new book is also available in NZ here.

And a very big THANK YOU to all our

supporters, donors, volunteers and the community for all your continued support.

It's been a big year and we really appreciate you.

As the year draws to a close, we wish you a safe, happy and healthy Christmas and holiday season. We hope you will have time to relax and enjoy some downtime.

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with all the important and fun local penguin news!

And remember our website also has all the latest news, up-to-date information about the Trust, our projects and much more!

www.westcoastpenguintrust.org.nz/

cartoon borrowed from istockphoto

ON A NEED TO KNOW BASIS ...

DOC hotline 0800 DOCHOT (362 468)

Handy to know if you come across an injured penguin or any sick or injured wildlife that seems to be struggling whilst out there on the beach, river mouths or roads. If you see a little penguin / kororā on the beach it almost certainly needs assistance. If you see a Fiordland crested penguin / tawaki on the beach north of Fox Glacier, it may well need assistance.

Biosecurity NZ hotline 0800 80 99 66

To report groups of three or more sick or dying birds, marine mammals or other wildlife.

Also, if you see or hear about a dead penguin, please let us know using our simple reporting form, ideally with a photograph and clear description of the location. If you can have a look and it's obvious or apparent, your thoughts on possible cause of death would be very helpful. We can then add the information to our database - which informs our conservation actions.

Coming soon in the March newsletter:

We will have wrapped up the 2024 breeding season and will share results
We'll have initial analysis from the foraging study
News from the three Fiordland crested penguin / tawaki colonies we monitor
And much more!

West Coast Penguin Trust

info@westcoastpenguintrust.org.nz | www.westcoastpenguintrust.org.nz

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