With the support for Department of Conservation and the Yellow Eyed Trust we are hoping to raise $190,000 for the 2025 season to enable YEPT to continue to develop urgently required conservation actions via three main priorities
• Hoiho monitoring and management
• Management of our rehabilitation facility for hoiho
• Protection of coastal habitats A total of $570,000 is needed over the next 3 years to support this critical conservation work.
Hoiho monitoring and management
• Nest search (Oct): locate nests and determine parentage to ascertain numbers and trends, and allow for follow up monitoring. Candle to identify infertile eggs.
• Chick disease monitoring (Nov/Dec): treat chicks with signs of diphtheritic stomatitis or respiratory distress syndrome to improve survival. Uplift chicks to hospital for c.5-8 days before release.
• Chick weight monitoring (Dec/Jan): supplementary feed at the nest or a rehabilitation facility to mitigate starvation and ensure survival.
• Chick fledge monitoring (Feb): determine nest productivity, and weigh, measure (to determine sex) and microchip chicks (for future identification).
• Moult monitoring (Feb-May): uplift underweight birds for supplementary feeding at rehab to prevent starvation and ensure survival, release once moult is complete.
• Injured / sick bird identification: Uplift birds that need life-saving treatment (e.g. for predator wounds, avian malaria) to hospital, release once recovered.
Summary of investment for monitoring and management costs
Personnel costs Rangers (Oct to May) $66,000
Transport costs Vehicle access to sites, trips to hospital and rehab and back $19,000
Equipment & consumables Sterilisation, rehydration, cages, microchipping, first aid gear $8,000
Fieldbase & comms Long Point base running costs $10,000
SUB-TOTAL $93,000
Protection of coastal habitats
• Revegetation and plant maintenance: grow eco-sourced native plants, and plant into coastal reserves to provide habitat for hoiho, and mitigate erosion, run-off and flooding. Maintain plants for 3+ years to support survival.
• Invasive weed control: control invasive weeds (e.g. gorse, wilding pines, blackberry, elder) to maximise survival of native plants. • Animal pest control: introduced mammalian predators can kill chicks or take eggs. Maintain extensive trap lines year-round to protect chicks and eggs.
• Fencing: reserves are fenced to prevent livestock from accessing hoiho breeding sites and planting areas. Stock can damage vegetation and trample nests, and are removed from habitats when they occasionally intrude.
• Track maintenance: Maintain public tracks and install signage to educate and manage visitors in sensitive areas. Maintain firebreaks as a defence against scrub fires. Maintain hoiho access to nests and resting areas.
Summary of investment for coastal habitat costs
Personnel costs Rangers (June to Sept) and nursery supervisor $52,000
Transport costs Vehicle access to sites $6,000
Equipment & consumables Plant guards, potting mix, weed mats, water, spray, electricity $9,000
SUB-TOTAL $67,000
Management of our rehabilitation facility for hoiho
• Supplementary feed (Mar-May): feed underweight moulting adults and juveniles at YEPTs facility on Rakiura. Quantity of fish based on stage of moult and weight / health of bird (up to 1kg per day).
• Health and wellbeing: daily health monitoring of birds, regular weight checks and assessment of behaviour.
• Veterinary care: seek additional veterinary assistance as required for birds in care (e.g. for injuries, underlying health conditions). • Release: once hoiho are sufficiently healthy release back to colony.
• Maintain facility: ensure sufficient capacity for hoiho, mosquito proof mesh, maintain cleanliness and hygiene.
Summary of investment for rehibilatation costs
Rehab supervisor (Feb to May) $13,000
Transport costs Boat/flights to/from sites, trucks to/ from rehab and hospital $10,000
Equipment & consumables Fish, sterilisation, rehydration, vitamins $7,000
SUB-TOTAL $30,000
Total Investment Plan for funds raised:
TOTAL $190,000
