West Coast Penguin Trust

HELP THE PENGUINSI

You can help us safeguard the future of the blue penguin (kororā) and the Fiordland crested penguin (tawaki); all it takes is a small donation.

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Hello,

World Penguin Day shares the same day as Anzac Day in New Zealand unfortunately, so we tend not to make a big deal of it. We would love to persuade somebody to change the date for us! Having said that, and while some of us attended dawn ceremonies and other Anzac Day events, we still recognised the penguin day and thought of all those people volunteering and working to help protect the world's penguin species.

The Taiko festival is approaching this weekend in Punakaiki. It is a unique and fantastic festival, highly recommended - a wonderful West Coast mix of live music, partying, bird and nature conservation, children's activities, market stalls and lots more. We are a part of it and know that it's a great event for the whole family.

Some of the Trust are off to the biennial Oamaru Penguin Symposium this week, and that means unfortunately some of us will miss the Taiko festival, but we will return with lots of stories, new knowledge and inspiration. Luckily Kerry-Jayne is staying for the festival so don't worry if you thought you would miss out. She will be there to deliver her Taiko talks Friday evening and Saturday and she'll be at our market stall for a chat.

We have exciting news to report of a new penguin fence being erected in Hokitika. Let's hope this makes a sizeable difference to the number of penguin deaths on the road.

World Albatross Day is coming on the 19th June and the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) website has many education resources, quizzes and videos to learn all about these fascinating birds.

There are still a few penguins around including some early birds that are already checking out nest sites for the coming season, so please keep dogs safe and secure at home, and keep an eye out when walking your dogs on the beaches. Thank you.

If you see an injured penguin or any wildlife that seems to be struggling, please call DOC for assistance on the hotline, 0800 DOCHOT (362 468) and do all you can to ensure it is safe from dogs.

Read on for more details and news and huge thanks for all your generous support.

Lucy

Education and Awareness Ranger

The Taiko festival returns 7th/8th May

The Tāiko Festival in Punakaiki was started seven years ago to mark the return of the tāiko or Westland petrel to nesting sites just south of Punakaiki. As well as the main music event, it includes a beach parade and talk by our expert, Kerry-Jayne Wilson, on the evening of Friday 7 May at McMillan's Beach, followed by an open mic night at the Punakaiki Beach Camp, and on Saturday, native tree planting, yoga on the beach, a community market on the village green and a special shout out for the the tāiko themed children's activities being led by Suzanne Hills from 2.30pm.

Find more details here

New fence to protect Hokitika penguins

Six penguins have been killed on the road in recent years around the Houhou Creek bridge and sewage ponds north of Hokitika but penguins in the area will soon be spared this risk.

Find out more here

World of Penguins talks - 11th May

Our next public talk is on Tuesday 11th May, 5.30pm in Greymouth at the polytechnic. We will provide an update on our projects and Kerry-Jayne Wilson will present an illustrated talk 'World of Penguins'. Pop it in your diary now!

Find the details here

Remember our gift matching opportunity – double your donation!

A wonderful supporter has promised to match donations up to a very generous $3,000. The great news is that you have stepped up to the challenge and that target has just been met.

That $3000 is now $6000 for penguin conservation.

There's more! Our donor has agreed to extend the gift matching to the end of this month, so if you were thinking of making a donation or becoming an annual Supporter, now would be a great time to do it.

Thank you all.

Find out more here

Penguin tours supporting conservation - reserve your space now!

The Yellow Eyed Penguin Trust and the West Coast Penguin Trust have teamed up to bring you these stunning behind the scenes fundraising tours, led by the hugely experienced Nature Quest.

Find out more about the trips and the opportunity to join them and support the Trust

Bird supporters across the globe recognise World Penguin Day

Clap your flippers for World Penguin Day!

Many Trusts, organisations, groups cdelebrated World Penguin Day on the 25th April. It is a bit difficult for us here in New Zealand sharing the same day as Anzac Day, but we still recognised it and the work many do to help protect penguins around the world.

Did you know penguins live in these surprising places?

Dunedin's penguin hospital saving lives

Vets in Dunedin, New Zealand, are making strides in helping endangered penguins. Determined while being bitten and flipper bashed, they're treating these patients with great care.

Read the full article here, including how many penguins the hospital has saved so far and see a beautiful video of a hoiho chick and an adult kororā here

Fascinating! We thought penguins stuck close to their colonies, but no!

A big journey for a little penguin/ kororā, this one was first marked as a chick on the Otago Peninsula by Blue Penguins Pukekura, and re-sighted in Charleston, at the opposite corner of the South Island/ Te Wai Pounamu nearly three years later.

Read more here

World Albatross Day, 19th June

Following last year's successful inauguration of World Albatross Day on 19 June, ACAP has adopted the theme "Ensuring Albatross-friendly Fisheries" to mark the day this year.

Take their fun quiz here.

Read about World Albatross Day here

Update from the NZ Penguin Initiatiave

We collaborate with the NZ Penguin Initiative and share their passion for blue penguins and tawaki or Fiordland crested penguins. Their focus is improving knowledge and conservation for all NZ penguins.

You can read their latest quarterly report here.

Intervention vital for penguins' survival

"Yellow-eyed penguins are on life support in mainland New Zealand."

Those working with the birds say that without human intervention, the species would be gone from Stewart Island, Southland and Otago.

Read the full article here

Grey Main year 3/4 classes embark on the penguin ranger journey again for 2021

Grey Main Primary School has embarked on their second journey with the education programme. Being their second year, the teachers are confident and excited to start their penguin projects independently this year, simply using the education resource and check ins with Education Ranger Lucy. The students learnt all about blue penguins and their threats and they even had a trip to see the penguin fence at Punakaiki. Good luck Grey Main and see you soon!

Have you ever heard of a Snares penguin?

A Snares crested penguin was found south of Kaikoura last month and taken to Kaikoura Wildlife Rescue Centre.

The species is endemic to the sub-Antarctic Snares Islands and is a rare vagrant to the New Zealand mainland, being rarely recorded in Kaikoura.

West Coast Penguin Trust off to the Oamaru Penguin Symposium

Some of the Trust team are off on a trip to Oamaru this week for the biennial Penguin Symposium. Lots to learn and people to collaborate with and we'll report back in the next newsletter.

Read about our hosts, the Oamaru Penguin Colony, here